When must a UAE real estate broker file a REAR?
A UAE real estate broker or agent must file a Real Estate Activity Report (REAR) when a freehold property sale or purchase involves any of three payment scenarios. These are a single or several linked physical cash transactions equal to or above AED 55,000 for all or part of the property value, payment made using a virtual asset for all or part of the value, or funds that were converted from a virtual asset for all or part of the value.
The report is submitted through the FIU goAML system. The obligation is tied to the payment method and threshold, not to whether the deal appears suspicious. Brokers should build a process to flag qualifying payments at the point of transaction so that filing deadlines are met and records are retained.
Legal Reference (UAE):
· MOE Circular No. 5/2022 on the Real Estate Activity Report - sets the three qualifying transaction types (cash at or above AED 55,000, virtual asset payment, and funds converted from a virtual asset).
· Cabinet Resolution No. 134/2025 (Executive Regulations), Article 25 - requires records of such transactions to be kept for at least five years.
For more details, consult the full text of MOE Circular 5/2022 or seek guidance from your AML compliance officer.
The significance of cash thresholds in fighting money laundering