This is an original, text-only knowledge preview for candidates preparing for the Dubai RERA broker registration route delivered through DREI Certified Training for Real Estate Brokers; it is not a simulation. DREI policy describes a one-hour multiple-choice certification exam and an 85% passing grade for basic and renewal real-estate broker exams, but those assessment and logistics details may change, so confirm them with DREI/DLD before relying on them. The content covers Dubai-specific licensing, A/B/F contracts, Trakheesi, Dubai REST, advertising permits, the Green List, off-plan marketing, escrow, Form F dispute settlement, trustee offices, ethics and records; some material is imperfect or incomplete, and a list of topics does not prove a current legal rule. Where current availability, fees, eligibility or exact examination scope is not established, treat the material as subject review, not as an official past paper, a full syllabus, or a simulation of an oral or practical examination; it does not cover other emirates and is not legal advice. Use this as a diagnostic and revision map, not an official paper. Start with licensing status and official systems, then contracts and authority, transaction registration, advertising and off-plan controls, and finally ethics and records. Confirm current exam dates, eligibility, fees and pass rules directly with DREI/DLD; where a point is not established, treat it as subject review rather than a guaranteed exam rule.
What this exam tests and how to frame your preparation
This is a regulatory-practice exam, not a sales-skills test; the supplied DREI terms describe a one-hour MCQ certification exam.
The package targets the Dubai RERA broker registration route delivered through DREI Certified Training for Real Estate Brokers. The supplied DREI policies state that the certification-course examination uses multiple-choice questions, lasts one hour, and sets 85% as the passing grade for basic and renewal real estate broker exams. Those are published terms; confirm current scheduling, eligibility and fees with DREI/DLD before relying on them.
The substantive spine is the 2024 RERA/DLD brokerage guide: licensing and broker cards; ethics; smart A/B/F contracts; Trakheesi and Dubai REST; advertising permits; the Green List; classification; off-plan marketing and escrow; Form F dispute settlement; trustee offices; and broker-card steps. This is Dubai-specific. It is not a substitute for legal advice, not an official past paper, and not a simulation of a practical or oral assessment. Use the MCQ set as supporting-knowledge practice and the integrated task for applied file reasoning.
Prioritise by dependency, not guessed weightings
No official topic weighting is supplied, so build in dependency order and revisit weak areas.
Start with licensing because a status defect contaminates every later transaction. Next learn the three smart contracts and authority boundaries; then transaction registration and dispute escalation; then advertising permits, truthfulness and off-plan controls; finish with ethics and records because those issues appear inside every scenario.
Do not assume that a list of topics reveals question counts or pass rules; this preview does not give a current public weighting. A sensible priority is: practice card, licensed entity and official systems; A/B/F definitions, written authority and commission logic; sale registration and electronic contracts; permits, Green List and escrow; then privacy, conflicts and document retention. Track errors by domain, not by page number.
Licensing mechanics: person, office and official system
Brokerage is performed through a licensed office and a valid practice card, using Trakheesi and Dubai REST as described in the supplied guide.
Separate four things: the brokerage office's real estate licence from the licensing authority; registration of that licence in Trakheesi; the individual broker-card application through Trakheesi; and the electronic card issued after fees are settled. The supplied broker-card sequence is licence first, Trakheesi registration, card application, fee settlement, then electronic card. A broker should not negotiate, market or collect money as a broker while the card is invalid or tied to the wrong activity.
Trakheesi is described as the system for real-estate licences and permits, professional practice cards and office registration certificates, and for receiving violations or warnings. Dubai REST is described as a required app for brokers, containing broker data, smart contracts, the Green List and off-plan project information. The supplied excerpt does not set out a detailed rule for notifying DLD of changed contact or office details, so treat that as a point to confirm with the authority rather than a stated exam rule. As a practical file-control step, keep the office's records consistent with the licence, Trakheesi registration and card details. Work should run through the licensed entity and official channels; personal off-books dealing undermines both the broker and the office.
Worked status scenario: a licensed office has submitted a card application, but the candidate has not received the card. The safest reading of the supplied rule is that the person is not yet a valid broker and should not hold out, negotiate or collect brokerage money. They can prepare non-brokerage learning material, but the compliance decision should be confirmed with the office's compliance lead and DLD/DREI if needed.
Contracts A, B, F and authority
A, B and F do different jobs; the agreement defines authority, duration, property and commission.
In the supplied smart-contract section, Contract A is the seller-brokerage agreement to market a property; Contract B is the buyer-broker agreement expressing a desire to purchase; Contract F is the seller-buyer sale agreement. Do not treat them as interchangeable. A marketing agreement does not by itself prove a buyer's authority, and a buyer-broker agreement does not transfer title. Exclusivity, listing scope, duration and commission should be written. The broker may act within granted authority and may not bind a client to extra terms, side payments or a different price without permission.
