Professional Ethics and Conduct
Core duties
RERA's Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct rests on honesty, transparency, competence, confidentiality and loyalty to the client. In practice that means disclosing all material facts about a property - known defects, existing mortgages, disputes, service charge arrears - disclosing any personal interest in the transaction, advertising only with the owner's written authority, keeping client information confidential after the deal ends, and never misrepresenting price, size, view, payment terms or handover date.
Conflicts and dual agency
A broker may act for both sides only with full written disclosure and the consent of both parties, and must never use one client's confidential information against the other. Where two brokers cooperate, the commission split should be agreed in writing before the deal closes, not argued afterwards.
Advertising and client money
Advertisements must carry the broker's registration number and the relevant advertising permit; phantom listings are a standard enforcement target. Reservation payments and deposits should not sit in a personal account - they move through the agency, the developer's escrow account, or the DLD transfer process.
Traps
The classic trap asks whether a broker may keep a deposit when the buyer withdraws. Deposits are held on the terms of the signed MOU, not at the broker's discretion. A second trap is the buyer's broker who quietly accepts a fee from the seller without disclosure. A third is promoting a property the broker has no written authority to market.
Rule of thumb
"If it is not written and disclosed, do not do it." Worked example: a broker tells a buyer the building has no service charge arrears while knowing the developer has issued a demand. That is a misrepresentation and a code breach regardless of whether the buyer later discovers it.