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How to verify a RERA-licensed broker in Dubai
Two minutes of checking beats months of regret.
Short answer: Every legitimate Dubai broker holds a RERA Broker Registration Number (BRN). Verify it free in the Dubai Land Department’s Dubai REST app or the DLD website broker registry — confirm the name, photo, brokerage and licence status all match before signing anything or transferring money.
Direct answer: Every legitimate Dubai broker holds a personal licence number (BRN) and works for a brokerage registered with its own number (ORN) — both checkable through the Dubai Land Department’s official channels, including the Dubai REST app and the DLD website’s licensed-broker service. If someone cannot show you a current BRN that matches their name and company, do not transact with them. Worked example: my own licence is BRN 40429, under Amber Homes Real Estate, ORN 18690 — both verifiable through DLD right now.
Context date: July 2026.
The checks
- BRN & ORN: confirm the individual and the brokerage on DLD’s licensed-broker service; match the names exactly.
- Advertising permits: legitimate listings carry DLD advertising permit numbers (Trakheesi) — ask for it on any specific property.
- Payment discipline: off-plan money goes to the project escrow account; resale funds move through the registered transfer process. Never pay into a personal account.
- Paper trail: insist on formal reservation forms, MOUs (Form F) and receipts — verbal “allocations” are not holdings.
Red flags
Pressure to pay a “holding deposit” immediately to a personal account; prices materially below the market with a story attached; refusal to share BRN or permit numbers; and guarantees of returns, allocations or visas — a licensed professional does not guarantee outcomes they do not control.
Saad’s view
Analysis and opinion, not financial advice: the trust deficit in this market is real, and verification is the buyer’s cheapest protection. Any broker offended by being checked has told you what you needed to know.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I check a Dubai broker\u2019s licence?
Through the Dubai Land Department\u2019s official channels \u2014 the licensed real-estate broker service on dubailand.gov.ae and the Dubai REST app. Search the broker\u2019s name or BRN and confirm the brokerage and status match.
What is the difference between BRN and ORN?
BRN is the individual broker\u2019s registration number; ORN is the brokerage office\u2019s registration number. A legitimate agent can show both, and they should match the person and company you are dealing with.