There’s no shortage of business opportunities in Dubai, and the real estate market here isn't just active, it’s alive. The market has grown from villas to downtown penthouses that lease and sell faster than you can schedule a meeting. The property space never sleeps here because it is fast-growing, profit-spinning, and government-backed.

But before you go all in with your big real estate plans, you need to be aware of the cost to set up your own Real Estate Management company in Dubai.

And no, not just the money, we’re talking about paperwork, registrations, approvals, and the inevitable “wait-for-approval” situation that everyone has to go through.

Real Estate in Dubai

If your business involves leasing, selling, buying, or managing properties (commercial or residential), then yes, you’re entering the real estate company zone. Even if your main revenue comes from property management services, Tenant management, or subleasing agreements, you’ll fall under the same regulatory group.

But Real Estate Management in Dubai is no longer just about location; it’s more about precision. Nowadays, properties have become assets, where tenants are long-term investments, and landlords are looking for partners more than agents.

So naturally, your cost structure will be defined by:

• Your business activity (Brokerage, Management, Development).

• The licenses you’ll need.

• Your office location (Mainland or Free Zone).

• Visa quotas and operational staff.

• And of course, RERA approvals.

Companies that survive here don’t just sell and lease. They manage, and for that, the operations need to be tight. This is where a good real estate management system or property management software can cut down your operating chaos.

Licenses You Need to Start Your Real Estate Management Business in Dubai

It’s not possible to just think, and the next day you started a real estate business in the UAE. You’ll need lots of licenses to operate here properly.

• Trade License: The DED (Department of Economic Development) issues this license that allows anyone to run a business in Dubai.

• Real Estate Brokerage License: Provided by the Dubai Land Department (DLD), this license helps you to start your activities.

• RERA Certification: This is the most salient certificate for Dubai real estate brokers and agents. But for that, you have to complete the training course and pass the RERA exam.

• Ejari Registration: Through the registration, you are ensuring that all tenancy contracts are registered under the Ejari system.

• Real Estate Valuation License: You get the license from RERA. It is for those real estate companies that are offering property valuation services in Dubai.

The Core Costs Involved

1. Trade Name Reservation – AED 620 to AED 2000

The first move is to secure your trade name. This is your business’s identity, and it needs to be pre-approved by the Department of Economic Development (DED).

• Standard Name Reservation Fee: AED 620.

• Numerical words, foreign names, or regional references: Up to AED 2000

You’ll need to keep at least two or three names ready because if one gets rejected, you’ll already have other options.

2. Initial Approval – Around AED 870

Once the name is cleared, you’ll move to DED’s Initial Approval, essentially their green light saying, “Go ahead, start the process.” This doesn’t mean your company is active. But without this, you can’t apply for other documents. It’s a small fee of around AED 870, but you can’t skip it.

3. RERA Training & Exam – AED 3,200 to AED 15,750 (Based on Education Level)

If you want to operate in real estate, this is non-negotiable. You need RERA certification.

• Training Fees: AED 525.

• Real Estate Brokerage Exam Fees: AED 1,087.

• Real Estate Knowledge Bank: AED 315

Bonus Insight: The training and exam are mandatory for all founding partners who want to be listed as brokers or property managers. No shortcuts here.

4. Real Estate Brokerage License – AED 10,000 to AED 15,000

It legalizes your operations as a brokerage firm. If you’re offering property services, tenant management, or running a platform integrated with real estate management software, this license is non-negotiable. Initially, it costs AED 10,000 to AED 15,000, but it also requires annual renewal of AED 5,000.

5. Office Rent With Tech & Furniture – AED 300,000+

You need a dedicated office space to run a proper real estate business in Dubai. Here, the cost mainly depends on your office setup and location.

The rent of a commercial space in affordable areas in Dubai may start from AED 80,000. But when the location changes to prime places, the price may also reach AED 300,000.

Apart from that, you can add AED 20,000 to AED 50,000 to your list if you want to equip it with furniture and tech, like an ERP, CRM, or Real estate management software.

6. Employees

Whenever you want to start a new business, you’ll require new employees. Yes, initially, you may have some people in the major roles, but you still need more staff to support your business.

In that situation, your budget for leadership roles may vary between AED 160,000 and AED 300,000 per year, and for other roles, it can be AED 60,000 annually.

Besides, you must have a plan for branding, social media marketing, web development, PR, and more.

7. Corporate Bank Account Setup

Most banks will ask for:

• Trade license.

• Registration certificate.

While the service fees are modest, most banks require a minimum deposit of AED 50,000 to open an active account.

Optional, But Useful: Property Management Software

If your focus is more towards long-term revenue through property management, investing early in a real estate management software platform makes the difference.

You’ll be able to:

• Automate rent collections.

• Track lease renewals.

• Manage maintenance tickets.

• Streamline communication between landlords, tenants, and agents.

• Stay compliant with RERA’s digital reporting framework.

Remember, setting up a real estate company in Dubai is neither dirt cheap nor unreasonably expensive. It sits somewhere in the middle, accessible for serious founders, but strict enough to filter out the half-hearted.

The real challenge is how you plan to scale once you’re live. Because in this market, it’s not just about selling properties anymore, it’s about managing relationships, optimizing portfolios, and building systems that let you grow.

Investing in smart tools like property management software, automating your tenant onboarding, and having your team trained and licensed from the get-go can set the right tone from day one.