How to open a real estate brokerage in Dubai

Opening a brokerage in Dubai means dealing with the economic licensing authority first and the Dubai Land Department (DLD) second. DLD's service terms set the order: submit the licence application through the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), register in the Trakheesi system on the DLD website, and apply for the real estate practice card immediately after the real estate licence is approved. ^[1]

The order of the steps

RERA's brokerage practice guide sums up the path to a working broker: a real estate licence must first be obtained from the licensing authorities, the licence must be registered in the Trakheesi system on DLD's website, the broker card application is submitted through Trakheesi, and the electronic card is issued once the fees are settled. ^[4]

Plan the company side before you hire. DLD links the validity of each broker card to the validity of the trade licence, and nobody may practise the activity registered in the licence until they have registered and obtained the card designated for that type of activity. ^[3]

Step 1: choose the activity and the legal form

DLD's licensing application service lists the real estate activities that can be licensed, from mortgage consultancy to real estate development. Brokerage appears as separate activities: real estate sales and purchase brokerage, real estate leasing brokerage and mortgage brokerage. ^[1]

Decide the scope early. The Trakheesi user manual says only one group of activities may be chosen for a single licence, and it is not permissible to select from multiple groups for the same licence. ^[2]

On the DET side, the UAE government portal says the legal form must match the business activity. The forms it lists are general partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company (LLC), public joint stock company and private joint stock company. ^[5]

Step 2: trade name and initial approval

The trade name is registered through the economic department of the emirate. It must be followed by the legal form acronym, such as LLC, be compatible with the activity and legal status, contain no names of any religion or governing authority, and not have been registered before. ^[5]

Initial approval means the government has no objection to the business being established, and it lets you proceed with the next steps. It does not grant the authority to run or practise the business activity. Foreign investors must obtain the approval of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners' Affairs before getting the initial approval. ^[5]

Keep the initial approval details to hand. When you file the new licence in Trakheesi, the manual asks that the data correspond with the initial approval data submitted to Dubai Economy and Tourism, and that the parties (partner, manager and so on) be added as approved by DET. ^[2]

Step 3: office, memorandum and the trade licence

All businesses in the UAE must have a physical address to operate, and in Dubai the office rental agreement must be registered with Ejari. ^[5]

To get the licence, the portal lists the initial approval receipt and the documents submitted earlier, a copy of the lease contract attested by RERA in Dubai, a duly attested Memorandum of Association, any approvals required from other government entities, and an attested service agent contract for civil establishments and companies 100 per cent owned by non-GCC nationals. ^[5]

The trade licence must be paid for within 30 days of receiving the payment voucher; if it is not, the application is cancelled. ^[5]

Step 4: register the licence in Trakheesi

A Trakheesi account is created from the DLD website, using the Emirates ID of the person concerned or their representative under an official power of attorney, or the UAE Pass of the licence holder or their representative. ^[2]

When you add the licence, you select the licensing authority, then either request approval to issue a new licence or, if the licence has already been issued, choose to register it. ^[2]

Through Trakheesi, you log in and select the service, fill in the required information and upload the documents, an employee reviews and approves the request, and you log in again to select the payment method. ^[1]

DLD lists credit card, e-dirham and Noqodi wallet as payment methods and gives the service time as 1 working day. The application can also be made through Invest in Dubai. ^[1]

Free zone licences must obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the licensing authority, and the NOC is issued for free zone licences only. For licences in freehold areas, a no-objection letter from the licensing entities must be attached. ^[1]

What DLD charges for the real estate licence

DLD's fee table names a few activities with their own annual fee, such as AED 10,000 for real estate evaluation services, AED 15,000 for real estate leasing and management services for others and AED 25,000 for real estate development. ^[1] Other activities are listed at an AED 5,000 annual fee plus an AED 20 knowledge and innovation fee. ^[1]

Leasing and managing third-party properties is a separate activity with its own conditions: DLD requires a bank guarantee of AED 5 million, a branch must use the same trade name as the parent licence, and the branch must have at least 20 administrative employees. ^[1]

Step 5: issue the first broker cards

In Trakheesi, a card request starts by checking the Add Card box. You search for the person's data, or add it manually if the person has no data in the system, then add the person's data and the required documents. ^[2]

DLD's card service asks for a personal photo and a copy of the Emirates ID. The applicant must have a certificate of good conduct issued by Dubai Police and must have passed the annual test to practise the profession. ^[3]

At the time of writing, DLD lists AED 500 to issue a real estate broker card and AED 700 for the broker exam, plus an AED 10 knowledge fee and an AED 10 innovation fee. ^[3]

DLD also lists an ERES fee of AED 50 plus VAT. ^[3]

DLD gives the card service time as 5 minutes, and the issued document is an e-card. ^[3]

Only these applicants are exempt from the real estate broker exam: individuals above 55 years of age, brokers with 5 consecutive years of service in the same real estate office, and start-up licence holders. ^[3]

DLD's training is conducted only in English. DLD says there is no exam after the training itself, but exams are conducted separately for certain categories, such as brokers. ^[6]

Before the first listing goes live

Dubai REST. RERA requires all real estate brokers to download the Dubai REST app, which contains broker data, smart sales and marketing contracts, the green list and details of off-plan projects. ^[4]
Advert permits. Brokerages must obtain a permit through Trakheesi for any real estate advertisement or marketing material, and the permit number must be displayed on the ad. ^[4]
Company ads are not listing ads. The Trakheesi manual says a permit for promoting the company's own services does not permit any promotion of properties or real estate projects, and a permit for a ready property for sale needs the number of the marketing Contract A between the owner and the broker. ^[2]
Smart contracts. Brokers must use RERA's smart contracts: Contract A between the seller and the brokerage, Contract B between the buyer and the broker, and Contract F between the seller and the buyer. ^[4]
The green list. Brokers are not allowed to contact owners who are not registered on the green list in Dubai REST. A broker who does gets a violation, and operations are suspended if an investor or client complains or reports it. ^[4]

Keeping the licence in good standing

Trakheesi is also where a company views the warnings it receives and responds to them, and where it finds the violations issued against its licence and how to settle the fees. ^[2]

If a licence has not been renewed for more than one year and has incurred late fees, a request can be submitted to reduce them, but only if the activity was not practised while the licence was expired. ^[2]

Because every card depends on a valid trade licence ^[3], keep the company renewal date on the same calendar as your brokers' card renewals.

Once the team is licensed, our report shows where sales and rents are moving, area by area. See the free sample issue, or compare plans.

Questions

Who issues a real estate brokerage licence in Dubai?

The licence application is submitted through the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism. The licence is then registered in DLD's Trakheesi system, and the practice card is applied for after the real estate licence is approved. ^[1]

What does DLD charge to license a brokerage?

DLD's fee table lists an AED 5,000 annual fee plus an AED 20 knowledge and innovation fee for other activities, while named activities such as real estate development carry higher fees, for example AED 25,000. ^[1]

Do new brokers have to sit the broker exam?

Yes, unless exempt. DLD lists the broker exam at AED 700 plus knowledge and innovation fees, and exempts only individuals above 55 years of age, brokers with 5 consecutive years in the same office, and start-up licence holders. ^[3]

Can a free zone company register with DLD?

Yes. DLD's licensing service says free zone licences must obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the licensing authority. ^[1]

Can brokers start work once the trade licence is issued?

Not before they hold a card. No person may practise the activity registered in the licence until they have registered and obtained the card designated for that type of activity, and the card's validity is linked to the trade licence. ^[3]

Sources

General information, not legal advice. DLD services and fees change; the official pages prevail.