Government approvals
RERA approval for real estate brokers and companies in Dubai
RERA, the Real Estate Regulatory Agency, is the regulatory arm of Dubai Land Department. A company that wants a real estate activity on its Dubai licence, such as brokerage, property management, valuation or consultancy, needs approval through the Trakheesi system. Most people who then do the work must also hold a practice card. Caliph manages both stages.
At a glance Fact sheet
- Regulator
- Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA), part of Dubai Land Department
- System
- Trakheesi, the Dubai Land Department system for licences, cards and permits
- Covers
- Brokerage, leasing and management, valuation, consultancy, mortgage, development and more
- For individuals
- A real estate practice card, required before practising most activities
- Card validity
- Linked to the validity of the company's trade licence
- Free zone companies
- Need a no objection certificate from Dubai Land Department
Overview
Real estate is one of the most closely regulated sectors in Dubai. The Department of Economy and Tourism issues the licence, but a real estate activity is only added once Dubai Land Department has approved it through Trakheesi. The department lists more than twenty such activities, from sales and leasing brokerage to property management, valuation, land surveying, mortgage brokerage and administrative supervision of owners' associations.
Approving the company is the first half. The second is the people. A person may not practise a licensed real estate activity until they are registered and hold the practice card for that activity. For a broker this means a good conduct certificate from Dubai Police and a pass in the required test, with official training courses available through Dubai Land Department. The card belongs to one licence, and its validity follows that licence.
Each activity has its own conditions. Developers must own the land, directly or through a partner. Companies that manage property for others have to lodge a bank guarantee. Supervisors of owners' associations register both the licence and the staff with RERA. Caliph checks the conditions for the activity you want before the application is filed, and tells you plainly if a different activity fits your plan better.
What RERA looks at, and how we help
The right activity for your plan
Sales brokerage, leasing brokerage, managing your own property and managing property for others are separate activities with different conditions. We match the licence to what you will really do.
Trakheesi handled for you
We register the company on Trakheesi, upload the licence documents and follow the request until it is approved.
Cards for the whole team
Each person who needs a practice card is registered individually, with the photo, identity document, conduct certificate and test result in order.
Advertising done correctly
Every property advertisement needs a Trakheesi permit, and the permit number must appear on the advert. We show your team how to request it.
Free zone and freehold cases covered
Free zone licences need a no objection certificate from Dubai Land Department, and licences in freehold areas need a letter from the licensing entity. We arrange both.
Renewals kept together
Because each card depends on the trade licence, we put the licence, the Trakheesi registration and the cards on one renewal schedule.
What to have ready
- Passport copies and Emirates ID for the owners and the manager
- The initial approval or trade licence showing the real estate activity
- A personal photo and an Emirates ID copy for each person who needs a practice card
- A good conduct certificate from Dubai Police for each cardholder
- Proof that each broker has passed the required test
- For property developers: proof that the licence holder or a partner owns the land
- For companies managing their own property: a copy of the title deed
- For free zone companies: the zone's initial approval, used to request the no objection certificate
Valuers, trustees and companies managing property for others have further conditions. Your Caliph consultant confirms what applies to you.
How RERA approval works
We choose the activities
Your consultant goes through Dubai Land Department's list of real estate activities with you and checks the conditions attached to each.
The licence application is filed
The application goes to the Department of Economy and Tourism, or to your free zone, with the real estate activity selected.
The company is registered on Trakheesi
We register the company, upload the documents and submit the request for review.
Approval is issued and the licence follows
Once the request is approved, the licensing authority completes the licence. Free zone companies receive a no objection certificate to give to their zone.
Training and the test
Brokers take the training they need and sit the test through Dubai Land Department's channels.
Practice cards are issued
We apply for each card on Trakheesi with the photo, Emirates ID and conduct certificate. The card is issued electronically.
Advertising permits and renewals
Before you market a property we help you request the advertising permit, and we keep the licence and card renewals on your schedule.
Good to know
- Not every real estate activity needs a practice card. Development, organising exhibitions, buying and selling land and property, representative offices and managing your own property are exempt.
- Brokers in Dubai use Dubai Land Department's standard electronic contracts for marketing, buying and selling, and are bound by its code of ethics.
- Before marketing an off-plan project, a broker should confirm that the project is registered and that a marketing agreement exists between the developer and the brokerage.
- RERA regulates real estate in Dubai only. Other emirates have their own real estate regulators.
Questions people ask
What is RERA approval?
It is the approval Dubai Land Department gives, through its Real Estate Regulatory Agency, for a company to hold a real estate activity on its licence. The request is made in the Trakheesi system. Without it, the Department of Economy and Tourism or the free zone will not complete the licence with that activity.
Who needs a RERA broker card?
Anyone who practises a carded real estate activity in Dubai, including sales and leasing brokers, mortgage brokers and consultants, property managers, real estate consultants and valuers. The card is issued for a specific activity under a specific licence, and you may not practise that activity until you hold it.
What do I need to get a broker card in Dubai?
You need to work under a company whose licence carries the brokerage activity and is registered on Trakheesi. You then provide a personal photo, your Emirates ID, a good conduct certificate from Dubai Police and proof that you passed the broker test. The card is issued electronically through Trakheesi.
Can a free zone company hold a real estate activity?
A free zone company that wants a real estate activity needs a no objection certificate from Dubai Land Department, requested through Trakheesi, before its zone issues the licence. Where the company may then operate depends on the zone and the activity, so your Caliph consultant confirms what applies to you.
Do I need a permit to advertise a property in Dubai?
Yes. Every real estate advertisement or piece of marketing material needs a permit obtained through Trakheesi, whether it is printed, online, outdoor or shown at an event. The permit number has to appear on the advert. Dubai Land Department has fined companies that did not follow its advertising requirements.
Is a property management company treated the same as a brokerage?
No. Managing and leasing property for third parties is a separate activity with heavier conditions, including a bank guarantee. Managing property that you or a partner own is a different activity again and needs the title deed. Choosing the wrong one limits what you can legally do.
- Dubai Land Department, real estate licensing application
- Dubai Land Department, real estate professional practice card
Reviewed by Caliph Business Solutions on . Rules differ by activity and by authority. Your Caliph consultant confirms what applies to you.
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