1
Browse projects below→
2
Click "Add to Compare" on 2–3 cards→
3
Hit "Compare Now" in the bar belowProtection
How to Verify a Developer & Project (RERA)
Escrow check, SPA rights, delay compensation, red flags to avoid
How to Verify a Developer & Project in Dubai: The Complete RERA Checklist (2026)
Short answer: Before you sign anything or send a single dirham, you can verify — for free, in under ten minutes — whether a developer is RERA-registered, whether the specific project has a valid permit, and whether its escrow account is real and active. All three checks use official government tools (the Dubai REST app or the DLD website), not the developer's own marketing materials. This guide walks through exactly how.
In this guide
- Why verification matters more than the brochure
- Step 1: Verify the developer's RERA registration
- Step 2: Verify the specific project's permit
- Step 3: Verify the escrow account
- Step 4: Check the broker's BRN, too
- Understanding Oqood registration
- Red flags that should stop you immediately
- Assessing track record beyond "registered"
- Common mistakes buyers make
- FAQs
1. Why verification matters more than the brochure
Dubai's off-plan market runs on a legal framework specifically designed to protect buyers — but that protection only works if the developer and project are actually inside the system. Every legitimate real estate development in Dubai must be:
- Carried out by a RERA-registered developer
- Registered as a specific project with the Dubai Land Department (DLD)
- Funded through a RERA-approved escrow account, per the UAE's escrow law (Federal Law No. 8 of 2007)
A polished sales office, a glossy brochure, and a persuasive salesperson tell you nothing about whether these three things are true. The registration checks below take minutes and cost nothing — there's no reason to skip them, whether you're buying from abroad or in person.
2. Step 1: Verify the developer's RERA registration
Using the Dubai REST app (recommended):
- Download the official Dubai REST app (iOS or Android) — this is DLD's own app, not a third-party tool.
- Tap "Explore Services" → "Real Estate Services" → "Registered Developers."
- Search by the developer's name or registration number.
- Confirm the result shows "Active" status, along with a valid registration number, trade license, and a list of the developer's registered projects.
Using the DLD website:
- Go to the official Dubai Land Department website (dubailand.gov.ae).
- Navigate to the "Brokers and Developers" section.
- Search by name, registration number, or trade license number.
By phone: Call the DLD customer service line at 800-4488 (Sunday–Thursday, 7:30 AM–3:30 PM) to verbally confirm a developer's status, or use their WhatsApp service for written confirmation you can keep on file.
If the developer doesn't appear in any of these, or shows as Expired or Suspended, that is not a minor technicality — it means there is currently no legal authorization for that entity to develop or sell property in Dubai.
3. Step 2: Verify the specific project's permit
A developer being registered doesn't automatically mean *this particular project* is. Always check the project itself, separately:
- In the Dubai REST app, go to "Project Inquiry."
- Search by project name, permit number, or developer name.
- Confirm: permit validity, escrow account details, and the expected completion date.
Cross-check that the project name, developer name, and unit details you've been shown match exactly what appears in the official record — scammers have used near-identical project names to piggyback on a legitimate, well-known development's reputation.
4. Step 3: Verify the escrow account
This is the single most important check, and the one most often skipped by buyers in a hurry.
Under Dubai's escrow law, every off-plan project must have a dedicated escrow account at a RERA-approved bank. Your payments are meant to go into that account — not to the developer directly, and not to any general company account — and funds are released to the developer only in stages, tied to independently verified construction progress.
How to verify it:
- In the Dubai REST app, open the project's profile and find the escrow account details.
- Cross-reference the account number shown there against the one printed in your Sale and Purchase Agreement (SPA).
- If in doubt, contact the escrow trustee bank directly to confirm the account is active and correctly linked to the project.
The rule that protects you: never transfer money to a personal bank account, a developer's general operating account, or any account number that doesn't exactly match the registered escrow account — regardless of how convincing the explanation is for the mismatch.
5. Step 4: Check the broker's BRN, too
If you're working through an agent or brokerage, verify them the same way:
- In Dubai REST, go to "Real Estate Services" → "Registered Brokers."
- Search by agent name, BRN (Broker Registration Number), or brokerage ORN.
- Confirm: status is "Active," the photo matches the person in front of you, the license hasn't expired, and the linked brokerage's ORN is also active.
A valid BRN is a short numeric code. Legitimate agents share it without hesitation the moment you ask — treat reluctance as a warning sign in itself.
6. Understanding Oqood registration
Oqood is the interim registration system for off-plan units — it registers your specific unit purchase with the DLD before the final title deed can be issued at handover. It's the paper trail that legally ties you to that unit while the project is still under construction.
