Mortgage Broker in Dubai: Do You Need One? Fees and Rules

A large mortgage on a Palm Jumeirah home can come from any UAE bank, or through a mortgage broker licensed by the Dubai Land Department who compares banks for you. The Central Bank limits are the same either way: for an expatriate's first home above AED 5 million, up to 70% of the value and 7 years of annual income.

You do not need a mortgage broker in Dubai, but one can save time if you want several banks compared or your case is not standard, such as a business owner, a self-employed or a non-resident buyer. A broker cannot change the Central Bank rules. What a broker can do is find which bank will say yes, and handle the paperwork. This guide explains what a mortgage broker does, how they are paid, how to check they are licensed and when going direct to a bank is enough. Rules and figures are as of November 2026.

What does a mortgage broker do in Dubai?

A mortgage broker works between you and the banks. A typical broker will:

• Assess your income, debts and documents to see what you can borrow.
• Compare offers from several lenders, including rates, fees and early settlement terms.
• Prepare and submit the application and chase the bank.
• Arrange the valuation and keep the timetable on track for the transfer.
• Help you collect the bank's final offer and settlement letters for the trustee office appointment.

The broker does not lend. The bank decides whether to approve you, on what terms, and at what rate, and the broker has no power to guarantee either.

What do the Central Bank rules set, whichever route you take?

The UAE Central Bank's mortgage regulations apply to every bank and finance company. They are the reason a broker cannot offer you a higher loan than a bank would. These are the main limits in Article 3 of the Central Bank's Regulations Regarding Mortgage Loans, in force as of November 2026:

Rule	Limit
Expatriate, first home, value under AED 5 million	Loan up to 80 percent of the value
Expatriate, first home, value over AED 5 million	Loan up to 70 percent
Expatriate, second home or investment property	Loan up to 60 percent
Property bought off plan	Loan up to 50 percent, whatever the buyer or value
Debt burden ratio	Total monthly debt payments up to 50 percent of gross income
Maximum loan term	25 years
Maximum financing for expatriates	Up to 7 years of annual income (8 years for UAE nationals)
Investment property	At least two months' rent deducted when the bank tests affordability

Lenders may set stricter limits than these, and they stress test affordability at 2 to 4 percentage points above the current rate. As a worked example, with gross income of AED 30,000 a month, all your debt payments together, including cards and car loans, cannot exceed AED 15,000, so with AED 3,000 of other debt the new mortgage payment would be limited to AED 12,000 before the stress test. See the Central Bank rulebook for the full text, and our guide to getting a mortgage as an expat for how those limits translate into a deposit.

Can a business owner get a large mortgage on a Palm Jumeirah home?

Yes, if the income can be proven and the numbers fit the Central Bank limits. The rulebook says repayment must come from salary or verifiable business or rental income, and that bonuses and other non-standard income should be discounted or left out (Article 2). For a business owner, that means the bank looks at what the company pays you and what its accounts show, not at its turnover. Here is a worked example for a resident expatriate buying a first home at a round example price of AED 8,000,000:

Item	Figure	How it is worked out
Maximum loan by value	AED 5,600,000	70 percent, as the value is over AED 5 million
Minimum cash deposit	AED 2,400,000	The other 30 percent
Income needed for that loan	At least AED 800,000 a year	The loan cannot exceed 7 years of annual income
Debt payments allowed	Up to 50 percent of gross income	Tested at 2 to 4 points above the loan rate
Mortgage registration at the DLD	AED 14,270	0.25 percent of AED 5,600,000, plus AED 270
DLD transfer fee	AED 320,000	4 percent of the price; the sale contract decides who pays

If the home is a second property or an investment, the cap drops to 60 percent, or AED 4,800,000 on the same price. If the loan runs past your expected retirement age, the bank must check you can still pay it at a 50 percent debt burden on your retirement income. Large loans like this are where a broker who knows each bank's policy on business owners can save time, but the limits above still apply. See our Palm Jumeirah area guide for the community itself.

Do you need a mortgage broker or can you go to the bank?

	Going direct to a bank	Using a broker
Choice of lenders	One bank per application, so you compare by applying or enquiring at each	Several banks in one conversation
Cost to you	No broker fee	Often no direct fee, but some brokers charge. Ask
Effort	You gather documents and chase each bank	The broker collects and chases
Non-standard income or non-resident status	You need to know which bank is open to it	A broker who handles such cases can narrow the search
Independence	The bank sells you its own product	Depends on how the broker is paid. Ask

Going direct is usually enough if you are a salaried resident with a clear income and a bank you already use. A broker earns their place if you are self-employed, a non-resident, close to the debt burden limit, or short of time before a transfer date.

How do mortgage brokers get paid?

Practice varies. Brokers are commonly paid by the lender when a loan completes, and some also charge the borrower, for example in complex cases. We cannot give you a standard rate, because it differs by firm and by case. What matters is that you ask three things in writing before you hand over any documents:

1. Who pays the broker, and how much?
2. Will I be charged anything directly, and when?
3. Will you show me every offer you obtain, not only the one you recommend?

A broker who is paid by commission may be tempted to favour the lender that pays most. That is not a reason to avoid brokers. It is a reason to see every offer and to compare it with a quote you obtained yourself.

