How do Forms A, B and F differ?

Form A is the seller's agreement with a brokerage to market the property. Form B is the buyer's agreement with a broker to find one. Form F is the sale agreement between seller and buyer.

Where are these contracts signed?

RERA requires brokers to use smart contracts. The broker creates the contract in the Dubai Brokers application (via Dubai REST or the web version), and the owner gets a link to review and approve it.

How big is the Form F deposit, and what happens if one side pulls out?

The deposit and what happens if either party withdraws are set out in the Form F itself and its additional terms. Read those clauses before you sign, and send your questions to the broker in writing.

What if there's a dispute over Form F?

RERA runs an amicable settlement service for Form F disputes, filed through the Trakheesi system. If the parties still can't agree, the dispute goes to court.

What do you charge under Form B?

The commission is written into Form B. Mine is AED 21,000 including VAT for resale up to AED 1,000,000, and 2% + VAT above that. Off-plan bought direct from the developer costs the buyer nothing.

Dubai Forms A, B and F: What You Sign When Buying or Selling

Every resale deal in Dubai sits on three RERA contracts: Form A, Form B and Form F. DLD's own paperwork calls them Contract A, B and F. Put simply, A is signed by the seller and their broker, B by the buyer and their broker, and F by the seller and the buyer. Below: what each one contains, what to check before signing, and what comes after Form F.

The three forms side by side

This is how RERA's guide for brokers ↗ sets them out:

Form	Between	Purpose
Contract A	Seller and brokerage	Marketing and selling the property
Contract B	Buyer and broker	Finding and buying a property
Contract F	Seller and buyer	The sale agreement

For marketing and sales, RERA requires brokers to use smart contracts. They're created in the Dubai Brokers application, either through Dubai REST ↗ or the web version. The owner receives a link with the contract details and approves it (Contract A guide ↗). The final PDF is password-protected.

Form A: the seller's contract with a broker

Form A gives a brokerage the right to market your property. You can see what goes into it in the official DLD template ↗:

brokerage and agent: name, licence, the brokerage's ORN, the agent's name and BRN;
the owner's ID details and contacts;
property: plot number, title deed number, project, area, floor, bedrooms, parking;
financials: original price, listed price, amount paid and balance (for off-plan), service charge, payment schedule;
mortgage, if there is one: status, bank, amount, mortgage registration number, pre-closure charges;
whether the property is rented;
commission, contract type, start and end dates, and how the broker reports on activity.

On the broker's side (DLD ↗), they enter the title deed details and the system validates them. They then add the property and financial details, upload a NOC signed by the owner, and send the contract to the owner for approval.

What a seller should check

The broker's BRN and the brokerage's ORN in Dubai REST. I show how in how to verify a broker and a listing.
How long the contract runs, and whether it's exclusive.
The commission. It should be written as a number.
The mortgage details if the property is mortgaged, because they decide how the sale will run.

A broker can only advertise with a Trakheesi permit, and the permit number has to appear on the ad (RERA guide ↗). Each permit comes with a Madmoun QR code, which lets buyers see the approved ad details (DLD ↗). I only list a property once there's a signed Form A and a permit.

Form B: the buyer's contract with a broker

Form B is what you sign with your own broker. The DLD template ↗ records:

the broker and brokerage, with the same details as in Form A;
your ID details and contacts;
what you're looking for: location, property type, budget, area, whether you want it tenanted, any special requirements;
financing: mortgage amount, cash amount, bank, approval date;
the broker's commission and the term.

What a buyer should check

The commission, as a fixed sum or a percentage, plus VAT.
The term.
The financing section. If you're taking a mortgage, say honestly whether you already have approval. That tells everyone which Form F dates you can actually meet.

My own Form B terms are public. Resale up to AED 1,000,000 is AED 21,000 including VAT; from AED 1,000,000 it's 2% + VAT. Off-plan bought direct from the developer is free for the buyer.

Form F: the contract between seller and buyer

Form F is the sale agreement itself, signed once price and terms are agreed. According to the DLD guide ↗, it's created from an approved Form A, and along the way the broker links it to the buyer's active Form B. The broker then fills in and verifies:

the owner's details and selling share;
the buyer's details and share;
tenancy information;
financial details;
the payment plan;
the contract duration;
seller's broker and buyer's broker details;
DLD fees;
notes and additional terms.

After that it goes to the parties for approval.

