How to Choose a Real Estate Agent in Dubai

Updated September 2026

To choose a real estate agent in Dubai, first confirm they are licensed: they should hold a RERA broker card with a Broker Registration Number (BRN) and work for an office on the Dubai Land Department's register, which you can check on the DLD website or the Dubai REST app. Then compare agents on what they know about your area, how clearly they explain fees and contracts, and what past clients say about them.

Licence checkBRN, ORN and the DLD registerContractsForms A, B and F explainedCommissionWhat the law says, what is customarySourcedBylaw 85 of 2006 and DLD services

Start with the licence

In Dubai, nobody may work as a real estate broker unless they are licensed and entered in the brokers register kept by the Dubai Land Department. That is Article 3 of Bylaw No. 85 of 2006, the rule that governs brokers. Once registered, a broker receives a card showing their name, address and registration number, and that name and number must appear on all their correspondence and reports. Registration is renewed every year.

In practice you will see two numbers. The BRN (Broker Registration Number) belongs to the individual agent. The ORN (Office Registration Number) belongs to the agency. Ask for both at the first contact. A good agent offers them without being asked.

How to check a broker on the DLD register and Dubai REST

DLD Licensed Real Estate Brokers list: search by broker name, office, mobile number, area or ORN, and filter by sale, lease or mortgage brokers.
Dubai REST app: shows details of brokers and their performance levels, and of offices and their classifications, as well as certified developers.
Verify License and Permits: a DLD service on the website and in Dubai REST that checks the e-copy of licences and permits issued to real estate practitioners. Results are immediate.

The DLD has itself urged customers to verify licensed brokers through Dubai REST before dealing with them or transferring any money. If the name, photo or office in the app doesn't match the person in front of you, stop.

The contracts you sign with an agent

The DLD has standard electronic contracts. Your broker creates them in the DLD's Dubai Brokers system, and you approve them through a link sent to you, so you should never be asked to sign a homemade agreement instead.

Form	Between	What it does
Form A	Seller and the seller's broker	Listing agreement: property, commission, contract length. You approve it through a link from the DLD system.
Form B	Buyer and the buyer's broker	Buyer agreement: your requirements, budget, commission and contract length. You approve it the same way.
Form F	Seller and buyer (via both brokers)	The unified sale contract, created from an approved Form A and Form B. Often called the MOU.
Leasing forms	Landlord or tenant and the broker	RERA Circular 21 of 2016 requires brokers to use the approved standard forms for leasing.

Bylaw No. 85 of 2006 requires a brokerage agreement to be in writing, naming the parties, the property and the terms. Before you approve Form A or Form B, check the commission, the contract duration and what happens if you end it early. Sellers can read more in our guide to selling property in Dubai.

Advertising permits: how to tell a real listing

Every real estate ad in Dubai, from portal listings to social media posts and SMS, needs a permit issued through the DLD's Trakheesi system, and brokers must show a marketing contract with the owner to get one. RERA requires the permit number in every ad. Since 24 April 2023 ads must also carry a Madmoun QR code; scanning it shows the approved ad details, the advertising company and whether the property has already been sold or rented.

The DLD enforces this. In October 2020 it fined 10 companies and warned 30 for advertising without permits, misusing permit numbers or showing expired permits, with fines starting at AED 50,000.

How much do real estate agents charge in Dubai?

Commission is not fixed by law. Bylaw No. 85 of 2006 sets these rules:

The fee is whatever the brokerage agreement says. Only if nothing was agreed does prevailing practice apply.
The broker earns it only when a contract is concluded, and by default when the sale contract is signed and registered with the DLD.
If the deal fails, the broker can't claim expenses unless the agreement allows it.
Each party pays the broker it appointed. If one broker acts for both sides, each owes its own share.
If you appoint several brokers separately, only the one who closes the deal is paid.

For sales, 2% of the price plus VAT is customary, and it is negotiable. Rental commissions are also a matter of agreement. Whatever the figure, get it written into Form A, Form B or the leasing form before viewings start.

What a Dubai agent legally owes you

Disclose all negotiation details and anything you need to make the right decision (Article 17).
Disclose the material facts to the other side too, even though they represent only you (Articles 17 and 19).
Hold any deposit or document you hand over as a trustee and pass it on as agreed (Article 21).
Keep records of every transaction and give you copies on request (Article 15).
Not facilitate any transaction that breaks the law (Article 18).
Be liable for losses caused by fraud or by breaking the rules, and lose the fee if they act for the other side against you (Articles 22 and 23).

How to compare agents

Once you have two or three licensed agents, compare them on the things that affect your deal: how well they know the building or community, how quickly and clearly they answer, whether they explain costs without being pushed, and whether past clients would use them again. Our rankings of the best real estate agents in the UAE are built from verified client reviews, and you can browse individual agent profiles and reviews to check a specific name. Before a first meeting, use our list of questions to ask a real estate agent.

Red flags when dealing with an agent

Can't or won't give you a BRN, or the name on the broker card doesn't match the person you're dealing with.

The ad has no permit number or Madmoun QR code, or the QR shows a different property or company.

Asks you to pay a deposit or fee into a personal account, in cash, or before you have seen the property and a contract.

Asks you to pay off-plan instalments anywhere other than the project's escrow account.

Refuses to put the commission, the deposit terms or the brokerage agreement in writing.

Pressure to decide today, or a price far below comparable listings.

Won't let you check the title deed or the owner's identity before you pay anything.

To report a violation, misleading ad or cold call, use the DLD's complaint service on its website or in Dubai REST. It excludes contract disputes, rental cases and compensation claims, and cases older than six months. For more warning signs, see how to avoid property scams in Dubai.

Frequently asked questions

How do I check if a real estate agent is licensed in Dubai?

Search the broker's name, office, mobile number or office registration number (ORN) in the Dubai Land Department's Licensed Real Estate Brokers list, or look them up in the Dubai REST app. A licensed broker holds a broker card from RERA showing their name and registration number (BRN).

What is a BRN in Dubai real estate?

The Broker Registration Number on the broker card RERA issues when an individual broker is entered in the DLD's brokers register. Bylaw No. 85 of 2006 says the registered name and number must appear in all the broker's correspondence and reports. The agency itself has an office registration number (ORN).

How much commission do real estate agents charge in Dubai?

There is no fixed rate in law. Bylaw No. 85 of 2006 says commission is set by agreement, and by prevailing practice only if nothing was agreed. For sales, 2% of the price plus VAT is customary. Agree the figure in writing, in Form A or Form B, before viewings start.

Does the buyer or the seller pay the agent in Dubai?

Each party pays the broker they appointed. Under Bylaw No. 85 of 2006, if one broker acts for both sides, each side is liable for its own share of the fee even if they agree that one of them will pay it all.

Do I have to pay an agent if the deal falls through?

Normally not. Under Bylaw No. 85 of 2006 a broker earns the fee only when a contract is concluded, and can't claim expenses for a failed deal unless the brokerage agreement says otherwise. Read Form A or Form B for any such clause.

Where can I complain about a real estate agent in Dubai?

Use the DLD's complaint service against real estate companies on its website or the Dubai REST app for violations, misleading ads and cold calls. It does not handle contract disputes, rental cases or compensation claims, and complaints must be within six months.

Sources

Last reviewed September 2026. Article numbers refer to Bylaw No. 85 of 2006; the English text is a translation and the Arabic prevails.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Check a broker's licence yourself on the DLD register and read every contract in full before you approve it.