Commission calculation scenario: a signed agreement says commission is 2% of the sale price, payable only if the sale completes to a buyer introduced by the brokerage. The property sells for AED 1,750,000 to such a buyer. The maximum contractual commission is 0.02 x 1,750,000 = AED 35,000 before any separately documented co-broker arrangement. If another broker claims half, the answer is not automatic: check the written co-broker or sharing agreement. A verbal claim does not override the signed terms.
Authority scenario: an owner authorises marketing at AED 2,000,000 and says offers below AED 1,900,000 must be referred. A buyer offers AED 1,850,000. The broker may present the offer but must not tell the buyer the owner has accepted, nor sign a sale at that price, unless the owner gives clear authority. Document the offer, the referral and the response.
Transaction progression, trustee offices and Form F
Sales move through electronic contracts and real estate registration trustee offices; disputes have a specific amicable-settlement route.
Once terms are agreed, the transaction should follow official registration processes. The guide says real estate sales are handled through real estate registration trustee offices representing DLD in sales registration, and brokers are mandated to use electronic contracts to record sales transactions. Distinguish sales trustee offices from real estate services trustee offices, which handle lease registration, to-whom-it-may-concern certificates and other services. A handwritten private transfer that bypasses the trustee process is not a safe substitute.
Contract F has two related ideas in the guide: it is the seller-buyer sale agreement in the contracts section, and the guide also describes an amicable-settlement service for disputes relating to Contract F. If parties agree to try settlement, an application is submitted through Trakheesi; the concerned department meets to discuss the breach and attempt settlement. If no amicable solution is reached, the parties must resort to judicial authorities. Do not promise that a DREI/DLD meeting automatically cancels the contract or fixes damages.
Worked progression: offer accepted, buyer ready to pay, seller suggests meeting at a cafe to sign a handwritten sale and transfer money directly. A compliance-aligned broker would document the offer, route the sale through the appropriate trustee office and electronic contract process, and avoid informal title or money handling. If a breach arises, preserve the messages and contract documents before discussing settlement.
Advertising permits, truthful listings and the Green List
Advertise only under a valid permit with the permit number displayed, and make every listing match the known property.
The supplied guide requires a real estate advertisement permit through Trakheesi for marketing or promotion, and the permit number must be displayed on the ad. The examples include newspaper, SMS, outdoor, vehicle, print, electronic, billboard, promotional campaign, open day, classified, exhibition, launch event, promotion platform and seminar advertising. The practical rule: if the brokerage is promoting a property to the public, check permit coverage before publication and keep the approved copy and number.
You must not mislead on price, size, view, furnishing, availability or photos. Worked data scenario: an ad states AED 1,200,000 and 1,400 sq ft marina view, but the signed Form A says AED 1,350,000 and 1,100 sq ft with no guaranteed view, and the photo is from another tower. The discrepancy is AED 150,000 in price and 300 sq ft in area, plus a false view claim. Correcting the listing is not optional marketing polish; it is consumer protection. Remove or relabel stale images, state known facts, and avoid approximate labels used to hide a known mismatch.
The Green List is a Dubai REST service that gives brokers phone numbers and emails of registered property owners. The guide says brokers are not allowed to contact owners not registered on the Green List; doing so can lead to a violation and suspension of operations if an investor or client complains or reports it. A number obtained casually from a friend is not a Green List permission. Keep sourcing records for owner contacts.
Off-plan projects, escrow and client-money discipline
Before marketing off-plan, verify project registration and escrow; payments towards the property go to the project escrow account.
The guide requires a broker wishing to market an off-plan project to ensure the project is licensed and registered with RERA, that there is an escrow account associated with the project, and that buyers are instructed to deposit amounts only into the respective escrow account. There must also be a marketing contract between the developer and the brokerage office. Project status is validated through Dubai REST's Mashrooi service. These checks are interdependent: a glossy developer brochure is not proof of registration or escrow.
Worked scenario: a buyer wants Unit 1204 in a project advertised off-plan. The broker confirms the project appears in Mashrooi and the developer supplies an escrow account number for the project, plus a signed developer-brokerage marketing contract. The buyer is then asked to send AED 20,000 as a reservation to the developer's general operating account. The source-aligned response is to stop and route the payment discussion to the project escrow arrangement, not to treat the operating account as equivalent. The broker should not collect client money personally or imply that a receipt cures the routing problem.
