How to Get a Real Estate Broker Licence in Dubai (RERA, DREI and the Real Costs)

Real estate brokerage is one of the most commonly licensed activities in Dubai and one of the most conditional. Unlike a consultancy, where the licence is essentially the whole process, brokerage has three separate layers: the company licence, the regulator registration, and an individual qualification for every agent who deals with clients.

Getting the sequence right matters, because two of the three cost money that is not refundable if you approach them in the wrong order.

The three things you need

A company licence without registered brokers cannot trade. An individually certified broker without a licensed company has nothing to broker through. Both sides have to complete.

Step one: the DREI certified training

Before an individual can sit the RERA exam, they must complete the Certified Training for Real Estate Brokers, delivered by the Dubai Real Estate Institute or an approved provider.

The course typically runs two to four days and covers UAE real estate law, brokerage ethics, sales and leasing procedure, and the legal documentation involved in a transaction. It is available in-person and online depending on provider.

Course fees from approved providers generally sit in the range of AED 2,400 to AED 3,500, varying by institution and format.

Step two: the RERA exam

The exam follows the training, and the pass mark is generally cited as 70 to 75 per cent.

The fee structure is where prospective brokers get caught out, because it is banded by academic qualification rather than being a flat charge. Reported figures vary considerably across sources, and the range commonly quoted runs from a few hundred dirhams for registration up to several thousand for applicants in the higher-fee bands. Figures as high as AED 15,750 appear in provider material for applicants without a degree.

This is the single largest variable in the whole process, and it is worth confirming your specific band with Dubai Land Department directly before you budget. A degree materially reduces what you pay.

Be careful comparing quoted "RERA exam fees" between sources. Some quote the exam registration charge alone, others quote the qualification-banded fee, and others bundle the training. These are different numbers measuring different things.

Step three: the broker card

Once the exam is passed, the individual applies for the broker card, the permit that allows them to act as a broker in Dubai. The issuance fee is commonly reported at around AED 520.

The card is tied to the brokerage the agent works under. Moving to a different firm means updating the registration rather than starting again, but it is not automatic.

Step four: the company side

Running in parallel, the company itself needs a commercial trade licence carrying a real estate brokerage activity, plus RERA registration for that activity. The DLD activity registration fee is commonly reported at around AED 5,000 to AED 5,020 per activity.

Brokerage of Dubai property is normally conducted through a mainland licence, since the activity is regulated by Dubai Land Department. If a free zone offers you a "real estate" activity, read the permitted scope closely. Property investment, property management and real estate consultancy are not the same permission as brokering a sale, and assuming otherwise is an expensive misunderstanding.

What it actually costs

Provider estimates for an individual agent, covering training, exam and broker card, generally land in the range of AED 6,000 to AED 12,000. The spread is almost entirely driven by the qualification-banded exam fee.

On top of that sits the company licence and the DLD activity registration, plus the usual establishment card, visa and office costs that any Dubai mainland company carries.

A note on these figures. Dubai Land Department is the authoritative source, and the numbers above are compiled from provider material rather than a single published DLD tariff. They conflict in places, particularly on the exam. Treat them as a budgeting range and confirm the current position with DLD or an approved training provider before you commit money.

The order that saves money

1. Confirm your exam fee band first. It is the biggest variable and it is knowable in advance.
2. Start the company licence in parallel with the training, not after it. The two tracks are independent and running them in sequence adds weeks for no reason.
3. Do the training before booking the exam. The certified course is a prerequisite, not an optional preparation aid.
4. Register the company activity with RERA before your first agent finishes, so the broker card can attach to a licensed firm immediately.

Founders who run these in sequence rather than parallel commonly add a month to the timeline.

Who this activity suits

Brokerage rewards people who already have a network and a source of listings. The licence and the exam are the easy part. The competitive reality is that Dubai has thousands of registered brokers, commissions are pressured, and a new firm without an existing pipeline spends its first two quarters buying leads.

If your plan is to build a brokerage, budget for the marketing spend alongside the licensing. If your plan is to broker occasionally alongside another business, note that the activity cannot simply be added to a professional consultancy licence, because brokerage sits in the commercial category.

Sources: Dubai Land Department and the Real Estate Regulatory Agency for the regulatory framework, Dubai Real Estate Institute for the certified training requirement, and cross-referenced provider fee guidance current to August 2026. Reported fees conflict between providers, particularly for the qualification-banded exam, so confirm current figures with Dubai Land Department directly.

This is educational content, not legal or tax advice.

Setting up a brokerage rather than joining one? Talk to us and we will handle the mainland licence, the activity registration and the visas while you focus on the RERA side. You can also read free zone versus mainland to understand why this activity sits where it does.