How to check a broker in Dubai: BRN, Trakheesi permit and DLD tools

Most Dubai purchases start with a message from a broker, often on a messaging app, about an advert you found online. The developer, escrow and contract side is covered in the Dubai developer and project checklist. This article is narrower: the person who writes to you and the advert that brought you there. The checks take minutes and can be done from Poland. It is general information, not legal advice, and the tools and rules change, so confirm on the official pages.

Three things, three lookups

A real broker, a real advert and a real agreement are three different facts. A scammer can pass one and fail another, so check each one separately.

• The person: a broker registration number (BRN) and the brokerage they work for (its office registration number, ORN).
• The advert: a permit number and the QR code that goes with it.
• The paperwork: which agreement you are asked to sign, with whom, and who pays the commission.

The official tools

The Dubai Land Department (DLD) publishes several services, and it is worth knowing what each one does.

- Licensed brokers list. The DLD page lets you search by broker name, office, mobile number, area or ORN, and filter by sale, lease or mortgage brokers. - Validate real estate licences and permits. The DLD describes this e-service as a way to check the electronic copy of licences and permits issued to real estate practitioners in Dubai through the Trakheesi system. It works on the DLD website and in the Dubai REST app. Broker guides report that the result shows the name, the brokerage, a status (active, expired, suspended or cancelled) and the expiry date. I could not confirm that screen from the DLD page itself, so judge by what the app shows you. - Madmoun QR code. Since 24 April 2023 each advertising permit comes with a QR code that must appear on the advert. According to the DLD, scanning it confirms that RERA approved the advert and shows the advertising company, the property details and whether it has been sold or rented. Open these from the DLD website or the app yourself. Do not use a link that the broker sends.

What must match

Finding a record is not enough. The record has to describe the person and the advert in front of you.

• The name and photo on the record are the person you are speaking to, and the status is active.
• The brokerage on the record is the company on the agreement and on the invoice. Brokers reportedly work under a registered brokerage, so a self-styled independent agent with no company behind them is a warning sign.
• The advert you saw carries a permit number and a QR code, the code opens a live record, and the advertising company in it is the agency that is writing to you. RERA inspections are reported to look for exactly this mismatch.
• The record shows the property you were told about: the same building, size and price range, and not already sold or rented.
• You call the brokerage on the telephone number from its DLD record or official website, not the number in the advert, and ask them to confirm that this person works there and has this listing.

Red flags

• No BRN, a BRN that returns nothing, or one that belongs to a different name.
• An advert with no QR code, a code that does not open, or one that opens a different company or property.
• A price far below comparable flats, with urgency attached.
• A request to pay a reservation to a personal account, in cash, by a payment link in a chat or in cryptocurrency. For an off-plan purchase, payments belong in the escrow account named in the contract and the project register.

The paperwork

Broker guides describe standard forms used in Dubai: Form A, an agreement between a seller and a broker to market a property, Form B, a buyer's agreement with a broker, and Form F, the sale contract between seller and buyer, which states the commission. One guide says the DLD brokerage practice guide of November 2024 groups them as contracts A, B and F. I did not open that guide, so ask the broker which form you are being asked to sign and read it before signing.

Whose agent is the person in front of you? If the seller signed Form A, the broker marketed the property for the seller. If you want someone on your side, that is a separate agreement. Commission in resale is customary rather than fixed; about 2% plus 5% VAT is often quoted and the payer varies. Get the amount and the payer in writing. See who pays the estate agent abroad and contracts and forms that bind you.

If something looks wrong

• Stop paying and stop sharing documents. Keep the messages, advert, permit number and screenshots.
• Check the BRN, the permit and the QR code again through the official tools, not the broker's links.
• Use the DLD complaint service, report fraud to the police and ask your bank for a recall at once. Do not pay anyone who offers to get your money back for a fee.

FAQ

Is a Dubai BRN a guarantee of honesty? No. It shows that a person is registered, not that this deal is sound. Title, charges and the contract are a lawyer's job: see independent legal advice abroad.

How we help

D.H. Realting is an independent Warsaw-based consultant that checks local lawyers and brokers before introducing them, so you meet a registered professional and not a name from an advert.