Facts last reviewed 13 October 2026
What the circular says
Circular 02-2026, dated 26 February 2026, sets out rules for communicating with property owners and prohibits cold calling. Two sentences carry most of the weight.
- Brokerage offices are prohibited from obtaining data or information about property owners or investors “from any source through unlawful means”.
- Direct contact “via phone or other communication channels for the purpose of offering, marketing, or purchasing properties” is prohibited.
- The stated exception is clients who have documented prior transactions with the office.
The penalties listed are a three-month suspension, a fine of AED 50,000, and permanent revocation for repeat violations.
This did not come from nowhere
RERA has enforced against cold calling before. In April 2022 it fined a brokerage AED 50,000 and suspended nine brokers, and said firms must market through official channels after obtaining a permit.
There are federal rules too. Cabinet Resolutions 56 and 57 of 2024, in force since August 2024, require approval before telemarketing, limit calls to between 9am and 6pm, require company-registered numbers rather than personal ones, and created a Do Not Call Registry with fines for calling numbers on it.
What it means if you buy enquiries
The circular is aimed at unsolicited contact using data that was obtained without the person’s agreement: leaked owner lists, scraped numbers, bought databases. That is the practice it names.
It does not spell out how it treats someone who submitted an enquiry and agreed to be contacted by a broker. A consented enquiry is a different thing from a cold list, but the circular does not say so in terms, and we are not going to put words in the regulator’s mouth.
Five things to ask any lead supplier
- Where exactly did this person enter their details?
- What wording did they agree to, and does it mention being contacted by a broker?
- Can you show me the consent record and its timestamp for a specific lead?
- Who is the legal entity selling me this data, and where is it licensed?
- What am I permitted to do with the contact, and what happens when a prospect asks me to stop?
A supplier who cannot answer the first three is selling you a list, whatever they call it.
A note on limits
This page summarises published rules as we read them. It is not legal advice, and regulators update their guidance. Read the circular yourself and ask your compliance officer or a UAE lawyer how it applies to your office.