Bahrain RERA Sales Agent Exam cheat sheet

A sales agent licence is issued by the Bahrain Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) and is required before a person may carry out real estate sales activities for a licensed brokerage.

Core eligibility: applicant must be at least 18 years old (legal age), of good conduct, and must not hold a position incompatible with real estate brokerage activity.

Applicant must demonstrate the required educational qualification or recognised real estate experience set by RERA regulations; supporting certificates must be attested.

A passed RERA sales agent qualifying examination is a condition of issuance; the licence is personal and non-transferable.

Application is normally submitted through the licensed real estate brokerage that will employ or sponsor the agent, not by the individual alone.

Required documents typically include: valid CPR/ID, passport copy for non-Bahrainis, educational certificates, conduct certificate, photographs, and the brokerage's commercial registration.

Non-Bahraini applicants need a valid residence permit permitting work; the licence does not itself grant a work visa.

Fees are payable per the RERA fee schedule; the licence is granted for a fixed validity period and expiry date is printed on the certificate.

Incomplete applications are rejected or returned for correction; the applicant is notified and may resubmit once deficiencies are cured.

Renewal must be filed before the licence expiry date; practising on an expired licence is a violation subject to penalties.

Renewal requires evidence of completed Continuing Professional Development (CPD) hours for the preceding licence cycle, as specified by RERA.

The sponsoring brokerage must still hold a valid brokerage licence and confirm the agent remains employed at the time of renewal.

Valid residence and CPR details must be current; expired or changed documents must be updated with the renewal application.

The prescribed renewal fee must be paid in full; payment is a condition of processing, not a post-approval step.

If the agent has changed brokerage, the new employer's details and sponsorship must be submitted with the renewal.

Late renewal usually triggers a grace period with a late fee; after the grace period the licence lapses and a new issuance process may be required.

RERA may refuse renewal where the agent has an unresolved disciplinary record, unpaid fines, or unfulfilled CPD obligations.

A renewed licence carries a new expiry date; the agent must keep a record of the renewal confirmation and updated certificate.

Cancellation may be requested voluntarily by the agent, or initiated by the brokerage on termination of employment, or imposed by RERA for violations.

A voluntary cancellation application must be submitted by the agent with the brokerage's acknowledgement and return of the original licence certificate.

On termination of employment, the brokerage must notify RERA and apply to cancel or transfer the agent's licence within the period set by regulation.

Outstanding obligations - unpaid fees, pending complaints, or open disciplinary cases - must be settled before cancellation is completed.

Cancellation does not extinguish liability for conduct that occurred while the licence was in force.

RERA-initiated cancellation follows a disciplinary process; grounds include fraud, unlicensed activity, or serious AML breaches, and the agent must be given notice.

Upon cancellation the agent is removed from the brokerage's register and may not conduct real estate sales activity until a new licence is issued.

A cancellation record is retained; a former agent applying again must disclose prior cancellation and any disciplinary outcome.

Real estate agents are reporting entities under Bahrain's AML/CFT law (Decree-Law No. 4 of 2001 as amended) and must apply customer due diligence (CDD) before or during the transaction.

CDD requires identifying the customer and the beneficial owner, verifying identity with reliable documents, and understanding the purpose and nature of the transaction.

Enhanced due diligence applies to politically exposed persons (PEPs), high-risk jurisdictions, and unusual cash-intensive or complex ownership structures.

Cash transactions at or above the threshold set by the Financial Intelligence National Centre (FINC) must be reported; suspicious transactions are reported regardless of amount.

Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) go to the FINC; tipping off the customer about a report is prohibited.

Records of CDD, transactions, and reports must be kept for the retention period set by law (not less than five years after the transaction or end of the relationship).

Agents must not act on a transaction where CDD cannot be completed; the relationship must be declined or terminated and consideration given to an STR.

An AML/CFT compliance officer and internal policies, risk assessment, and staff training are required at the brokerage level; the agent must complete the assigned training.

CPD: agents must accumulate the minimum CPD hours per renewal cycle, covering mandatory topics such as AML/CFT and Bahrain real estate law, with verifiable records retained.