In practice, the system won't produce a Form F without an approved Form A. RERA requires brokers to record sales with electronic contracts. So if someone suggests "signing an MOU on paper" outside the smart contract system, ask them why.

What to look at in Form F

The price and how it's paid. Cash or mortgage, how much, and when.
The deposit: how much, who holds it, and in what form.
The transfer date, and what happens if it's missed.
What happens if either side withdraws. I ask clients to read this clause twice.
The seller's mortgage, and who clears it before transfer.
Any tenant. Is the flat sold tenanted, and who gets the rent until transfer?
Who pays the DLD fees.
Additional terms. Anything you agreed verbally should end up here.

If a dispute comes up under Form F, RERA has an amicable settlement service. You file through Trakheesi and the relevant department meets with both sides. If that doesn't resolve it, the dispute goes to court (RERA guide ↗).

From my practice. We signed contracts on a 2BR in Sobha Waves Grande on 8 March 2026, at a tense moment for the market. The deal closed in April, and I handled the mortgage from start to finish.

If the seller has a mortgage

This comes up often, and the Form A template allows for it with fields for mortgage status, bank, amount and pre-closure charges (what the bank charges for early repayment). DLD has a separate service for these sales, Registering the Sale of a Mortgaged Property, listed among the related services on the Property Sale Registration page ↗.

As the buyer, you want Form F to say who clears the seller's mortgage, when, and with whose money. If you're borrowing too, your bank joins that sequence, and the dates must allow for it. More on this in selling a mortgaged property.

What happens after Form F

Signing Form F doesn't transfer the property. A few steps still lie ahead:

The developer's NOC. In freehold areas you need an electronic NOC from the developer, which is obtained through the Dubai REST app (DLD ↗).
The buyer's mortgage, if there is one: final approval, valuation, bank paperwork.
Clearing the seller's mortgage, if the property is mortgaged.
Transfer at a Real Estate Registration Trustee office. Seller and buyer bring their Emirates ID (non-residents bring a valid passport), and the developer's e-NOC is required. DLD gives the service time as 25 minutes, and you leave with an electronic title deed (DLD ↗).

Transfer fees

These figures come from the DLD page ↗:

Fee	Amount
Seller	2% of sale value
Buyer	2% of sale value
Title deed issuance	AED 250
Trustee office, sale value AED 500,000 or more	AED 4,000 + VAT
Trustee office, sale value under AED 500,000	AED 2,000 + VAT
Knowledge fee / innovation fee	AED 10 each

Who actually pays the DLD fees is agreed in Form F. DLD accepts ePay, Dubai Pay, the Noqodi wallet and manager's cheques at transfer. I've put the full list of costs in Dubai property purchase costs.

How the money changes hands

The seller gets paid at the transfer, usually by manager's cheques. There's no reason to pay earlier.

From my practice. A non-resident family with no UAE bank account was buying a 2BR in Address Residences, Dubai Creek Harbour. Before transfer, they wanted to wire the money straight to the seller. I talked them out of it. The funds went to a conveyancing company instead, which issued manager's cheques in the seller's name, and we went to transfer calmly.

More in safe payment: manager's cheques and conveyancing.

Mistakes I see most often

Signing Form F before the mortgage is approved. If the transfer date is fixed and the bank hasn't said yes, your deposit is exposed.
Skipping the additional terms. That's usually where the unusual points sit: furniture, when the tenant moves out, who covers the current period's service charges.
Agreeing things verbally. If it isn't in Form F, assume it doesn't exist.
Not checking the broker. BRN and ORN take a minute to verify in Dubai REST.
Paying the seller before transfer, whether that's a deposit "to a card" or the balance "in advance".

Quick reference

If you're selling, you sign Form A. Look at the BRN, term, commission and exclusivity.
As a buyer you sign Form B. Check the commission and term, and be honest about your financing.
Once the price is agreed, Form F is signed. Check the deposit, dates, withdrawal terms, both sides' mortgages and who pays the fees.
After that comes the NOC, the mortgage, transfer at the Trustee office and the title deed.

The document list for cash and mortgage buyers is in documents to buy property in Dubai.

Want help with the forms?

Send me a draft Form F, or your questions about Form A or B, on WhatsApp. I'll read the terms and tell you what's worth settling before you sign. If you're buying with a mortgage, run your budget through the calculator first so the Form F dates are realistic.