Dubai property regulator cracks down on freelance agents

Published: 07 July 2010

The Dubai property regulator has begun to crack down on "freelance" activity by real estate agents in a bid to make the housing market safer for buyers

Freelance agents have attracted much controversy for being unqualified and taking a commission despite performing only a perfunctory intermediary role between developers and buyers

Emirates Business has reported that the Real Estate Regulatory Agency is working with the state employment and immigration department in order to root out the activity

In addition, fewer real estate firms are willing to take on freelancers for fear of impacting on their professional reputation

One estate agent told the site that his agency "is very specific that property transactions can only be executed by certified agents working for certified agencies and freelancers are not allowed to work as property agents"

"We are happy that these rules are being implemented because it ensures that as the market matures, professionalism becomes the norm rather than the exception," he commented