Dubai: On offplan sales promotions, estate agents in Dubai must advertise the entire project and not just individual units within them, according to a new update from the local regulator.
Advertising specific properties is ‘considered a violation’ of the type of permit that RERA (Real Estate Regulatory Agency) issues to brokers, the regulator states.
“It has been noticed that some brokers are violating the terms and conditions for real estate advertisements by obtaining a permit to market a project to advertise specific properties,” RERA notes.
This status will not be allowed to continue.
Remove within 5 days - or face a fine
Brokers have been told to remove all such ads that are in breach of the RERA rules from property portals within 5 days.
Failure to comply comes with stiff penalties. The fine has been pegged at Dh50,000 and the broker found to be in violation will be suspended for up to 3 months.
2. Broker to submit to DLD and issue the advertising permit at a unit level.
3. Brokers can take the property ad live on Real Estate portals and all Add details must match the unit details mentioned on the DLD permit.
“Developers in Dubai are now required to provide specific details including property number, size, and price when issuing No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for advertising (to estate agents),” said Firas Al Msaddi, CEO of fam Properties. “These details must be used by brokers to obtain advertising permits from RERA before any online promotion can commence.
“This marks a significant shift from the previous practice where a generic NOC could be used indiscriminately, leading to potential misuse.”
Tightening up property ads
This is the latest in a series of RERA interventions to remove fake and multiple listings related to Dubai freehold properties in the online space. In February, the authority issued a diktat that made sure that ads related to properties that went on to be sold or rented out were immediately removed once the transaction gets done.
Developers in Dubai are now required to provide specific details including property number, size, and price when issuing NOCs...
This was done after multiple instances of such properties remaining on property listings portals even though it was no longer available for a sale or a lease. The authority noted at the time that it was impacting the levels of transparency that needed to be maintained by all stakeholders in the Dubai property market.
"The latest rules suggest that RERA is turning its attention on offplan sales marketing too," said a property consultant. "What they are trying to remove is one brokerage firm signing up with a developer to market a project and then that brokerage firm sub-contracts it to other agencies for a certain number of units.
"The one agency must take on all responsibilities directly - that's what the new rule says."
In the first four months of the year, offplan sales continue to outstrip ready home sales by quite a margin in Dubai. Developers are rushing through with new launches, many of these slated for handovers between 2026-28.
What the new rules mean for Dubai property market
- For brokers: There is a limit of three brokers that can market or place an ad on a particular property. This 'fosters fair competition and reduces clutter on listing portals', says Firas Al Msaddi of fam Properties. It also aids in the early detection of market trends such as pricing fluctuations and sales rates.
- For sellers and developers, there will be reduced competition from unverified property listings and more accurate market pricing trends.
