Quick answer: To become a real estate agent in Dubai, you join a DLD-licensed brokerage, which applies for your work visa. You then get a Dubai Police good conduct certificate, complete a course at a DLD-accredited institute, pass the RERA broker exam (about AED 772.50) and have the brokerage issue your broker card (AED 520). DLD sets out no freelance route.
Key takeaways
No freelancing. DLD publishes no route to hold a broker card outside a licensed company. You join a brokerage or license your own.
The official fees are small. The exam is about AED 772.50 and the card AED 520. The course is the biggest cost, priced by the institute.
AED 5,020 is not the agent's fee. It is the brokerage company's yearly RERA activity licence.
Renewal follows the company's trade licence, and you need a pass in DLD's annual test.
Every ad needs a Trakheesi permit and a Madmoun QR code, including Instagram posts on your personal account.
Rules and fees last verified: 4 October 2026.
The 7 things you need to become a real estate agent in Dubai
These are the real estate agent requirements in Dubai, in the order you will meet them:
A licensed brokerage to employ you, and a work visa through it.
A Dubai Police good conduct certificate.
The broker training course at a DLD-accredited institute. This is what most people mean by a "RERA certificate".
A pass in the RERA broker exam, booked through DLD.
A broker card (DLD calls it a real estate professional practice card), applied for by your brokerage in Trakheesi. This is your real estate agent license in Dubai.
A pass in the annual test, so the card can be renewed.
A Trakheesi permit and Madmoun QR code on every property ad you publish.
After that come the rules you work under every day: commission agreements, KYC and limits on who you can contact.
| Requirement | Who handles it | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Licensed brokerage and work visa | The brokerage | Agree in your contract who pays |
| Good conduct certificate | You, through Dubai Police | Set by Dubai Police |
| Broker training course | You, at an accredited institute | Example: AED 2,400 + 5% VAT at one institute |
| RERA broker exam | You, using the company's trade licence details | About AED 772.50 |
| Broker card | The brokerage, in Trakheesi | AED 520 |
| Renewal and annual test | The brokerage files; you pass the test | AED 520 renewal |
| Ad permit and QR code | The brokerage, in Trakheesi | AED 1,000 + AED 20 per permit |
| Commission in writing | You and the client, in Contract A or B | No fee |
| goAML and KYC | The brokerage's compliance officer; you collect documents | No filing fee |
| Outreach rules | The brokerage sets numbers and checks; you follow them | DNCR checks are free |
Step 1: join a brokerage (can I be a freelance real estate agent in Dubai?)
No, not in the sense of working alone without a company. DLD publishes no route for an individual to hold a broker card outside a licensed company. Its 2024 Brokerage Practice Guide says a real estate licence must first be obtained and registered in Trakheesi, and the card is then applied for through Trakheesi. DLD's card page links the card's validity to the company's trade licence, and the exam registration form starts with the company's trade licence number.
So you have two options: join a DLD-licensed brokerage, or license your own brokerage company. The second means paying the company's own RERA activity licence of AED 5,000 a year plus AED 20 (DLD), plus company set-up costs.
Your visa comes through the brokerage
If you are an expatriate employee, your employer applies for your visa. The UAE government portal says "the employer must apply for the standard work visa", which is normally valid for two years (u.ae). The card is tied to that employment: DLD will not cancel an expatriate's card until the employment visa is cancelled or the visa profession changed (DLD). Before you sign, ask who pays for the visa, course, exam and card.
Step 2: a Dubai Police good conduct certificate
DLD's card page lists "a certificate of good conduct issued by the Dubai Police" as a condition. You apply for it yourself, and Dubai Police sets the fee. Get it early: it sits on DLD's document list with your photo, Emirates ID copy and exam pass.
Step 3: the accredited course and the RERA exam
The course used to be run by the Dubai Real Estate Institute (DREI), which was dissolved by Law No. 16 of 2020. Today it is run by DLD-accredited private institutes. In 2023 DLD signed agreements with Elite Gulf, Innovation Experts and ThinkProp. The institute sets the price: Innovation Experts lists AED 3,000, offered at AED 2,400 plus 5% VAT, for 20 credit hours.
