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What is Buyer's Agent (Dubai)?
A buyer's agent is a RERA-licensed broker who represents the purchaser rather than the seller or developer, engaged under RERA Form B. Their duty is to the buyer's price and terms, not to moving a listing.
Description
Most brokers a Dubai buyer meets are listing agents: they work for the seller under Form A and are paid to achieve the seller's outcome. A buyer's agent sits on the other side of the table under Form B and owes their duty to the buyer.
The work is the buyer's half of the transaction: shortlisting against criteria rather than inventory, price evidence from DLD registrations, negotiation, and process control through MOU, NOC, financing and transfer.
On payment, the Dubai norms differ by market: on off-plan the developer pays the commission and the represented buyer pays nothing for representation, while on resale a buyer-side fee of 2% plus VAT is the standard structure.
How to interpret
The test of buyer-side representation is willingness to advise against a purchase. An agent who never says "do not buy this one" is a channel, not a representative.
Ask any agent two questions before engaging: who pays you on this transaction, and will you show me DLD price evidence rather than portal listings. The answers reveal the actual loyalty.
迪拜市场背景
Dubai's market is structurally seller-side: inventory-holding brokerages dominate and dual agency exists, so explicit Form B engagement is what creates enforceable buyer-side duty rather than assumed goodwill.
Verification is public: every legitimate agent carries a BRN and every brokerage an ORN, checkable against the DLD broker register before any engagement is signed.
Frequently asked questions
Represent the buyer's interest: independent shortlisting, price evidence from DLD registered transactions, negotiation against the seller, and process control to transfer. A listing agent's duty runs to the seller under Form A.
On off-plan purchases the developer pays the commission, so the represented buyer pays nothing for representation. On resale and secondary purchases, a buyer-side fee of 2% plus VAT is the standard structure.
Check the agent's BRN and the brokerage's ORN against the DLD broker register, and put the engagement on RERA Form B so the representation duty is documented rather than implied.
This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment, financial, legal, or tax advice. Yields, returns, and market data referenced are historical or estimated and are not guaranteed. Capital is at risk. Seek independent professional advice before making investment decisions. Oliva is a licensed Dubai real estate advisor (DLD Broker Card: 92025, RERA BRN: 1573501). Read our Key Risks Disclosure and Disclaimer.