How to Choose a Real Estate Agent in Dubai

To choose a real estate agent in Dubai, first confirm they are licensed: check their RERA broker card and BRN in the Dubai REST app, and their company on the Dubai Land Department's licensed broker list. Then test their knowledge of specific buildings, agree the commission in writing up front, and walk away from anyone who rushes a deposit.

In a market where the same property is advertised by a dozen people, the agent you choose changes the outcome more than the portal you found them on. This guide covers the official checks, the contracts you should expect to sign, the questions that show whether an agent knows an area, and the warning signs. Checked against Dubai Land Department (DLD) pages in November 2026.

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

Every broker practising in Dubai must hold a broker card issued by the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA), the DLD's regulator. The card carries a BRN (broker registration number), and the agency has an ORN (office registration number). You are entitled to see both before you view a single property. The DLD gives you three free ways to check them:

Check	What it confirms	Where
Licensed Real Estate Brokers	The person is on the list of brokers licensed by RERA in Dubai	DLD website or Dubai REST app
Ecard verification	The broker card itself is genuine: choose the card type and enter the card number	Dubai REST app
Verify License and Permits	The licences and permits issued by the DLD through its Trakheesi system	DLD website or Dubai REST app

The DLD FAQ says a broker card is valid only as long as the agency's licence is valid, so an expired company licence means an invalid card. If an agent hesitates to show the card, or the name on it does not match the person in front of you, that is your answer.

How do you check that a property advert is genuine?

Property adverts in Dubai must be approved by RERA, and since 24 April 2023 the DLD has required real estate companies to show a QR code on their print and audiovisual adverts, under its Madmoun service. Scanning the code takes you to the DLD's record of the advert: the advertising company, the property's details and whether it has already been sold or rented.

Two things to check on any listing:

• The advertising company matches your agent's agency. If the QR code points to a different company, ask why.
• The status is still available. A listing that is always "just taken" when you ask to view it, or that the DLD record shows as sold or rented, is usually bait to collect your details.

Which contracts should you sign with an agent?

The DLD's Real Estate Brokerage Practice Guide (November 2024) says brokers must use the DLD's smart contracts for marketing and sales:

Contract	Between	What it is
Contract A (Form A)	Seller and brokerage	The agreement to market the property
Contract B (Form B)	Buyer and broker	The buyer's agreement with their broker to purchase a property
Contract F (Form F)	Seller and buyer	The agreement to sell the property, often called the MOU

Form A is created online in the DLD's broker system. The broker enters the title deed details, which the system validates, and the owner receives a link to approve it. The form records the listed price, the commission amount, the contract start and end dates and the contract type. If you are buying, ask whether the seller's agent holds an approved Form A for the property: it shows the seller has actually appointed them.

How much commission does a Dubai agent charge?

The DLD does not set one rate. Its FAQ describes brokers as working for a fee "to be agreed upon in advance with a customer", and says a brokerage contract must clearly state the agreed amount and the commission rate. Treat any figure an agent quotes as a starting point for agreement, not a fixed rule.

• Agree it before viewings, not after you make an offer, and make sure the figure is written into Form A (selling) or Form B (buying).
• Ask whether VAT is added on top of the quoted commission.
• On a rental, agree the commission and any renewal fee up front, in writing.
• Ask what the fee covers. Our guide to what agency commission covers sets out the work you should expect for it.

What separates a good agent from a busy one?

Volume of listings is not quality. What matters is whether the person actually knows the buildings they are selling in. A good test is to ask about a specific tower: which stacks get the afternoon sun, what the service charge is, how the building has held its value, whether the lifts are a known problem. An agent who works an area properly answers immediately. One who does not will send you a brochure.

The second test is what they say about the downsides. Every community has them. An agent who names them is telling you the truth about the rest as well.

What questions should you ask an agent before you start?

• Can I see your broker card and the agency's ORN?
• Which communities and buildings do you work in most, and what has sold there recently?
• What do recent DLD transactions show for this building, rather than asking prices?
• What is the service charge here, and are there any unpaid levies?
• What will the total cost be, including DLD fees, the trustee fee and your commission?
• Who else will be involved: a mortgage adviser, the trustee centre, the developer for an NOC?

Should you work with one agent or several?

For buying, one agent who understands your budget and shortlist will do more for you than five sending the same listings. In Dubai an agent can show you property listed by other agencies, so a single point of contact does not narrow your choice.

For selling, the choice is between one appointed agent and an open listing. A single appointment concentrates the effort and the accountability, and it prevents your property appearing at three different prices, which is the fastest way to lose a serious buyer. Our guide to selling your property in Dubai covers the paperwork either way.

What should you agree before you start?

• Commission. The amount or rate, written into the DLD contract before viewings.
• Who pays what. On a sale, the DLD transfer fee is 2% for the buyer and 2% for the seller, and the contract decides who actually pays. Our guide to Dubai Land Department fees lists the rest.
• How you will communicate. One channel, and how often.
• What you are actually looking for. Budget including fees, minimum size, must have and nice to have.

What extra checks apply to off-plan agents?

The DLD's brokerage guide says a broker marketing an off-plan project must make sure the project is licensed and registered with RERA, that it has an escrow account, and that buyers pay only into that project's escrow account. The broker also needs a marketing contract with the developer. You can check that a project is registered yourself in the Dubai REST app, under Mashrooi. Our guide on how to check a developer before buying off-plan covers the rest.

What are the warning signs of a bad agent?

• Pressure to transfer a deposit quickly, or a price that "only exists today".
• A property that is always just about to be taken by someone else.
• Reluctance to show a broker card or to put anything in writing.
• A request to pay any deposit or fee into a personal account. Payments should go to the parties and accounts named in the signed DLD contract, and off-plan payments only to the project's escrow account.
• An advert whose QR code does not match the agency, or shows the property as sold or rented.

What should you expect from your agent after the offer?

The work after the handshake is where a good agent earns the fee: the Form F, the No Objection Certificate from the developer, the seller's mortgage settlement if there is one, the trustee appointment and the transfer itself. Read how property transfer works so you can tell whether it is being handled properly.

How do you find the right person?

Meet the individual, not the brand. Every one of our consultants lists the communities they work in and their own contact details, so you can read their profiles and speak to whoever covers the area you are looking at. If you prefer to deal in Persian, see our Persian-speaking agents.

Tell us what you are looking for and we will put you with the person who knows that area.

Thinking of becoming an agent yourself? See the steps to get a Dubai broker card.