Real Estate Company Setup in Dubai: The Licence and RERA Route Explained

Do you need a mainland or free zone licence for a real estate business in Dubai?

For a real estate brokerage in Dubai you almost always need a DED mainland licence, not a free zone one. The reason is simple: RERA registration and the physical, Ejari-linked office it demands don't work with most free zone structures. A cheap free zone package for a property business sells you a licence you cannot legally trade real estate on, so the money and weeks you spend on it are wasted.

That is the one thing worth getting right before you pay anyone. If your business will list, market or broker Dubai property, plan for a mainland setup from the start and treat RERA as a separate step that sits on top of the trade licence.

What is a real estate licence in Dubai and who issues it?

A real estate licence in Dubai is a trade licence issued by the Department of Economy and Tourism (the DED) permitting a specific property activity, such as real estate brokerage, property management or real estate consultancy. The DED issues the licence itself; the Dubai Land Department and its regulatory arm, RERA, then govern who is allowed to actually broker property under it.

So there are two authorities in play, not one. The DED gives you the company and the right activity. RERA, through the Dubai Land Department, gives your brokers the right to represent buyers and sellers. You need both before a single deal goes through, and they happen in sequence, not together.

How RERA broker registration fits into the sequence

RERA broker registration is a separate step that comes after your trade licence is issued. It is not part of the licence itself, which is where most cheap packages quietly leave a gap. To register, an individual broker completes the required training and passes the broker exam run through the Dubai Land Department, then applies for a broker card tied to your licensed company.

The order matters:

1. 1You form the company and secure the correct DED real estate activity.
2. 2You take a registered mainland tenancy and register it through Ejari.
3. 3Your brokers complete the RERA training and exam.
4. 4They apply for the RERA broker card linked to your company.

We won't quote a RERA registration fee, broker card fee or training and exam cost here, because those are set by the authority and we would rather confirm the current figures for you directly than print a number that may have moved. Get your exact price and the fastest route in one free call: talk to us about the mainland licence and RERA route.

Why most free zone structures don't work for a property company in Dubai

Free zones are excellent for many businesses. A real estate brokerage that wants to trade Dubai property is not one of them, and it comes down to two hard requirements RERA imposes.

First, RERA broker registration is administered through the Dubai Land Department for companies trading in the local UAE property market, which a free zone entity is generally not set up to do. A free zone company cannot sell directly to the UAE market without a mainland route, and Dubai property broking is squarely a UAE-market activity.

Second, RERA and the DED require a real physical office registered through Ejari. A virtual free zone address, the kind bundled into low-cost packages, cannot satisfy an Ejari tenancy. No Ejari, no compliant office, no RERA registration.

That is the trap. The free zone licence looks cheaper on the invoice, then stops dead the moment you try to register your brokers. Buyers who understand this up front skip the wasted setup fee entirely.

The step-by-step route: from DED licence to RERA card

Here is the actual sequence for a compliant Dubai real estate company:

1. 1Choose your activity and reserve the trade name with the DED.
2. 2Secure initial approval for the real estate activity.
3. 3Sign a mainland tenancy and register it through Ejari.
4. 4Complete MOA notarisation and pay the DED fees to issue the trade licence.
5. 5Obtain your establishment card and apply for investor and staff visas.
6. 6Enrol your brokers in the required RERA training and exam.
7. 7Apply for the RERA broker card for each broker, linked to the company.

The trade licence stage for a mainland setup typically takes around 3 to 7 working days once documents are submitted. The RERA stage is separate and depends on training schedules, exam sittings and the authority's own processing, so we confirm a realistic timeline for that with you rather than quote a headline number we don't control. And to be clear, approval of the RERA registration and the broker cards rests with the authority; what a good consultant controls is that your file is complete and correct so it isn't sent back.

What a real estate company setup in Dubai actually costs

A mainland real estate company in Dubai starts from AED 25,000, covering the DED licence and our service fee. That is a starting figure, not a fixed grid, because the DED prices each licence on the activity, the ownership structure and the premises, so your exact number depends on your specific activity and visa count.

