Finding property may have been made easier considering the technological advances. Unfortunately, it has also opened up a world of opportunities for scammers and people are increasingly falling victim to property fraud. It has occurred especially during times of high rental demand.
Dubai Land Department warned of publishing false or misleading ads in Dubai or violators could get a fine of AED 50,000.
If you ever get stumbled upon scams online in the Dubai property market, here are a few red flags to keep an eye out for:
The price seems too good to be true
Be wary of vague online advertisements. If online listings for attractive properties sounds too good to be true – whether exceptionally well or low priced for specific areas - it probably is. Do some research before taking action.
The agent is not legit
In Dubai, the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) has a list of approved real estate brokers. Deal with only RERA-approved agents. All working real estate agents in Dubai have ‘Brokers Cards’ so ask to see it before dealing with them.
Do not make advance payments for booking a unit and never hand over money without receiving a receipt. Use only cheques as it can be traced in case of fraud. Only top real estate agencies in Dubai are trustworthy and employee up-to-date staff, who understand the market inside and out.
Ejari mandatory
After signing the lease, the lease will be registered at the Dubai Land Department via Ejari’s website. When you register, you’re legalizing your contract with the government. If your agent doesn’t mention this or discourages this in any way, then this a major red flag to be aware of.
The seller asks you to wire money
Another red flag is when the seller asks you to “wire money”. If that’s the case, especially when you've never met the person, then you should walk the other way. A lot of the scams tend to occur with wiring of funds because it’s much more difficult to trace and enables the scammer to collect the money sooner.
Copy-and-pasted listings
Scammers duplicate listings of available properties online and repost it as a rental, with their own personal contact details. Look for the same listing on different real estate agency sites and compare.
View property before paying
Before anything, don’t make any payments upfront or sign a contract without inspecting the property first. It’s highly advised to view the property and meet face-to-face with agents to guarantee that the listing is legitimate.
Once the landlord and the inspect the property, they then agree on how much deposit should be returned.
Residents and homebuyers are being protected from being defrauded by Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA) as they regularly check for these false and misleading ads across social media, online websites and different media genres.
At fäm, we have over 160 reliable and professional real estate agents who are all available to help you find your next home across Dubai.
To know more about real estate scam and how to avoid it, click here.