Real estate brokers and sales agents in Bahrain must be licensed by the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA), and you can check a licence yourself before paying anyone.
- On bahrain.bh, the eService View the Accredited Licenses by RERA lists accredited broker and sales agent licences.
- RERA's own website (rera.gov.bh) has public lists of licensed brokers, sales agents, property managers, developers, valuers and licensed developments.
What a licence means: a broker licence goes only to a Bahraini with at least three years in real estate, an active commercial registration for real estate brokerage, a recent good conduct certificate, training, and professional indemnity insurance (BD 100,000 for companies, BD 50,000 for individual establishments). The broker licence fee is BD 300. A sales agent must work under a licensed broker with a valid licence; foreign sales agents need a valid work and residence permit through that company.
If the person showing you a flat says they are an agent, ask for the broker's name and check that the broker is on RERA's list, since a sales agent's licence is tied to a broker.
Steps
- Ask the agent for their name and the broker company they work for.
- Search RERA's licensed brokers and sales agents lists on rera.gov.bh, or the RERA eService on bahrain.bh.
- Check that the broker's licence is listed and that the agent is attached to that broker.