How to choose a property agent in Dubai: licence checks, fees and the questions to ask

To choose a property agent in Dubai, first check three things on the Dubai Land Department's (DLD) own systems: that the individual broker is registered and holds a current broker card, that the office they work for is licensed, and that any listing they show you carries a Trakheesi advertising permit. All three checks are free and take minutes on the DLD website or the Dubai REST app. Only then judge the agent on what matters for your purchase: knowledge of the buildings you are considering, a plain answer on fees and who pays them, and candour about their own interests. This guide explains the checks, what agents charge, the warning signs and how Abu Dhabi differs. It is general information, not legal advice.

How do you check that a property agent in Dubai is licensed?

Use the DLD's own tools rather than anything the agent sends you. The DLD's FAQ (checked 12 November 2026) says a broker must be registered in the brokers' register and hold a broker card from the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA), and that all licensed brokers can be found on the DLD website and through the Dubai REST app.

Three services do the work:

• Licensed real estate brokers list. A single search box on the DLD website covers brokers, offices, mobile numbers, areas and ORN, with filters for sale, lease and mortgage brokers.
• Licensed brokerage companies list. The same for offices.
• Verify License and Permits. Checks licences and permits issued through Trakheesi. The DLD lists no fee, gives the completion time as immediate, and offers it on the website and the Dubai REST app.

A good habit: search by the mobile number the agent uses to contact you. If the number does not lead to a registered broker at the office on their email signature, ask why before you go further. Do the check before you send a passport copy, a proof of funds or a deposit.

What are BRN and ORN, and what does a broker card involve?

They are the two numbers that tie an agent to the register. ORN is the office registration number of the brokerage, and the DLD's broker list can be searched by it. BRN is the label many listings and business cards use for the individual broker's registration or card number. The two should match up: the right person, at the right office.

The DLD's card issuance page (checked 12 November 2026) sets the conditions for a broker card: a certificate of good conduct from Dubai Police and a pass in the annual broker test, with a card fee of AED 500 and an exam fee of AED 700 plus AED 20 in knowledge and innovation fees. It also says a card's validity is linked to the validity of the office's trade licence, so a broker can drop off the register when their office's licence lapses. Check that the card is current, not merely that the name appears.

How do you check a listing's Trakheesi permit?

Look for the permit number, or a code linking to it, on every Dubai advert, and verify it. The DLD's ad permit page (checked 12 November 2026) says the permit covers advertising in any medium, from portals and social media to billboards and exhibitions, and that brokers must provide a marketing contract with the property owner for most permit types. That contract, on a resale, is Form A.

This is why the permit is a useful filter. A listing with a valid Trakheesi permit was put on the market by a broker with the owner's instruction. A listing without one should not be online, and it is often a property the agent cannot actually sell, a price that does not exist or a unit already sold.

When you check a permit, confirm that the agency, property type and location match the advert. A permit shows that a licensed broker is authorised to market the property. It does not tell you that the price is fair, that the photographs are current or that the building's service charges are what the agent says.

What do property agents in Dubai charge?

Dubai sets no statutory rate. The DLD's FAQ says that under the brokers' regulation of 2006 the commission is set by the agreement and, where the agreement is silent, by prevailing custom.

Three rules from the DLD's FAQ protect you. A broker is paid after the sale contract is concluded and registered with the DLD, unless the brokerage contract says otherwise. If negotiations fail, the broker cannot claim expenses unless the contract allows it. And where several brokers act for one side of the deal, they share one commission. Pay commission to the brokerage company at transfer, by cheque or bank transfer, not to an individual in advance.

A note on this site. Our advisers are salaried, not paid on commission, and on off-plan purchases the developer pays us, so you pay us no fee. Because the developer pays, the questions in this guide about conflicts of interest apply to us exactly as they apply to any agent, and you should ask them.

Do you need a buyer's agent in Dubai?

Not necessarily, but a good one earns their fee on a resale. A buyer's agent is appointed under Form B, RERA's buyer agreement, and finds properties, checks them, negotiates and manages Form F and the transfer. On off-plan, the agent introducing you to a developer is usually paid by that developer, which is worth remembering when one launch is recommended over another.

Before signing Form B, read three clauses:

• Exclusivity. An exclusive appointment can oblige you to pay that broker even if you buy through someone else during the term.
• Duration. Keep it short, or limit it to named properties.
• Commission. Write the rate, the VAT and when it is due.

The DLD's FAQ sets out two rules that help buyers. If you instruct several brokers independently on the same search, the one who completes the deal is entitled to the full commission, so you do not pay twice. And a broker may lose the right to commission if they work for the other party in a way that conflicts with the interests of the party they represent. Ask any agent directly who else is paying them on the deal.

What questions should you ask a Dubai property agent?

Ask these before you commit, and note the answers.

1. What are your BRN and ORN? Then check them yourself.
2. Who is paying you on this transaction, and how much? On off-plan, ask whether the developer pays a higher rate on this project than on others.
3. Do you hold this listing directly from the owner, under Form A? Negotiating through a chain of agents is slow and less reliable.
4. What have similar units in this building sold for in the past six months? Compare the answer with our area prices data.
5. What are the service charges, and is the seller's account clear? The approved rate is on the DLD's service charge index.
6. For off-plan: what is the developer's delivery record? See developer delivery data and our developer pages.
7. What will you not do? A careful agent will tell you what is outside their competence, such as tax or legal advice.

What are the red flags when choosing an agent?

Walk away, or at least slow down, if you see any of these.

• No licence trail. The person is not on the DLD broker list, the card has expired or the office does not match.
• No permit. The listing has no Trakheesi number, or the number belongs to a different property.
• Money to the wrong place. Any request to pay a deposit or instalment to a personal account or to the agent. Off-plan payments go into the project escrow account: Article 12 of Executive Council Resolution No. 6 of 2010 requires a broker to deposit the sale price into the project escrow account and forbids them from depositing it in their own account or deducting commission from it.
• A fee on off-plan. A request for a buyer's commission on a direct developer purchase.
• Pressure. Deadlines with no documented source, "last units", or reluctance to let you read the SPA or Form F before paying.
• Promised returns. Yields or resale profits presented as certain. Ask for the source and date of any figure.
• Papers you cannot read. Contracts only in Arabic with no translation, or blank fields you are asked to sign.

If something goes wrong with a licensed broker in Dubai, contact the DLD; its service pages list +971 800 4488.

How do you check a broker in Abu Dhabi?

Abu Dhabi has its own regulator and systems. Article 5 of Abu Dhabi Law No. 3 of 2015 says no person may carry on real estate activities without first obtaining a licence from the regulator, and Article 77 sets penalties for anyone who does. The regulator is the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC), and its platform, DARI, lets you confirm that a broker or developer is licensed.

Every Abu Dhabi listing should also carry a permit under Madhmoun, ADREC's listing system, and Bayut reported on 20 October 2026 that off-plan resales need an advertising permit issued through the TAMM platform before they are listed.

Two Abu Dhabi rules help buyers. Resolution No. 183 of 2017 caps sale commission at 2% of the price, up to AED 500,000, and, where the parties have not agreed otherwise, leasing commission at 5% of the annual rent. And under Article 19 of Law No. 3 of 2015 a developer may not use the project escrow account to pay brokers' commissions. For the wider process see buying property in Abu Dhabi, and for Dubai, buying property in Dubai.