5 Habits That Protect Your Money When Buying, Selling or Renting Property in Dubai

Key Takeaways

• Verify the broker’s registration, agency licence, and official company profile.

• Use official company emails for contracts, invoices, and payment confirmations.

• Pay only to verified company or contract-listed accounts, never a broker’s personal account.

• Always obtain an official receipt for every payment.

• Prefer handling contracts and payments at the company’s office.

• If anything seems unclear or suspicious, pause and confirm directly with the agency before proceeding.

A property transaction is often the largest payment of your life. Most deals go smoothly, but a small number of problems, from payments sent to the wrong place to documents nobody can trace, can be avoided with a few simple habits.

These habits apply **whichever agency or broker you work with**. We share them because a safer market is better for every client.

1. Know who you are dealing with

Before sharing documents or money, confirm that the broker is registered and that the agency is a licensed company. Ask for the broker's registration number and verify it.

Then check the broker's profile on the agency's official website.** An Emirates ID or broker card shows who a person is, but not whether they still work for that agency. A broker may have left, or may be in the middle of leaving, and could still be carrying an old card or old business details.

If you cannot find the broker listed on the agency's website, or the details do not match, ask the agency to confirm in writing by email that the broker is currently authorised to act for them. A professional will not mind.

2. Keep contracts and documents on official company email

Contracts, invoices and payment confirmations should come from the agency's official email, or have it copied (CC). A broker's personal or work email on its own makes a document hard to verify and hard to support later.

If a document arrives any other way, ask the company to confirm it.

3. Pay the company, not the individual

• Avoid cheques or transfers to a broker's personal account.

• Make payments to the company's bank account, or to the account named in the contract (for example, the developer's registered escrow account on off-plan purchases).

• Check account details with the company before you pay, especially if they arrive in a message or change at the last minute.

4. Always get an official receipt

No receipt means no confirmation. Wait for an official receipt from the company before you consider a payment complete, and keep it with your contract.

5. Prefer the office when it matters

Where possible, arrange contracts and payments at the company's office. If something must be handled elsewhere, ask the company to confirm it in writing by email, and do not rely on messages alone.

Quick checklist before you pay

• Is the broker registered, and is the company licensed?

• Is the broker listed on the agency's official website, with matching details?

• Did the contract or invoice come from the company's official email?

• Is the payment going to a company account named in the contract?

• Will I receive an official receipt?

If any answer is no, pause and check first. A short delay costs far less than a mistake.

How we do it at fäm

Every fäm broker has a profile on famproperties.com, so you can check who they are before you proceed. Contracts, invoices and payment confirmations are issued from our official email, payments go to the company's bank account, and every payment is confirmed with an official receipt. We encourage you to arrange contracts and payments at one of our offices, and if something has to be handled elsewhere, please email **receipts@famproperties.com** and we will reply with an official receipt.

Not sure about a broker, a document or a payment request, from us or anyone else? We are happy to help you check.

**Call:** +971 4 369 1700

**Email:** qa@famproperties.com