The exam is DLD's. Register through its exam registration page using the brokerage's trade licence details. DLD lists AED 700 plus AED 20 in knowledge and innovation fees, and a AED 50 ERES fee plus VAT: about AED 772.50 in total. You are exempt if you are 55 or older, have 5 consecutive years in the same office, or hold a start-up licence.
Rule: you cannot work while you wait. DLD says no one may practise "except after registering and obtaining the card". Source: DLD, Issuance of a real estate professional practice card.
Step 4: the broker card and what it costs
Once you pass, the brokerage applies for your card in Trakheesi, and DLD issues it as an e-card.
| Item | Fee | Paid to |
|---|---|---|
| RERA broker exam | AED 700 + AED 20, plus AED 50 ERES fee + VAT (about AED 772.50) | DLD |
| Broker card issuance | AED 500 + AED 20 = AED 520 | DLD |
| Broker card renewal | AED 500 + AED 20 = AED 520 | DLD |
| Card cancellation | Free | DLD |
| Not yours: company RERA activity licence | AED 5,000 + AED 20 a year | The brokerage |
The DLD fees for the exam and card come to AED 1,292.50. With the example course, a first-time pass costs roughly AED 3,812.50 to AED 4,442.50 before visa and good conduct costs. Our guide to RERA broker card fees, the exam and renewal has the full breakdown.
Step 5: renewal and the annual test
The card's validity follows the brokerage's trade licence, so you renew when the company renews. Renewal is done in Trakheesi or the Dubai REST app for AED 520, with automatic approval. DLD's renewal page sets two conditions: you have passed the annual test, and every salesperson at the company holds a card. If you move brokerage, the old card is cancelled for free and the new brokerage applies for a new one.
Step 6: advertising rules, Trakheesi permits and the Madmoun QR
Every property ad needs a Trakheesi permit, issued to the brokerage. The Practice Guide says brokerages "must obtain a permit for any real estate advertisement or marketing material", and the permit number must be shown. That covers portals, print, Instagram, TikTok, paid ads and WhatsApp status. For a ready property for sale, Trakheesi needs the signed Contract A (Form A) with the owner first. DLD's ad permit page lists AED 1,000 plus AED 20 per permit (AED 5,000 for a project launch).
Each permit comes with a Madmoun QR code. It has been required on print and audiovisual ads since 24 April 2023, and in 2025 DLD said it must appear on all ads, "whether visual or written" (DLD). Anyone can scan it to check the ad against the permit.
Watch out: "it's my personal page" is not an exemption. RERA Circular 1 of 2020 sets fines of at least AED 50,000 for advertising breaches, doubled for a repeat, and DLD fined 256 brokers in the six months to July 2024. If you post on your own accounts, also check the federal advertiser permit, now run by the National Media Authority.
Commission: is 2% the law in Dubai?
No. Article 27 of Bylaw No. 85 of 2006 says a broker's pay is "determined by agreement", with "prevailing practice" only as a fallback (DLD legislation). 2% on sales and up to 5% of annual rent are market norms, not legal rates. The party that appointed you pays (Article 33), and commission falls due when the sale contract is signed and registered with DLD, unless your agreement says otherwise (Article 28). Write the figure into Contract A or B every time. VAT-registered brokerages add 5% VAT. Your split with the brokerage is set by your own contract, not by DLD.
Compliance: KYC, goAML and who you can contact
goAML and KYC: the brokerage's job, your files
Brokerages working on property sales are supervised for anti-money laundering by the Ministry of Economy and Tourism. The brokerage registers on goAML through its compliance officer, not each agent. It must file a Real Estate Activity Report for freehold deals with AED 55,000 or more in cash or any virtual-asset element. Suspicions are reported "immediately and without delay", telling the client is a crime, and records are kept for at least five years.
Your part: collect ID from every sale client, escalate anything odd to the compliance officer, and keep files where the brokerage can find them.
Cold calling, the DNCR and the DLD Green List
Under Cabinet Resolution 56 of 2024, marketing calls are allowed only from 9am to 6pm, from numbers registered to the company, and never to numbers on the Do Not Call Registry. Marketing messages on social media apps, which includes WhatsApp, count as telemarketing too. An agent marketing from a personal SIM faces AED 5,000 and disconnection for a first offence, and company fines run from AED 10,000 to AED 150,000 per breach. Dubai adds the Green List: RERA's Practice Guide says brokers may contact only owners registered on it in Dubai REST. The full rules are in our guide to cold calling rules for real estate in the UAE.
