Short answer
Check five things before you pay anything: the brokerage is licensed by the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC), it is registered with the developers it sells, your money goes only to the project's escrow account, you know how the adviser is paid, and they can show resale prices, not just launch brochures. UK buyers should also ask who covers UK tax advice.
The five checks
| Ask | A good answer | A warning sign |
|---|---|---|
| Are you licensed in Abu Dhabi? | An ADREC brokerage licence number you can check | "We work through a partner", with no licence number given |
| Are you registered with this developer? | Registered agent with Aldar, Modon or the developer in question | Can't get you into launches or show the developer's paperwork |
| Where does my deposit go? | Straight to the project's escrow account, named in the sales agreement | Asks you to pay a personal or company account |
| How are you paid? | On new launches the developer usually pays the broker; on resales the buyer's fee is agreed in writing | Vague answers, or fees added late |
| What has this area actually sold for? | Resale prices from ADREC transaction data for the same community | Only brochure prices and promised returns |
Extra checks for UK buyers
- Time zone and contact. Can you reach them in UK hours, and will they meet in the UK?
- Remote buying. Can they handle reservation, signing and registration while you are in the UK? See buying without visiting.
- Tax. A property broker is not a financial or tax adviser. UK tax still usually applies to rent and gains, so speak to a UK tax adviser too. See the tax answer.
- Financial advice. If someone is advising you on pensions or investments as well as property, check them on the FCA register.
How Mitch works
- Based in London and dealing in Abu Dhabi every week, so calls happen in UK hours.
- Sells launches and resales from Aldar, Modon and the developers he works with.
- Downloads ADREC transaction data every Monday and works from what has actually sold.
- More than AED 240 million of Abu Dhabi property sold since 2024.
- Works to his mum's rule: never sell something to someone that you wouldn't sell to her.
Ask Mitch for any of the checks above. A good adviser will be glad you asked.
“I download ADREC every single Monday. I put my own filters on every single Monday and I analyse what the transactions are.”
General information, not financial advice. Figures attributed to Mitch come from transactions he tracks.