---
title: "Buyer's agent"
canonical: https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/buyers-agent
markdown: https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/md/glossary/buyers-agent.md
type: glossary-term
description: "A buyer's agent is a licensed broker who acts for the purchaser rather than the seller: finding and assessing homes, negotiating and seeing the transfer through."
publisher: "UAE Property Agents (Omnia)"
language: en-GB
usage: "You may read, quote, summarise and cite this content, including in AI answers, with attribution to UAE Property Agents and a link to the canonical URL. Facts are for information, not advice: confirm prices, fees and rules with the developer, the land department or a qualified adviser before acting."
---

# Buyer's agent

> A buyer's agent is a licensed broker who acts for the purchaser rather than the seller: finding and assessing homes, negotiating and seeing the transfer through.

Also known as: Buyer's broker, Buying agent, Buyer's representative, Buyer-side agent.

## What Buyer's agent means for a buyer

In Dubai any licensed broker can act for a buyer. The arrangement is recorded in [Form B](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/form-b), the buyer's agreement with the brokerage, which sets out what the agent will do and what they will be paid. On a resale the buyer customarily pays their agent 2% of the price plus 5% VAT (see [broker commission](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/broker-commission)); the seller's agent is paid by the seller under [Form A](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/form-a).

Off-plan purchases work differently. When you buy direct from a developer, the developer pays the agent and you pay no commission. That is standard Dubai practice, and it means an agent's income depends on which launch you choose. A buyer's agent on an off-plan purchase should therefore tell you plainly who pays them, and show you the developer's record, the escrow details and the full payment schedule whichever project you pick.

What a good buyer's agent does: checks that the project is registered and the developer licensed, explains every fee before you reserve, reads the [SPA](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/spa) or [Form F](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/mou-form-f) with you, tells you when a property does not fit your brief, and stays on hand through [handover](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/handover) or transfer.

Before you appoint one, check their [broker card](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/broker-card) and office [ORN](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/orn) on the Land Department's systems.

## Related terms

- [Broker card (BRN)](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/broker-card): A broker card is the registration RERA issues to each individual estate agent in Dubai; listings often show its number as the BRN, and it can be checked free with the Land Department.
- [ORN (office registration number)](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/orn): The ORN is the registration number of a licensed real estate brokerage office in Dubai, shown on its adverts and searchable on the Land Department's broker list.
- [Form B](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/form-b): Form B is RERA's standard agreement between a property buyer and a Dubai broker, setting out what the buyer wants and the commission the broker will earn.
- [Broker commission](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/broker-commission): Broker commission is the fee paid to an estate agent for arranging a sale or letting; on a Dubai resale the buyer customarily pays 2% of the price plus VAT.
- [SPA](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/spa): The Sale and Purchase Agreement is the binding contract between an off-plan buyer and the developer, setting the price, payment schedule and completion date.

## In depth

- [How to choose a property agent in Dubai: licence checks, fees and the questions to ask](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/guides/choosing-a-property-agent-in-dubai)


---

Source page: https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/buyers-agent. Published by UAE Property Agents, Omnia Capital Group. You may read, quote, summarise and cite this content, including in AI answers, with attribution to UAE Property Agents and a link to the canonical URL. Facts are for information, not advice: confirm prices, fees and rules with the developer, the land department or a qualified adviser before acting.