How UAE property transactions are regulated

The regulator and its practice guide

In Dubai, brokerage is overseen by the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA), through which the Dubai Land Department (DLD) issues circulars to the market. RERA publishes a Real Estate Brokerage Practice Guide, whose second edition is dated November 2024. The agency describes it as containing the information, laws and procedures relating to the practice of brokerage in Dubai, and it calls on all brokers to follow it to avoid illegal practices that lead to legal measures and violations. It also points to UAE Bylaw No. 85 of 2006, which regulates the Real Estate Brokers Register in Dubai.^[1][2]

The guide lists ten ethical duties for licensed brokers, among them maintaining privacy and preserving all documents. It also states that all brokers must download the Dubai REST app, which holds broker data, the smart sales and marketing contracts and the green list. Trakheesi, the second system it names, handles licences and permits, practice cards, office registration certificates and any violations or warnings issued to a company.^[1]

Licences, practice cards and registration

The guide sets out the route to a broker card in four steps. A real estate licence must first be obtained from the licensing authorities, that licence must be registered in Trakheesi, an application for a broker card is submitted through Trakheesi, and the electronic card is issued once fees are settled. The DLD service page for professional practice cards lists a personal photo and a copy of the Emirates ID among the required documents, and its service terms require a Dubai Police certificate of good conduct and a pass in the annual test for the mediation profession. It also notes that the validity of the card is linked to the validity of the trade licence.^[1][3]

The same page covers several card types, including real estate broker, national broker, mortgage broker and real estate consultant. When it was read for this report it listed a broker card fee of AED 500 and a broker exam fee of AED 700, with separate knowledge and innovation fees of AED 10 each. The page also lists exam exemptions for some applicants. Fees are set by the Department and can change, so the live page governs.^[3]

Advertising permits and the Madmoun QR code

RERA's guide states that brokerages must obtain a permit for any real estate advertisement or marketing material through Trakheesi, and that the permit number must be displayed on the advertisement. The DLD Real Estate Ad Permit service covers fourteen categories, including newspaper, SMS, outdoor, vehicle, printed, electronic and billboard advertisements, promotional campaigns, open house events and classified advertisements. Where the applicant is a broker, the service terms require a copy of the marketing contract with the property owner for most of those categories.^[1][4]

The service page lists a fee of AED 1,000 for most permits and AED 5,000 for a project launch event, plus an AED 20 knowledge and innovation fee, with a service time of one working day. A separate DLD announcement dated 18 April 2023 describes the Madmoun service, under which a QR code is issued for any advertisement permit so that customers can verify the advertisement's authenticity and validity. Companies were expected to show the code on print and audiovisual advertisements from 24 April 2023.^[4][2]

Standard contracts, the green list and off-plan marketing

The guide describes three smart contracts that brokers must use for marketing and sales. Contract A is an agreement to market a property between the seller and the brokerage. Contract B is an agreement of desire to purchase a property between the buyer and the broker. Contract F is an agreement to sell a property between the seller and the buyer. The guide adds that all brokers are mandated to use electronic contracts to record real estate sales transactions.^[1]

Two further rules affect anyone who holds owner contact details. Through the Dubai REST app, the agency provides a green list of registered owners' telephone numbers and email addresses; brokers may not contact owners who are not on it, and a violation is issued if they do. For off-plan projects, brokers must ensure the project is licensed and registered with the agency, that an escrow account is linked to it with buyers instructed to deposit only into that account, and that a marketing contract exists between the developer and the brokerage office.^[1]

Ejari, Oqood and the anti-money-laundering framework

Ejari and Oqood are separate DLD registration systems. The Ejari service page describes a service that allows customers to register or renew a tenancy contract in Dubai, available through trustee centres, the Ejari system (for licensed property management companies and owners managing their own property) and the Dubai REST app, each with its own conditions. It lists a total fee of AED 177.75 via the app or website and AED 220 via trustee centres. Oqood is the portal through which developers register off-plan units, and its service terms say the contract must be registered in the provisional register within 90 days of signing, with a fee of 2% of the sale value each for seller and purchaser.^[5][6]

On money laundering, the Central Bank of the UAE's rulebook guidance, in force from 16 June 2021, says real estate agents and brokers qualify as designated non-financial businesses and professions when they conclude operations for customers relating to the purchase and sale of real estate. It says they must then apply the same preventive measures as licensed financial institutions, including risk assessment, customer due diligence and suspicious transaction reporting, and names the Ministry of Economy as supervisor for the mainland and commercial free zones. The Ministry's guidance lists real estate brokers and agents as an example, describes goAML as the platform for suspicious transaction and activity reports, and warns that failure to register may bring severe penalties, without giving amounts.^[7][8]

The Central Bank page cites Article 3 of the AML-CFT Decision and the Ministry's page cites Federal Decree Law No. 20 of 2018, so both pre-date the current law. Article 41 of Federal Decree by Law No. 10 of 2025, published on the Ministry's website, repeals the 2018 law, as the law firm DLA Piper also reports. The Cabinet's executive regulations, Resolution No. 134 of 2025, list real estate brokers and agents as designated non-financial businesses when concluding transactions or settlements for customers on the purchase or sale of real estate. The 2025 law keeps regulations issued under the 2018 law in effect where they do not conflict, until replaced. Thresholds, penalties and reporting details should be read in the current texts and confirmed with the Ministry.^{[7][8][9][10][11]}

Questions