Client-money discipline also means protecting information. Passport copies, bank letters and offer documents should be shared only with authorised parties on a need-to-know basis. If a buyer sends a screenshot of bank details in a public group, the broker should not forward it; use a secure channel and record the disclosure decision.
Ethics, conflicts and records that survive an audit
Honesty, privacy and document preservation are operational duties, not slogans.
The ethics section lists fair treatment, respect, privacy, honesty and uprightness, quality control, integrity, commitment to society, maintaining contracting parties' interests, preserving documents and respecting DLD regulations. In scenario questions, test for concealed conflicts. A broker acting for a seller who secretly takes a buyer's bonus to push a lower price has not merely made a disclosure error; the broker has created a conflict and undermined fair treatment. Disclose and get informed consent, or decline the conflicting benefit.
Record keeping should let a reviewer reconstruct the file: the signed A/B/F document as applicable, listing authority, ad permit number, offer and counteroffer trail, co-broker arrangement, off-plan registration and escrow checks, marketing contract, trustee or electronic sale records and complaint correspondence. We deleted it after closing is a weak answer when DLD requests documents. The guide calls for preserving documents and cooperating with DLD oversight, audits and complaint handling; non-compliance can expose both broker and office to accountability measures.
Complaint readiness scenario: a buyer alleges the ad misstated the view. The brokerage should preserve the original ad, permit, approved copy, Form A, photos and correction trail; identify who approved the copy; and cooperate with the authority's request. Deleting the ad or editing the file after notice makes the response worse. This is a records and candour issue, not a public-relations issue.
Integrated practice task and self-check rubric
Use one file to connect licensing, authority, advertising, off-plan controls, registration and records.
Task: A brokerage asks you to prepare a compliance file for a new exclusive listing. The owner is not yet on the Green List but provides a phone number directly. The property will be advertised on three portals and at an open day. A buyer introduced by the brokerage offers AED 1,850,000 against a AED 2,000,000 asking price; the owner's Form A authorises referrals below AED 1,900,000. Separately, a developer asks the office to market an off-plan tower and says buyers can pay reservation fees to the developer's operating account. Produce a step-by-step action list and a document index.
Model outline: confirm the office licence, Trakheesi registration and each broker's valid practice card; check the owner-contact source and Green List permission before solicitation; execute and retain a written Form A with price, authority, duration, exclusivity and commission; obtain the advertisement permit and display the number on every covered ad; verify listing facts and correct any mismatch; present the AED 1,850,000 offer to the owner without implying acceptance; for the off-plan tower, verify RERA registration and project escrow via Mashrooi/Dubai REST, require the developer-brokerage marketing contract, and refuse operating-account routing for property deposits; route any completed sale through electronic contracts and a real estate registration trustee office; preserve offers, ads, permits and disclosures; if Contract F breaks down, use the Trakheesi amicable-settlement route and escalate to judicial authorities if unresolved.
Self-check rubric, 0-2 per item: 0 absent or wrong; 1 mentioned but incomplete; 2 correct and evidenced. Items: licensing status; written authority; ad permit and truthfulness; Green List contact; off-plan registration and escrow; marketing contract; client-money routing; registration and electronic contract; conflict disclosure; records and audit trail. A score of 16-20 is strong for this task; 11-15 means revisit the weak domain; below 11 means rebuild the workflow before timed practice. The MCQ set checks supporting knowledge only; this open task is the applied practice.
Practical study sequence
Study in short cycles: read, reconstruct, calculate, apply, then verify.
Use four passes. Pass 1, 45 minutes: map the official systems and documents, including Trakheesi, Dubai REST, A/B/F, trustee offices, Green List, Mashrooi and permits, from memory on one page. Pass 2, 60 minutes: learn definitions and sequences, then close the notes and write the broker-card steps, A/B/F distinctions and Form F escalation route. Pass 3, 60 minutes: work scenarios with calculations, such as 2% of AED 1,750,000, a price and area discrepancy, or a co-broker split; state the source of every number.
Pass 4, 45 minutes: do the 20 MCQs under light timing, then rewrite every wrong explanation in your own words and tag it to a domain. Do not memorise answer letters. For each error, ask: was it a licensing status error, a contract-authority error, a marketing-disclosure error, or a records and ethics error? Revisit the relevant guide section and build a one-line rule. Repeat the integrated task after 48 hours without looking at the model outline. Finally, verify current exam dates, eligibility, fees, pass standard and rescheduling rules directly with DREI/DLD; the supplied DREI terms are policy material and should not be treated as a permanent schedule.
References and further reading
Use these references to explore the concepts and check the latest information from the relevant organizations.