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Real estate brokerage licence in Dubai

You need a DET licence and RERA registration, and every agent needs a broker card before selling. For agencies brokering Dubai property.

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Dubai Marina residential towers rising above the waterfront under a soft grey sky
Trade licence
DET, Dubai mainland
Registration
RERA
Each agent
A RERA broker card
Every ad
A Trakheesi permit
At a glance

To trade, a real estate brokerage in Dubai needs a DET licence, RERA registration and goAML registration as a DNFBP. Each agent lists and negotiates once they hold a RERA broker card, and every ad shows a Trakheesi permit number.

Starting a real estate company in Dubai

The trade licence is the quick part. A licensed company still cannot sell until RERA has registered its office and the first agent holds a card.

  • Licensed and RERA-registered

    The application goes through DET, then the company registers in Trakheesi with the Dubai Land Department. The office has to be a physical one. Its lease is registered in Ejari.

  • A working AML programme

    goAML registration names your compliance officer, and the programme behind it needs a risk assessment and customer checks. Banks usually ask for it first.

  • Each broker carded before they list

    Training, the RERA exam, a visa and a conduct check for every agent.

  • Trakheesi built into the workflow

    A permit number on every ad, built into the listing process from the first post.

Property operator licences

A homeowner can register up to eight of their own units with DET, and a ninth needs a licensed company.

What the brokerage licence does not cover

Most UAE activities are governed at company level. Brokerage is the exception, because RERA licenses each agent as well as the firm.

  • Can we sell on the DET licence?

    No deal closes until an agent holds a RERA broker card, which can be applied for only once the company licence is approved.

  • Does one certification cover every agent?

    No, each agent qualifies separately, so a five-agent firm goes through it five times.

  • Is AML only for banks?

    Brokers are on the DNFBP list in the AML rules, and the Ministry of Economy and Tourism supervises them.

  • Can a real listing go anywhere?

    Each Dubai ad needs its own Trakheesi permit number, or it is a penalised post.

Mainland or free zone for a brokerage?

For most activities the mainland or free zone choice is open. On-ground Dubai brokerage is different, because RERA registration and Trakheesi run through the Dubai Land Department.

Mainland or free zone for a real estate brokerage in Dubai
Mainland, DET and RERAFree zone, a narrower role
Right forOn-ground Dubai brokerageProperty advisory, marketing or holding activities
What it allowsBrokering Dubai property directly: portal listings, a RERA-registered office and a broker card for each agentOnly where the zone licenses brokerage, with DLD approval
AMLgoAML registration and a working AML programmeAML still applies to real estate activity

  • On-ground brokerageMainland, DET and RERA

    Right for
    On-ground Dubai brokerage
    What it allows
    Brokering Dubai property directly: portal listings, a RERA-registered office and a broker card for each agent
    AML
    goAML registration and a working AML programme

  • Free zone, a narrower role

    Right for
    Property advisory, marketing or holding activities
    What it allows
    Only where the zone licenses brokerage, with DLD approval
    AML
    AML still applies to real estate activity

For a firm brokering Dubai deals, the mainland is almost always the route. The wider trade-offs are in the mainland versus free zone comparison. Our real estate brokerage setup cost case shows what a half-price quote left out.

How banks review a brokerage

UAE banks look closely at real estate because it is a DNFBP, and commission and client-money flows draw attention under anti-money-laundering rules.

Expect questions on

Source of fundsWhere the money behind the firm comes from.

Client onboardingHow you identify and check the people you deal with.

Client or escrow moneyWhether any of it passes through the account.

What helps the account move

A clean RERA registrationThe office registered with RERA and the ORN issued.

A working AML programmegoAML registration in place, with a named compliance officer.

A plain commission modelWho pays each commission, and which account receives it.

Banks make their own KYC decisions under Central Bank of the UAE rules. With RERA and AML in place and the commission model clear, review usually moves, while a vague file stalls. See our banking page and our UAE AML and CFT compliance guide.

Real estate brokerage in Dubai needs RERA registration and certified brokers, on top of the DET licence.

Brokers are also on the DNFBP list. The brokerage needs goAML registration and a working AML programme before it trades.

What brokerage owners ask

A question about your own setup? Send it on WhatsApp and an advisor answers it directly.

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How do I get a RERA broker card in Dubai?

Each broker completes approved training, passes the RERA exam and holds a good-conduct certificate and a residence visa under a licensed brokerage. The card belongs to the person and is tied to the brokerage that employs them.

How much does a real estate brokerage licence cost in Dubai?

It depends on the office, which RERA requires to be physical, and how many brokers you card and sponsor. A larger sales team moves the total more than the licence, since every broker brings a visa and a card.

Can I get a residence visa as a real estate broker in the UAE?

Yes, usually sponsored by the licensed brokerage you work for, and that visa is one of the conditions for the RERA card. If you own the brokerage, your visa comes through your own company.

Can a Dubai real estate company sell without RERA broker cards?

No. The licence and RERA registration cover the company, but each person who lists, markets or negotiates needs their own card. Commission on a deal handled by an uncarded agent is also at risk.

What is an ORN number in Dubai?

The Office Registration Number RERA gives a licensed brokerage once its office is registered. It appears on every listing, contract and advertising permit, and buyers use it to check an agency is registered.

What is a Trakheesi permit?

RERA's advertising permit for Dubai property listings, tied to a carded broker and a real property. Every advert on a portal, social media or print carries its permit number or QR code, and advertising without one draws fines.

Do real estate brokers in the UAE need AML registration?

Yes. Brokers are DNFBPs under UAE AML law, so goAML registration and a working AML programme are mandatory, and banks ask for the AML policy when the brokerage opens its account.

Where to go next

Plan the cards and the AML file

We set out what the company needs from DET and RERA, and what each broker needs before a first listing.

Book a 15-minute callMessage us on WhatsApp

On the call

  1. How many brokers you plan to hire, and where you operate
  2. The DET licence, RERA registration and broker cards
  3. The AML programme and the Trakheesi step

Replies within two business hours, Monday to Saturday. About the firm

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