Forms A, B and F: The Paperwork That Runs a Dubai Deal

A Dubai resale runs on standard RERA forms, which is unusual and enormously helpful — the process is documented rather than improvised. Agents who understand what each form does move faster and argue less, because the sequence answers most of the questions that cause friction elsewhere.

What each form does

Form A is the agreement between the seller and the broker. It authorises marketing, records the terms of the appointment, and is what a Trakheesi advertising permit is issued against.

Form B is the equivalent on the buyer side, recording the relationship between a buyer and their broker and the basis on which that broker is paid.

Form F is the memorandum of understanding between buyer and seller — the sale contract itself, setting out price, deposit, timelines and what happens if either side fails to complete.

Form I sits behind these where two brokers are involved, recording the arrangement between them so commission is not argued about after the fact.

The sequence in practice

The sequence matters: Form A before advertising, Form F before deposits move, and the No Objection Certificate from the developer before transfer at the DLD trustee office.

The deposit under Form F is typically held by the seller's broker or through a recognised mechanism rather than passing directly between parties, and how it is held is worth confirming in writing.

A mortgaged property adds steps: the seller's bank must be settled and the property released before transfer, and that timeline is outside anyone in the room's control.

The developer NOC is the step that most often slips. Outstanding service charges will hold it, and neither broker discovers that until it is requested.

Where deals go wrong

Check service charge status at instruction rather than at NOC stage. It is a phone call and it prevents the most common late-stage collapse.

Transfer happens at a registration trustee office with both parties or their attorneys present. It is a scheduled appointment, not a process that drifts, which is why the preceding steps have to be genuinely complete.

Keep every signed form. Commission disputes in this market are resolved on paperwork, and a broker without a signed Form B is arguing from memory.