Before you sign with a Dubai real estate agency, the checklist

An offer can look great in an interview and very different three months later. Use this checklist before you sign. Ask for every answer in writing.

1. The agency is licensed

• Check its ORN in the Dubai REST app or on the DLD website.
• Your broker card is linked to the agency’s trade licence, according to the DLD. A licence close to expiry is a question to ask.

2. Your pay

• Base salary, commission only, or both? See salary or commission.
• Your split, on which amount (before or after VAT and fees), and if it changes after some deals. See commission splits.
• When you are paid, and how.

3. Leads and tools

• Are leads provided? How many, from which source, and at which split?
• Which portals, CRM and marketing budget can you use?

4. Visa and costs

• Who pays the visa, the Emirates ID, the medical test, the insurance?
• Who pays the training, the exam and the broker card? See the official fees.
• Under Article 6 of the UAE Labour Law, an employer shall not charge a worker recruitment and employment costs. See visa and hiring costs.
• Any monthly desk fee, marketing fee or deduction?

5. Leaving

• Notice period, and what happens to deals in progress when you leave.
• Anything to pay back if you leave in the first year.
• Non-compete or non-solicitation clauses.

6. Red flags

• You are asked to pay to get the job or the visa.
• No written contract, or a contract different from what was said.
• The agency cannot give its ORN or its trade licence.

If you see one, read how to spot a fake job offer.

On CloserPass

Every job shows the pay, the split, the leads, the visa and the broker card support when the agency gives them. “Not specified” means the agency did not say: ask.