Dubai Property Portals Urged To Crack Down On Misleading “Verified” Listings As Buyer Trust Comes Under Pressure
Dubai’s online property portals are facing growing calls to strengthen checks on “verified” listings, as concerns rise that some ads may appear compliant even when the permit details do not match the property being marketed.
According to Gulf News, industry experts say the issue is no longer only about fake listings appearing online. The bigger concern is that some listings may carry verification badges while using permit information linked to a different property, creating a false sense of security for buyers, tenants and investors.
This matters because many users rely on the “verified” label as a sign that a listing has passed basic compliance checks. But if a permit is connected to land, a plot, a different unit size or another property type, it may not accurately support the apartment or home being advertised.
Dubai realtor Salman Bin Ali said portals should go beyond checking whether a permit exists. He argued that platforms should match permit data against the actual listing details, including property type, size, location, building name, project, unit information, validity and transaction type.
The report also highlighted calls for stronger enforcement against agencies or brokers that repeatedly misuse permit information. Suggested measures include warnings, temporary suspension of listing privileges, broker-level sanctions and referrals to relevant authorities in repeated cases.
Dubai has already tightened property advertising rules through the Dubai Land Department and RERA, including requirements for brokers to obtain advertising permits before listing properties online. The next test may be whether verification systems can ensure that the permit belongs to the exact property being marketed.
Read the full article on Gulf News:
https://gulfnews.com/business/property/dubai-property-portals-urged-to-crack-down-on-misleading-verified-listings-1.500593234