Worked example: what can you borrow under the Central Bank limits?

The loan limits apply the same way through a broker or a bank. Here is what they mean in dirhams for an expatriate buyer, using round example prices.

Purchase	Maximum loan	Minimum cash deposit
First home at AED 2,000,000 (limit 80 percent)	AED 1,600,000	AED 400,000
First home at AED 6,000,000 (limit 70 percent)	AED 4,200,000	AED 1,800,000
Second home or investment at AED 2,000,000 (limit 60 percent)	AED 1,200,000	AED 800,000
Off-plan at AED 2,000,000 (limit 50 percent)	AED 1,000,000	AED 1,000,000

Income sets a second limit. Suppose your gross income is AED 40,000 a month. At a 50 percent debt burden ratio, all debt payments together may reach AED 20,000 a month. For an expatriate the rulebook also caps financing at 7 years of annual income, which on AED 480,000 a year is AED 3,360,000. The lower of the loan to value limit and the income limits decides what you can borrow. Costs on top of the deposit are covered in Dubai Land Department fees.

What documents do banks ask for?

Each bank publishes its own checklist, and a broker should give you that of every lender they approach. The rulebook requires lenders to verify your income and liabilities, so expect to provide:

• Your passport, visa and Emirates ID.
• A salary certificate or employment letter and recent payslips, or a trade licence and company records if you are self-employed.
• Recent bank statements, usually several months, to show income and spending.
• Details of existing loans and credit cards, and a credit report where the bank requests one.
• The signed contract of sale, or the reservation and payment plan for an off-plan unit.
• For a non-resident, proof of income and address from your home country.

How does a mortgage purchase work, step by step?

Step	Who	Where a broker helps
1. Check your budget and the limits	You	Estimating what you can borrow
2. Obtain pre-approval from a bank	You and the bank, or the broker	Choosing which banks to ask, and collecting documents
3. Agree the price and sign the contract of sale	Buyer, seller, agent	Timing the deadlines to the bank's process
4. Bank valuation	The bank's valuer	Dealing with a low valuation
5. Final offer letter	The bank	Reading the terms and fees
6. Seller's mortgage settlement, if any	Seller's bank, trustee centre	Sequencing two banks on the same day
7. Registration of your mortgage with the transfer	Trustee centre, DLD	Attending and making sure cheques are ready

The bank must release the property from the seller's mortgage before the sale completes, as the DLD explains on its sale of a mortgaged property page. See buying a property that has a mortgage on it.

Mortgage broker, bank adviser or lawyer: who gives you what?

	Bank adviser	Mortgage broker	Lawyer
Offers	The bank's own products	Products from several lenders	Legal advice on the contract and structure
Paid by	The bank	Often the lender, sometimes you	You
Decides approval	The bank	No	No
Suits	A simple case at a bank you know	Comparing lenders or a non-standard case	Contract, ownership structure, disputes

What are the red flags with a mortgage broker?

• A promise of approval, or of a particular rate, before the bank has assessed you.
• A request for an upfront fee before any lender has been approached, without a written agreement.
• A refusal to say how the broker is paid.
• Showing you only one lender, or only the lender that suits the broker.
• Asking you to hide a debt or to inflate your income. Banks check, and this can end the application.
• No licence or practice card they can show you.

How do you check a mortgage broker is licensed?

The Dubai Land Department lists mortgage brokerage and mortgage consultancy among the activities it licenses on its real estate licensing page, and issues practice cards for mortgage brokers and mortgage consultants. A mortgage broker card costs AED 500, according to the DLD's practice card page. Do three things:

1. Ask for the company's trade licence and check the mortgage brokerage activity is on it.
2. Ask for the individual's practice card, and check it was issued to someone on that company's licence.
3. Use the DLD's Verify License and Permits service, which checks licences issued through the Trakheesi system and returns the result immediately on the DLD website or in the Dubai REST app.

Our agent guide covers the equivalent check for sales agents in how to choose a real estate agent in Dubai.

What should you ask a mortgage broker?

• Which banks do you work with, and are there lenders you cannot place me with?
• What are the total costs over the fixed period, not just the headline rate?
• What happens when the fixed period ends, and what is the rate after it?
• What are the early settlement terms if I sell or refinance?
• How long will the bank's approval take, and is that in time for my transfer date?
• How do you plan to deal with a valuation below the price?

Banks are also required to give you clear information on the costs and risks of the loan, a separate schedule of fees attached to the loan contract, and the total cost of the loan over its life, under Article 4 of the mortgage regulations. Early repayment and refinancing charges are capped, and the bank must give two months' notice before changing its fees. If a broker's summary does not match the bank's own documents, trust the bank's documents.

What costs apply whichever route you take?

These are charged on a mortgage purchase regardless of how you arranged the loan:

• Mortgage registration at the DLD, at 0.25 percent of the loan plus AED 270 in deed and knowledge and innovation fees, according to the DLD's mortgage registration page.
• The bank's arrangement and valuation fees.
• Life and property insurance required by the lender.
• The normal transfer costs, which are covered in Dubai Land Department fees in 2026.

The deposit and these costs are paid in cash. See how much deposit to buy property in Dubai. If you are buying a unit that already has a loan, read buying a property that has a mortgage on it, because two banks may be involved.