The tools you need day to day
A phone and WhatsApp. Clients expect WhatsApp. Use a company-registered number for marketing, not your personal SIM.
Portal accounts. Your brokerage lists on Property Finder, Bayut and Dubizzle. Property Finder checks the Trakheesi number before a listing goes ahead, and Bayut shows the Madmoun QR once the permit number is added.
A CRM. Portal enquiries go to whoever answers first, and a spreadsheet will not show which lead has waited an hour.
This is where a CRM such as Majlis CRM fits. Each agent gets their own WhatsApp number on Meta's official WhatsApp Business Platform, portal leads are captured and assigned automatically, follow-ups stop when the lead replies, and response times are tracked. Fast replies also count towards portal programmes; see our guide to becoming a Property Finder SuperAgent and Bayut TruBroker.
Your first 30 days as a Dubai agent: checklist
A signed employment contract that says who pays the visa, course, exam and card.
Work visa and Emirates ID in progress through the brokerage.
Dubai Police good conduct certificate applied for.
Course booked at a DLD-accredited institute.
Exam registered using the brokerage's trade licence details.
Broker card issued in Trakheesi. No client work before this.
Renewal date and annual test in your calendar.
Your brokerage's Trakheesi permit and Contract A process learned.
A company number set up for calls; DNCR and Green List checks understood.
Portal leads routed to you, with a target reply time.
Frequently asked questions
How do I become a real estate agent in Dubai?
Join a DLD-licensed brokerage, which applies for your work visa. Get a Dubai Police good conduct certificate, take the broker course at a DLD-accredited institute and pass DLD's broker exam, which costs about AED 772.50. The brokerage then applies for your broker card in Trakheesi for AED 520. You cannot practise until the card is issued.
How do I get a real estate agent license in Dubai?
The licence an individual agent holds is the broker card, which DLD calls a real estate professional practice card. Your brokerage applies for it in Trakheesi after you pass the RERA broker exam and provide a Dubai Police good conduct certificate. It costs AED 520 and its validity follows the brokerage's trade licence.
Can I be a freelance real estate agent in Dubai?
Not as an individual working without a company. DLD publishes no route to hold a broker card outside a licensed brokerage. Its Practice Guide says the company's licence must be registered in Trakheesi first, and the card is applied for through Trakheesi. You either join a licensed brokerage or license your own.
What is a RERA certificate in Dubai?
Agents usually mean the broker training certificate from a DLD-accredited institute, the first step towards the broker card. The course was once run by the Dubai Real Estate Institute, which was dissolved in 2020; private institutes such as Elite Gulf, Innovation Experts and ThinkProp now run it. You still need to pass DLD's broker exam and hold a broker card to practise.
How much does it cost to become a real estate agent in Dubai?
DLD's own fees are about AED 772.50 for the broker exam and AED 520 for the broker card, AED 1,292.50 together. The training course is priced by the institute; one lists AED 2,400 plus VAT. That puts a first-time pass at roughly AED 3,800 to AED 4,400, before visa costs and the good conduct certificate.
Do I need to renew my broker card every year?
The card's validity is linked to your brokerage's trade licence, so you renew when the company renews, usually once a year. Renewal costs AED 520 through Trakheesi or the Dubai REST app. DLD requires a pass in the annual test, and every salesperson at the company must hold a card before the renewal goes through.
Making the first year easier
The licence gets you in the door. After that, most of the job is answering leads fast and keeping track of who needs what. Majlis CRM puts your Property Finder, Bayut and WhatsApp leads in one place, reminds you to follow up and shows how fast you reply. Book a demo to see it on your own leads.
This is general information, not legal advice. Check current requirements with DLD and RERA or a licensed adviser. Rules and fees last verified: 4 October 2026.
Sources
Real Estate Brokerage Practice Guide, 2nd edition (Nov 2024), Dubai Land Department / RERA.
Cancellation of a real estate professional practice card, DLD.
Exam registration, DLD.
Real estate ad permit, DLD.
Combatting money laundering and terrorism financing, Ministry of Economy and Tourism.