Per standard RERA practice, Oqood registration should happen within 60 days of signing the SPA. If your developer is dragging their feet on this step well past that window, treat it as a process red flag worth raising directly, in writing.
7. Red flags that should stop you immediately
Treat any of the following as a reason to pause the transaction entirely, not just a detail to "check later":
- The developer doesn't appear in the DLD/RERA database at all. No registration means no legal authorization to develop or sell.
- The developer's status shows Suspended or Cancelled. This reflects a prior regulatory intervention, not a clerical gap.
- The project isn't listed in DLD records, even if the developer itself is registered.
- No escrow account appears for the project in Dubai REST. Without it, the core legal protection of your payments is simply absent.
- You're asked to pay into an account that doesn't match the registered escrow account. Treat this as fraud, not a workaround.
- The developer or agent refuses to provide a RERA number, BRN, or escrow details when asked. Legitimate parties never decline this — it costs them nothing to share.
8. Assessing track record beyond "registered"
Being registered is the minimum bar, not proof of a good investment. Once you've confirmed the legal basics, dig a little further:
- Compare delivery history. Past handover performance is one of the most reliable predictors of future reliability — check whether the developer's previous projects were delivered on the dates originally promised, using DLD records where available.
- Search independent feedback. Look up the developer and specific project on Google, Property Finder, Bayut, forums, and YouTube. Visit a completed project in person if you can.
- Match payment schedule to real progress. RERA's construction tracker shows independently verified completion percentages for registered projects — compare this against what percentage of the price you're being asked to pay at each milestone. A mismatch (large payments demanded well ahead of verified progress) is worth questioning directly.
- Check legal history. A search for RERA enforcement actions, Dubai court filings, or regional media coverage involving the developer can surface disputes that don't appear anywhere in the sales material.
- Look at financial stability. For listed developers, review audited financial statements; for private developers, ask about their construction financing arrangement.
- Read the SPA delay clauses closely. A properly drafted SPA specifies a firm delivery date, a standard late-delivery penalty (commonly in the 1–2% per month range), and a narrowly defined force majeure clause — not an open-ended one that could excuse almost any delay.
All of this is checkable remotely — you don't need to be physically in Dubai to run any of these verifications before committing.
9. Common mistakes buyers make
- Verifying the developer but not the specific project. A legitimate developer can still have a specific project that isn't properly registered.
- Trusting a screenshot or PDF "certificate" instead of checking Dubai REST directly. Documents can be altered; the live official record can't.
- Paying a "reservation fee" to an account before checking whether it matches the registered escrow account. This is one of the most common entry points for off-plan fraud.
- Skipping the broker's BRN check because the agent came recommended. Recommendations aren't a substitute for a live license check.
- Not confirming Oqood registration actually happened after signing the SPA, and only discovering a gap much later.
- Assuming "well-known name" equals "verified." Scammers have used deceptively similar project or developer names to trade on a real brand's reputation — always match the exact registration details, not just the name that sounds right.
10. Frequently asked questions
Is verifying a developer's RERA registration free? Yes. The Dubai REST app, the DLD website, and the DLD phone/WhatsApp verification line are all free to use.
What is RERA? The Real Estate Regulatory Agency, the regulatory arm of the Dubai Land Department overseeing developer registration, project permits, escrow compliance, and broker licensing in Dubai.
What happens if a developer isn't RERA-registered? They have no legal authorization to develop or sell real estate in Dubai. Any transaction with an unregistered developer sits outside the legal protections — including escrow protection — that the system is built to provide.
What is an escrow account, and why does it matter so much? It's a dedicated bank account, at a RERA-approved bank, that your off-plan payments are legally required to go into. Funds are released to the developer only against verified construction milestones — this is what stops a developer from taking your money and not building.
How do I know if my payment is going to the right account? Cross-check the account number in your SPA against the escrow account details shown for that project in the Dubai REST app, and confirm directly with the trustee bank if there's any doubt.
What is Oqood, and when should it happen? Oqood is the interim DLD registration of your specific unit purchase, ahead of the final title deed. It should be completed within 60 days of signing the SPA.
Can I verify all of this from outside the UAE? Yes. The Dubai REST app, the DLD website, and phone/WhatsApp verification are all accessible internationally — none of these checks require you to be physically present in Dubai.
A well-known developer name is on the building — is that enough? No. Verify the exact registration details of that specific project and entity — some fraudulent listings have used names deliberately similar to established developers.
Want a shortlist you don't have to verify yourself?
GulfEstate lists projects from RERA-registered developers with escrow details verified upfront — with zero brokerage fees on every transaction. Book a free consultation and we'll walk you through the verification for any specific project you're already considering, developer included.
Book your free consultation at gulfestate.ae
Want this applied to a real property?
Talk to a GulfEstate advisor about your shortlist. Zero brokerage, always.