Property Showings
Synonyms: Property Viewing، Viewing Appointment، Open House، Site Visit
Last updated: 2026-09-25
Short Definition
A property showing is a visit by a prospective tenant or buyer to a property, usually by appointment arranged with the broker or owner, to inspect the unit in person before deciding to sign.
Overview
Legal Basis
The Real Estate Brokerage Law (Royal Decree No. M/130 dated 30/11/1443H) governs presenting a property to third parties: brokerage may only be practised with a REGA licence; the brokerage contract must be written, deposited with REGA and fixed-term (90 days if no term is set); the broker must obtain proof of ownership, disclose property information and not mislead; and penalties include fines of up to SAR 200,000. When showing a tenanted unit, the unified Ejar lease rules apply, including automatic renewal unless a non-renewal notice is given at least 60 days before expiry, as well as the Riyadh provisions that limit the grounds on which renewal may be refused.
Practical Example
A licensed real estate office in Dammam signs a written 60-day brokerage contract with the owner of a duplex villa, deposits it with REGA and obtains a copy of the title deed. The asking rent is SAR 85,000 a year. The office sets two viewing days with 30-minute slots so visitors do not overlap, and prepares the villa: cleaning, electricity, water and air-conditioning switched on, and a printed sheet with the rent, payment frequency, lease term and documentation fee. Nine visitors attend and two ask to submit a rental application. One visitor notices damp on the ceiling of the maid’s room; the broker discloses that the owner will fix it before handover and this is written into the lease, instead of denying it and fighting over it after move-in.
Common Mistakes
- ✗Showing a property without a written brokerage contract deposited with REGA — an undeposited contract cannot be relied on, and the broker may lose the right to commission.
- ✗Letting an unlicensed staff member conduct viewings and negotiate on behalf of the office.
- ✗Hiding a visible or known defect during the viewing — concealing material information is a violation under the Brokerage Law and may open the door to termination or rent reduction.
- ✗Bringing visitors into a tenanted unit without prior coordination with the tenant, or before confirming the current lease will not renew automatically.
- ✗Collecting and keeping copies of every visitor’s ID without need — contrary to the data-minimisation principle of the Personal Data Protection Law.
International Differences
Rules on showings vary internationally. Many Western tenancy laws set a prior-notice period before a landlord or agent may enter a let unit to show it, and open houses are common in sales. In the UAE, viewings usually go through licensed brokers; in Turkey a broker needs the owner’s authorisation to act, while in Egypt practice is largely informal. The Saudi particularity is that any presentation of a property is tied to a written brokerage contract deposited with REGA, and to Ejar’s automatic-renewal rules, which determine whether showing a tenanted unit is even possible.
