Which RERA forms does a Dubai seller sign?

Two, in most sales. A seller signs Form A, the marketing agreement that lets a named broker advertise the unit and obtain a Trakheesi permit, and Form F, the sale contract with the buyer. Form B is the buyer's agreement with an agent, Form I is signed between brokers, and Form U ends a Form A or Form B in writing (Bayut, 21 Oct 2025). Every brokerage agreement must be in writing (Government of Dubai, By-law 85 of 2006).

Key facts

• Up to three Form A agreements at once, or one exclusively; every joint owner signs (Bayut, 21 Oct 2025).
• Trakheesi permit: AED 1,000 plus AED 20, one working day; it requires a marketing contract with the owner (Dubai Land Department, 2026).
• Brokerage without a licence or in breach of its terms: AED 50,000, doubling on a repeat within a year, capped at AED 1,000,000 (Dubai Land Department, Resolution 25 of 2009); 256 brokers fined in the first half of 2024 (Dubai Land Department, 17 Jul 2024).
• Form F deposit: 10 per cent by custom, usually forfeited to the seller if the buyer defaults (Leaders Advocates, 3 Aug 2026).

Source: Bayut, 21 Oct 2025.

What does Form A commit a seller to?

Form A appoints a broker to market your property. Without a written agreement the unit may not be advertised on any portal; up to three brokers may hold one at a time, and every joint owner signs each (Bayut, 21 Oct 2025). The by-law requires the agreement to name the parties, the property and the terms (Government of Dubai, By-law 85 of 2006).

It is also the basis of the advertising permit. Trakheesi requires a marketing contract with the owner; the fee is AED 1,000 plus AED 20 and the e-certificate arrives in one working day (Dubai Land Department, 2026). The owner document accepted is Form A or a no-objection letter from the legal owner (Bayut, 14 Aug 2026). Every advert has carried a Madmoun QR code since 24 April 2023 (Dubai Land Department, 18 Apr 2023). A circular of 22 February 2024 confirmed that a project permit does not cover an individual unit; a breach carries an AED 50,000 fine and a three-month licence suspension (Khaleej Times, 3 Mar 2024).

What is Form B, and why should a seller care?

Form B is the buyer's side: an agreement between a buyer and an agent recording property type, location, budget, commission, duration and the terms of termination, which is done with Form U (Bayut, 21 Oct 2025). You never sign it, but the buyer's broker already has a defined commission; if that broker is not yours, Form I follows.

What does Form F settle?

Form F is the sale contract. Seller and buyer sign it, the agent witnesses and dates it, and it records the price, the terms and both commissions; it binds once both have signed (Bayut, 21 Oct 2025).

The deposit is the clause sellers ask about most. By custom it is 10 per cent of the price. A buyer who defaults usually forfeits it; where the seller is at fault, the buyer is often entitled to its return plus compensation of the same amount. In one reported Dubai case the court awarded AED 1.54 million against a defaulting buyer (Leaders Advocates, 3 Aug 2026).

Then comes transfer. The developer's e-NOC is requested through Dubai REST, the Land Department charges 2 per cent from each party plus AED 250 for the title deed, the registration trustee charges AED 2,000 or AED 4,000 plus VAT depending on whether the price passes AED 500,000, and the appointment takes about 25 minutes (Dubai Land Department, 2026).

What is Form I?

Form I is signed between two brokers. It sets the commission split and terms of cooperation when one firm holds the listing and another brings the buyer; seller and buyer do not sign it (Bayut, 21 Oct 2025).

How do you end a listing?

With Form U, a written termination of a Form A or Form B stating the reason and the date; it is the accepted way to end either agreement (Bayut, 21 Oct 2025).

How are the forms signed, checked and stored?

Start with the broker. Nobody may broker property in Dubai unless licensed and entered in the Brokers Register, and the broker card carries the holder's name, address and registration number (Government of Dubai, By-law 85 of 2006). RERA licenses and registers brokers, issues their cards and approves advertisement content (Dubai Land Department, Law 4 of 2019). Check any broker on the Land Department's list of licensed brokers, searchable by name, office or ORN, or in Dubai REST (Dubai Land Department, 2026).

On signatures, the Land Department describes an electronic route only for its Dubai Now service: the sale agreement is generated and signed with UAE Pass, payment passes through approved escrow and an electronic title deed follows, for individuals holding a UAE ID selling unmortgaged freehold units (Dubai Land Department, 2026). Form A and Form F are signed under your brokerage's own procedure; keep a copy of each.

Every seller who lists with Davies+Harrison gets access to their private Seller Module within D+H Invest, our private investor platform: weekly listing performance (portal impressions, enquiries, viewings, offers), documents and adviser commentary, updated every Monday.

What should a seller abroad know?

Every joint owner signs Form A, wherever they live (Bayut, 21 Oct 2025). The Dubai Now electronic route is closed to you without a UAE ID (Dubai Land Department, 2026). At transfer the Land Department verifies identity by Emirates ID or, for non-resident foreigners, a valid passport (Dubai Land Department, 2026). Representation for a seller who cannot travel is a matter for your legal adviser; in our experience it is settled before marketing, not after an offer.

Our view

In our experience the Form A decision shapes the sale more than any other. Three brokers on one unit produce three prices, three sets of photographs and a buyer who wonders why. One broker on an exclusive form carries the result.

We advise reading the duration and termination clauses of Form A before signing, checking the broker's registration number against the Land Department's list (Dubai Land Department, 2026), and seeing the Trakheesi permit and the Madmoun QR before a photograph goes live (Dubai Land Department, 18 Apr 2023). On Form F, settle the deposit consequences in both directions before the price is final, and keep a signed Form U for any earlier listing so no second broker can claim a commission.

Davies+Harrison is DAH Real Estate Brokerage L.L.C., RERA ORN 53447.