by 
In Dubai, anyone can call themselves a “property consultant”. Not everyone is licensed to sell real estate. Before you pay a deposit, sign a form or share your passport, take two minutes to check who you are dealing with.
Why it matters
Every real estate broker in Dubai must be registered with the Dubai Land Department (DLD) and hold a Broker Registration Number (BRN). Every agency must hold an Office Registration Number (ORN). A licensed broker is accountable to the regulator. An unlicensed one is not — and if something goes wrong, you have no legal protection.
The 2-minute check
- Ask for the broker’s full name and company name. A professional will give both without hesitation. If someone avoids the question, treat it as a red flag.
- Open the Dubai REST app. It is the official app of the Dubai Land Department and is free on iOS and Android.
- Find the broker search and enter their first and last name. The result should show their licence (BRN), their company and a photo.
- Check that everything matches: the name, the face, and the company they told you they work for.
Where the broker’s track record is visible, look at it too. As a rule of thumb, an agent who closes only a handful of deals a year is still learning the market. That is not a problem in itself — but you should know whom you are trusting with a major purchase.
If the broker is not listed
If you cannot find the broker in the official database, they are not licensed to act as a broker in Dubai. Do not proceed. There is no legal protection for a transaction made through an unregistered intermediary.
“I’m selling directly from the developer”
Check the company, not only the person. Dubai’s major developers sell through licensed brokers and through their own registered sales offices. If someone claims to sell “directly from the developer” but is neither a registered broker nor a developer’s own office representative, that claim may simply not be true.
The bottom line
Always check your broker before you start working together. It takes two minutes and it protects your financial security.
At Stradom Real Estate, every broker on our team is registered with the Dubai Land Department, and our agency is licensed under ORN 44825. You can find each of our brokers’ BRN on our Team page — and check them in the app yourself.
Ready to talk to a licensed expert? Book a consultation.