The free zone figure is there for context only. It is the cheaper route on paper and the wrong one for a brokerage, which is exactly the mistake this article exists to stop you making.

On top of the licence you should budget for the RERA training, exam and broker card, plus your Ejari-registered office. We will confirm those current authority figures for your specific case in one call rather than print numbers here that may have changed.

There is also corporate tax to plan for. UAE corporate tax is 9% on net profit above AED 375,000, for financial years starting on or after 1 June 2023, per the Federal Tax Authority. Registration and filing apply regardless of whether tax is ultimately payable, and we handle that as part of the same relationship.

The office and Ejari requirement you can't skip

A Dubai mainland real estate licence requires a real tenancy registered through Ejari, which is what legally links your licence to a physical address. There is no virtual-office shortcut on the mainland the way there is in some free zones, and RERA will not register brokers without it.

Office size also drives your visa quota, so the space you take shapes how many brokers you can sponsor. If you are planning to build a team, get the office sizing right before you sign, not after. This is one of the details we work through with you at the start so the tenancy you commit to actually supports the headcount you want.

How OMC handles the mainland licence and RERA route for you

OMC has started 1,400+ companies in the UAE since 2007, and we run the full sequence for a real estate business end to end: the DED trade licence with the correct activity, the Ejari-registered office, the visas, and the coordination through to your brokers' RERA cards. Because we have done this route before, we sequence it so you are not paying for one step while a later one is stuck.

We also open the door on banking, where a lot of property companies stall. We have named account-opening officers at 10+ UAE banks and have opened 1,000+ accounts, so we know what each bank's compliance team will ask before you sit down with them.

Get your exact price and the fastest route in one free call, no obligation: start your mainland real estate setup with OMC.

Frequently asked questions

Can I run a Dubai real estate brokerage on a free zone licence?

No, not for broking Dubai property. RERA broker registration and the Ejari-linked physical office it requires don't work with most free zone structures, and a free zone company cannot sell directly into the UAE property market. A brokerage needs a DED mainland licence. Anyone selling a cheap free zone package for a property business is selling a licence you can't trade on.

What is RERA broker registration and is it mandatory?

RERA broker registration is a mandatory step, separate from your trade licence, that authorises individuals to broker Dubai property. It runs through the Dubai Land Department and involves the required training, a broker exam, and a broker card linked to your licensed company. Without it, your company holds a licence but no one in it can legally represent buyers or sellers.

Do I need a physical office to get a real estate licence in Dubai?

Yes. A Dubai mainland real estate licence requires a real tenancy registered through Ejari, which links the licence to a physical address. There is no virtual-office route on the mainland, and RERA will not complete broker registration without a compliant Ejari office. Office size also affects how many visas you can sponsor.

Can a foreigner own 100% of a real estate company in Dubai?

For most mainland activities, yes. The 2021 amendment to Federal Commercial Companies Law No. 2 of 2015 removed the 51% local sponsor requirement across the majority of business categories. Real estate broking generally falls within full-ownership activities, but we confirm your specific activity qualifies before you commit, rather than assuming it.

How long does it take to set up a property company in Dubai?

The mainland trade licence stage typically takes around 3 to 7 working days once documents are submitted. RERA registration is a separate stage that depends on training schedules, exam sittings and the authority's processing, so we confirm a realistic timeline for that part with you rather than quote a fixed number. Approval always rests with the authority.

What does a real estate company setup in Dubai cost?

A mainland real estate company starts from AED 25,000, covering the DED licence and our service fee. Your exact figure depends on activity, structure and visa count, since the DED prices per application. RERA training, the broker exam, the broker card and your Ejari office are additional, and we confirm those current authority figures in one free call.

Do I need to pass an exam to become a registered broker?

Yes. Individual brokers complete the required RERA training and pass the broker exam through the Dubai Land Department before they can hold a broker card. The exam and training fees are set by the authority, so we confirm the current figures for you directly rather than print a number here that may have changed.