How to Verify a Dubai Broker's BRN, ORN and Trade Licence

Before a brokerage sells your units, check three things in official Dubai Land Department (DLD) services: each agent's broker card and registration number (BRN), the brokerage office's registration number (ORN), and the brokerage's trade licence. Record what you checked, when, and against which service, then repeat the check when the licence renews or an agent moves.

A launch can add dozens of agencies in a week. Most are exactly who they say they are, but the commission, the buyer's money and the developer's reputation all depend on the few checks below being done for every one of them. This guide describes the public DLD services as checked in October 2026. Menu names change; the principle of checking the official record does not.

#What each number proves

The terms "BRN" and "ORN" are market shorthand. On DLD's public list, the individual appears with a "Broker Number" and the office with an "Office Number"; the same search box also accepts an ORN.

DLD's FAQ describes the three layers a broker needs to work: a brokerage licence, registration of the office in RERA's register, and a broker card. A developer onboarding a partner is checking that all three exist and still match.

#Step-by-step: checking a brokerage before onboarding

1. Collect the references in writing. Ask the brokerage for its legal name, ORN, trade licence number and licensing authority, plus the name, BRN and card for every agent who will submit EOIs or register buyers. Do not rely on a number typed in a WhatsApp message alone.
2. Find the office. Open Licensed real estate brokerage companies on the DLD website or in the Dubai REST app. Confirm the office name and Office Number match what the brokerage gave you.
3. Find each agent. In Licensed Real Estate Brokers, search by broker number or name. The result should show the same person under the same brokerage. When we checked in October 2026, the list showed 33,589 broker records and each result displayed the name, brokerage, broker number and contact details — but not a card expiry date.
4. Validate the card itself. DLD's Ecard verification service runs in the Dubai REST app: select the card type and enter the card number. Use it to confirm the card is genuine and see what it currently shows.
5. Check the trade licence. DLD's Trade License Search checks the validity of trade licence numbers registered with DLD, on the website or in Dubai REST. Also note which authority issued the licence: a mainland licence is issued by Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism, while a free-zone brokerage is licensed by its free-zone authority.
6. Sign the marketing contract with the office. DLD's Real Estate Brokerage Practice Guide (November 2024) states that brokers marketing off-plan projects must ensure the project is licensed and registered with RERA, that an escrow account is associated with it, and that there is a marketing contract between the developer and the brokerage office. The contract is with the office — not with an individual agent.
7. Save the evidence. Keep a dated screenshot or export of each result with the reference you searched. If something does not match, pause access until it is resolved.

For licences and permits issued through Trakheesi, DLD also offers Verify License and Permits on its website and in Dubai REST; the website form asked us to sign in. DLD's services page also links a login to the Dubai Brokers application. That is a tool for licensed brokers, so a developer's checks run through the public services above.

#What to record before onboarding

Payee and signatory checks are your own commercial process, not a DLD service. Ask your legal and finance teams what evidence they require; this guide does not replace that advice.

#How long a broker card stays valid

DLD's FAQ states that the validity date of a broker card is linked to the validity of the licence, which in practice means the brokerage's licence. That has two practical consequences:

• The licence expiry is your re-check date. If the brokerage's licence lapses, assume its agents' cards need re-checking too.
• Renewal has conditions. DLD's renewal service requires the applicant to have passed the annual test to practise the profession, and states that all sales personnel must be registered and hold issued cards.

Cards also end. DLD's cancellation service is filed through Trakheesi, and for expatriate brokers it requires a copy of the employment visa cancellation. An agent who changes brokerage should therefore appear under the new office before you let them submit under it.

#Advertising permits on launch campaigns

DLD's brokerage guide says brokerages must obtain a permit through Trakheesi for any real estate advertisement or marketing material, and that the permit number must be displayed on the ad. The listed types include electronic ads, promotional campaigns, open days, project launch ceremonies and real estate promotion platforms.

If brokerages will advertise your launch, ask them to show their permit numbers on the materials they share with you. It is their obligation, but an unpermitted campaign still carries your project's name.

#Red flags

• The brokerage cannot or will not give an ORN, or the ORN belongs to a differently named office.
• An agent's name appears in the DLD list under a different brokerage from the one onboarding them.
• No result for the broker number, or the card cannot be validated in Dubai REST.
• The trade licence number does not return a valid result, or the licence has expired.
• Commission is to be paid to a personal account or a company other than the licensed office.
• Pressure to grant unit access or accept EOIs "today" before the checks are complete.

#A sensible re-check routine

There is no single legal schedule for a developer's own re-checks, so set one that fits your risk:

• At onboarding, for the office and for every agent.
• When the brokerage's trade licence is due to renew.
• Whenever a new agent is added or an agent changes brokerage.
• Before a large release or a commission payout to a brokerage you have not dealt with recently.

#Where Nogbase fits

Nogbase does not verify licences or connect to DLD systems; the checks above stay with your team. What the platform does is keep the outcome attached to the partner. Broker licence fields follow the UAE format (RERA and ORN), and in the Developer App you approve which brokerages can access each project and keep commission terms private to each relationship. When a check fails or a licence lapses, access is something you control per brokerage rather than a link already forwarded around a group chat.

#Related practical guides

Once a brokerage passes your checks, decide which units and terms it should see, follow the 48-hour launch checklist, set up commission rules and approvals, and compare tools in our guide to broker management software.