The Permit Number That Has to Be on Every Dubai Listing

Dubai regulates property advertising directly. A broker cannot lawfully advertise a property without a permit obtained through the Trakheesi system, and the permit number has to be displayed on the advertisement itself. Agents coming from less regulated markets discover this the expensive way.

What the permit system does

Trakheesi is the Dubai Land Department system through which brokers obtain permits to advertise a specific property. The permit ties an advertisement to a real listing with a real, verified authorisation from the owner.

The purpose is to stop the two problems that make portal markets unusable: properties advertised without the owner's knowledge, and listings for properties that do not exist or are already sold.

The permit number must be visible on the advertisement. Portals enforce this with a dedicated field, which is why every compliant Dubai listing shows one.

It applies beyond the portals. Social media posts, video, printed material and outdoor advertising all count as advertising the property, and agents routinely forget the ones that do not feel like listings.

Where it applies

A permit is tied to a specific property and a specific validity period. Reusing a number across properties, or continuing to run an advert after the permit expires, is a violation rather than a technicality.

You need a valid Form A — the owner's authorisation to market — before a permit can be issued. The paperwork chain is deliberate: owner authorises, permit issues, advertisement runs.

Brokers themselves must be registered and hold a valid RERA broker card, and the brokerage must hold a valid licence. An individual advertising outside a licensed brokerage is a separate problem again.

Penalties are administrative and real, including fines and suspension. Portals also remove non-compliant listings on their own initiative, which costs you the listing before any regulator is involved.

Staying compliant in practice

Build the permit into your listing workflow before the shoot, not after. Filming a property you are not yet authorised to advertise wastes the shoot if the authorisation does not come through.

Put the permit number in your video description and on the listing rather than trying to burn it into the footage. It changes per property and per period, and re-rendering video for a number is a bad use of an afternoon.

The DLD and Dubai REST resources are the authoritative source and the rules are periodically updated. Check the current requirement rather than relying on how it worked when you got your card.