Real Estate Agents in Dubai: Commission Rates & Conduct Rules

Who pays, and how much

The 2% convention is not fixed by law. It is negotiable, particularly on high-value transactions — though many agencies hold firm on the basis that the rate reflects the service provided.

A caution: an agent who discounts their commission instantly to win your instruction may discount your asking price just as readily to secure a sale. Competence is worth more than a 0.25% saving.

How the commission is split

Between agency and agent, commonly 50/50 for newer agents, rising through 60/40 and 70/30 to 80/20 or higher for top producers. Some Dubai firms operate capped-fee models where agents pay a desk fee and keep most of the commission.

Where two agencies collaborate (Form I), the commission is typically split 50/50 between the listing side and the buyer side.

Why this matters to you: an agent on a 50/50 split earns 1% of your 2%. On an AED 1.5m purchase that is AED 15,000 before tax and costs. This is a commission-driven business with real personal economics behind every interaction, and understanding that makes agent behaviour far more predictable.

The RERA code of conduct

Licensed Dubai brokers operate under a code of conduct. Core obligations include:

• Holding a valid broker card and working for a licensed brokerage
• Not advertising a property without the owner's authorisation and a Trakheesi permit
• Not misrepresenting a property's characteristics, price or availability
• Disclosing any personal interest in a transaction
• Not accepting commission from both parties without disclosure
• Handling client funds properly
• Maintaining confidentiality
• Using DLD's prescribed forms

Practical consequences:

Bait listings — advertising a property that is not available, or at a price that is not real, to generate enquiries — breach the code. Dubai's Trakheesi system exists partly to control this. If you repeatedly find that advertised properties are "just sold", that is a pattern worth reporting.

Dual agency without disclosure breaches the code. Ask directly whether the agent represents both sides.

"Guaranteed returns" marketing has been the subject of regulatory attention. Treat any guaranteed-ROI claim as a warning sign about the firm making it.

What agents can and cannot do

Can: market a property with owner authorisation and a permit; negotiate on behalf of their principal; introduce parties; coordinate the transaction; advise on market conditions.

Cannot: hold your purchase funds outside a DLD trustee or project escrow arrangement; sign binding documents on your behalf without a valid power of attorney; guarantee returns; misrepresent the property; advertise without a permit.

Payment rule, without exception: purchase funds go to a DLD registration trustee or, for off-plan, the project's registered escrow account. Never to an agency's operating account, never to an individual, never in cash.

Off-market and "pocket" listings

Some agents hold properties not publicly advertised — owners who want discretion, or early access before a formal launch.

Genuinely useful when real. Also used as a pressure technique: "I have something off-market, but you need to decide today."

Test it: ask for the property details, the title deed reference and the owner's authorisation (Form A). A genuine off-market instruction has documentation. A manufactured one does not.

Complaining about an agent

Step 1: the agency. Raise it in writing with the agency's management. Many issues are individual, not institutional, and firms with genuine compliance functions act on complaints.

Step 2: RERA/DLD. File a complaint through DLD's channels, including the Dubai REST app and DLD's contact centre. RERA regulates brokers and can take disciplinary action up to licence suspension.

Step 3: Rental Dispute Settlement Centre for tenancy-related matters, or the civil courts for contractual disputes.

Step 4: Dubai Consumer Protection for misleading advertising, in appropriate cases.

Document everything. Written communications, listing screenshots including permit numbers, and copies of any forms signed. Verbal assurances are essentially unenforceable, and "the agent told me" is not evidence.

What good agent conduct looks like

• Provides their RERA broker number without being pressed
• Uses the correct DLD forms and explains what each does
• Discloses whom they represent
• Volunteers negative information about a property
• Provides transaction data and service charge figures on request
• Does not apply artificial time pressure
• Confirms agreements in writing
• Directs funds only to trustee or escrow accounts
• Says "I don't know, let me find out" rather than guessing

That last one is genuinely diagnostic. Confident wrong answers are more dangerous than admitted uncertainty, and an agent comfortable saying "I'll check" is usually an agent who checks.

The market context in 2026

Search interest in generic agent terms declined in 2026 — `real estate agent dubai` down 9%, `dubai real estate agency` down 20% — while brand queries surged. Consumers are increasingly filtering by firm reputation rather than searching generically.

That raises the stakes on firm-level compliance and lowers the visibility of individual agent quality. Which means the checks in Article 47 matter more, not less: the brand gets you a compliant firm; only your own questions get you a competent agent.