How to check a Dubai developer, project and broker: Dubai REST, DLD registers, Trakheesi

In short: in Dubai, most of what is worth checking before a purchase is in the official registers of the Dubai Land Department (DLD) and its regulator RERA – free of charge, on the DLD website or in the Dubai REST app. There you can check whether a developer is licensed, whether an off-plan project is registered and has an escrow account, what stage construction has reached, and whether a broker and their office hold a RERA licence. Every property advert in Dubai requires a Trakheesi permit, and the permit number must be visible in the advert. Below is the checklist we use ourselves.

Updated: November 2026

Key facts

• Dubai REST – the DLD's official app: data on brokers and offices, licensed developers, construction progress of off-plan projects, the escrow account number.
• Developer: the DLD's list of licensed developers.
• Project: the "Project Status Enquiry" service – percentage complete and project details by plot number, project number or name.
• Broker: RERA lists of licensed brokers and brokerage offices; a broker must hold a broker card.
• Advert: a Trakheesi permit and its number in the text of the advert.
• Money: for off-plan – only into the project's escrow account.

Dubai REST – where to start

Dubai REST is the DLD's official platform (an app for Android and iOS, in Arabic and English). According to the DLD's description, it shows, among other things, data on brokers and their level, data on brokerage offices and their classification, management and valuation firms, and certified developers. For off-plan projects, the app gives the percentage complete, construction photos, the escrow account number and the payments due from owners. Some of the data is also available without logging in, on the DLD website under information services.

Note that many Dubai REST services require you to log in with an Emirates ID or details from a title deed. If you do not have UAE documents yet, use the public search tools on the DLD website – we describe them below.

Step 1. The developer

The DLD keeps a list of licensed developers – the service is free and works straight away on the DLD website and in Dubai REST. Check whether the company named in the contract (the legal name, not the marketing brand) is on the list. If the project's special-purpose company is selling to you, also check its link to the developer in the documents.

It is also worth looking at the track record: which projects the developer has already delivered and how late they were against the original deadline. The DLD publishes data on projects and transactions under open data. We do not rate developers in articles – we do that for a client, for a specific offer.

Step 2. The off-plan project

The Project Status Enquiry service shows the percentage complete and the details of a project in Dubai. You search by plot number, project number or project name; the DLD offers it on its website, in Dubai REST and via WhatsApp (number 800 4488, the "Malik" assistant). What to look at:

• Whether the project is in the register at all. According to the RERA guide for brokers (November 2024 edition), an off-plan project can be sold only if it is licensed and registered with RERA and has an escrow account assigned; the broker must also have a marketing agreement with the developer. RERA indicates that a project's registration is checked in Dubai REST (the "Mashrooi" section).
• The escrow account. The account number in the contract should match the project's account in the system. Under Law No. 8 of 2007, buyers' payments go into an escrow account, not into the developer's ordinary account. More in the article Off-plan in Dubai: escrow and Oqood.
• Status and construction progress. According to the DLD FAQ, payments in an off-plan plan are tied to construction milestones. When a developer asks for a payment, the buyer has the right to know the current percentage complete – from a letter by the project consultant approved by the DLD. If the milestone has not been reached, the buyer does not have to pay. Details in the article payment plans in Dubai.
• A technical report. According to the DLD FAQ, an investor can order a completion report from a RERA technical auditor – the fee is AED 15,000 per unit or villa.

Step 3. The broker and the brokerage office

According to the DLD FAQ, only a licensed broker who is entered in the register of brokers and holds a broker card issued by RERA may carry out brokerage in Dubai. The office has a registration certificate, and RERA classifies offices (gold, silver, bronze, general). You can check a licence in two DLD search tools:

• RERA licensed brokers,
• licensed brokerage offices.

In adverts and e-mail signatures you will often see the abbreviations ORN (the office's registration number) and BRN (the broker's number). These are common market labels – DLD documents speak of the office's registration certificate and the broker card. Compare the name and number with the DLD list; if a broker does not want to give the number, that is a warning sign.

What else is worth knowing from the DLD FAQ:

• A brokerage agreement should name the parties, the property, the amount, the commission rate and the deadline for registration with the DLD; agreements are concluded electronically through Dubai REST.
• The commission is due after the sale contract is concluded and registered with the DLD, unless the brokerage agreement provides otherwise.
• A broker loses the right to a commission where, among other things, they act in the interest of the other party or do not hold a RERA licence.
• You can file a complaint against a licensed office through the DLD website or Dubai REST, with evidence (for example a copy of the advert or proof of payment).

Step 4. The advert and the Trakheesi permit

Every property advert in Dubai – online, in the press, on a billboard, on social media, at an exhibition – requires a permit issued by RERA in the Trakheesi system (the "Real Estate Ad Permit" service). A broker applying for a permit must present a marketing agreement with the owner. According to the DLD FAQ, a developer also needs a RERA permit to advertise a project. At property exhibitions, off-plan projects from Dubai that are not registered with the escrow accounts department must not be shown.

In a statement of 20 October 2020, the DLD reminded the market that the permit number must appear in the advert, and that fines for companies rise cumulatively by AED 50,000 up to the revocation of the licence. Adverts without a permit can be reported in the RERA violations system. What this means for you: an advert without a Trakheesi number, or with a number that does not match the offer, is a reason to stop and ask questions.

Red flags

• A request to pay into a private account, or an account other than the project's escrow account (for off-plan).
• Promises of a "sure" return on investment or "certain" price growth – no reputable seller makes such promises.
• No Trakheesi permit number, no office or broker number, a refusal to show the contract before payment.
• A project that is not in Project Status Enquiry, or a developer name that does not match the DLD list.
• Time pressure: "reservation today only", a payment before you receive the draft contract.
• For a resale – no title deed, or a seller who does not want to complete the transaction at a DLD trustee office.

Checklist before you reserve

What to check	Where
The developer holds a licence	DLD list of licensed developers / Dubai REST
The project is registered; percentage complete	Project Status Enquiry / Dubai REST
The escrow account in the contract = the project's account	Dubai REST, the SPA
The broker and office hold a RERA licence	DLD lists of brokers and offices
The advert has a permit	The Trakheesi number in the advert
The unit is in an area open to foreigners	Documents and the DLD register

Whether a foreigner can buy a given unit at all is covered in the article on freehold areas, and the whole process in the guide how to buy property in Dubai from Poland.

How we help

Before you reserve, we go through this list with you for a specific unit: the developer, the project, the escrow account, the broker's licence and the advert permit. We hold consultations about Dubai in Polish, Russian, Ukrainian and English. The money for the property does not come to us – you pay into the project's escrow account, or to the seller at registration with the DLD. Ask us to check an offer.

Frequently asked questions