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How do I check a FAL licence for a broker or a property ad?

Short answer

Use the Real Estate Enquiries page on the Real Estate General Authority’s website (rega.gov.sa): the “Enquiring about the FAL License” service checks whether a broker’s licence is valid by ID number or establishment number, and the “Inquiry about Real Estate Advertisement License” service checks an ad by its number; both are free and instant. Under the Real Estate Marketing and Advertising Regulation, in force since its publication on 1 May 2026, a property ad needs a REGA licence unless the regulation exempts it, ads outside online property platforms must display the licence number, and an ad may carry just that number and a QR code that leads to the rest of its details.

REGA’s verification services

You can also use the Inquiries menu in REGA’s brokerage e-services, which finds a broker or an ad licence by licence number, brokerage contract number or ownership document number and shows the licence details and status; for ads, REGA says it shows whether the licence is active, expired or cancelled. The Real Estate Enquiries page itself groups free, instant services, three of which relate to brokerage:

  • Enquiring about the FAL License: checks the validity of a FAL licence held by an individual or an establishment, by ID number or establishment number.
  • Inquiry about Real Estate Advertisement License: checks that an ad licence is valid, by its number.
  • Inquiry about Brokerage Contracts: shows the status and details of a registered brokerage contract, by ID or establishment number plus the contract number.

What a property ad must show

The Real Estate Marketing and Advertising Regulation was published in the Umm Al-Qura Gazette on 14/11/1447H (1 May 2026), applies from that date and replaced the 1442H real estate advertising controls. It covers social media, print and broadcast media, exhibitions, billboards and online property platforms. An ad licence requires the property’s title deed registration number, except for properties under government supervision. When it launched the enquiry service in May 2024, REGA stressed that a broker’s ad licence requires a brokerage contract with the owner that covers marketing.

Outside online platforms, an ad must show the rights on offer; the property’s description, condition and location; related services and rights and any existing disputes; a contact matching the licence application; the advertiser’s name; the ad licence number and its expiry date; and the licensee’s activity licence number. It may instead show only the ad licence number and a QR code that leads to these details. Online property platforms display the data retrieved from REGA’s systems through a technical link.

How long a FAL licence lasts

A FAL licence lasts one year and may be extended for up to five years; renewal is requested in the 60 days before it expires, and the individual brokerage and marketing licence costs SAR 300 a year. A licence lapses when its term ends, and practising after that is a violation with its own fine.

The Brokerage Law also requires a broker to show its name and licence number in any property ad or post. In Category A cities, which include Riyadh and Jeddah, leaving them out brings a warning, then a SAR 1,000 fine, then SAR 2,000.

Steps

  1. Ask for the FAL licence number and the ad licence number; the law requires a broker to show its licence number in any ad, and its implementing regulation requires it in the brokerage contract and all dealings.
  2. Open the Real Estate Enquiries page on rega.gov.sa, choose “Enquiring about the FAL License” and search by the broker’s ID number or the establishment number.
  3. For an ad, scan its QR code if it has one, or choose “Inquiry about Real Estate Advertisement License” and enter the ad number.
  4. Check that the licence is active and that its details match the ad; REGA may cancel an ad licence when the published information differs from the licence.
  5. If something is wrong, report it to REGA through Contact Us, then Reports, or call REGA’s unified number 199011.

Follow-up questions

Is a QR code enough without the other details?

Yes. The regulation lets an ad carry only the ad licence number and a QR code that leads to the required details, but the licence number must still appear on the ad.

Can online property platforms publish unlicensed ads?

No. The regulation requires them not to allow any unlicensed ad, to verify advertisers’ accounts through Nafath, to remove an ad as soon as its licence expires, and to provide a page for complaints.

Does an off-plan project ad need an ad licence?

No ad licence is required when the advertiser is licensed to market the whole project under other laws or regulations, such as off-plan sales and leasing, real estate contributions or real estate auctions (Article 9 of the regulation).

An ad is still online but its licence has expired. What now?

The licensee must remove an ad as soon as its purpose ends or its licence expires, whichever comes first, and platforms must remove it when the licence expires. You can report it to REGA.

Official sources

General information for guidance, not legal advice; the governing regulations and official bodies are the final reference.

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