Broker Licensing
Two levels of licence
Brokerage in Dubai is licensed at two levels. The company must hold a valid Dubai trade licence covering brokerage activity and be registered with RERA; each individual broker must hold a RERA broker registration and a broker card carrying that number. Unregistered persons may not market, negotiate or conclude property transactions for commission. Separate licences exist for property management, valuation, mortgage brokerage and owners' association management - a broker licence does not authorise any of these.
Conditions and renewal
Typical requirements include a minimum age, valid UAE residency, absence of relevant criminal convictions, passing the RERA broker certification examination, and association with a licensed brokerage. Registration is renewed annually and tied to continuing professional development and fee payment. If a broker changes employer, the registration must be transferred before he or she acts for the new firm.
Traps
Questions often test whether a broker may act for two agencies at once, use a colleague's number, or lend a licence to an unlicensed friend. All are prohibited. Another trap is the freelance broker: an individual cannot broker property without a licensed company behind him. Remember too that commission is generally not recoverable by an unregistered intermediary; such claims are treated as unenforceable.
Rule of thumb
Three keys before any deal: valid company licence, valid personal registration, and a signed agency agreement. Worked example: a broker registered with Firm A shows a client a listing held by Firm B and asks for commission into a personal bank account. That is three separate breaches - acting outside the registered agency, unregistered commission, and mishandling client money.