Real Estate Regulatory Authority

What Real Estate Regulatory Authority does

The Real Estate Regulatory Authority (Aqarat) is a Qatar government authority established by Emir's Decision No. (28) of 2023 to regulate, stimulate, and develop the country's real estate sector in alignment with Qatar National Vision 2030. As the sole statutory regulator, Aqarat licenses real estate developers, brokers, off-plan sales, escrow accounts, and advertising; oversees non-Qatari property ownership rules including residency-linked investment tiers; and sets professional standards for appraisers, property managers, and owner associations.

Aqarat operates a digital regulatory ecosystem built around the Qatar Real Estate Platform (QREP), which serves as the core portal for developer registration, project authorization, transaction data, and market indicators. The platform is augmented by an AI-powered Interactive Real Estate Map that provides investment recommendations, a conversational AI assistant named Dalal for property ownership and residency queries, a Smart Search tool, and a Market Indicators Dashboard. Services are delivered across web and mobile applications (iOS and Android) and integrated with the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Municipality, and Qatar Central Bank for one-stop property ownership. Aqarat also organizes the annual Qatar Real Estate Forum and Qatar Real Estate Award.

The Authority's revenue model is dual-track: licensing and registration fees across developer, broker, off-plan, and advertising categories, supplemented by direct government budget allocations. It does not operate commercially, and pricing in the broader market is set by ministerial decisions rather than competitive dynamics. Customer/stakeholder segments span Qatari and foreign real estate developers, licensed brokers and agents, non-Qatari investors (with residency-linked property thresholds at QR 730,000 and QR 3,650,000), financial institutions providing mortgage financing, and property owners.

Name

Real Estate Regulatory Authority

Legal name

The General Authority for Real Estate Sector Regulation (Aqarat)

Website

https://www.aqarat.gov.qa

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

The Real Estate Regulatory Authority (Aqarat) is Qatar's sole government regulator of the real estate sector, licensing developers and brokers, overseeing non-Qatari ownership rules, and operating the AI-enabled Qatar Real Estate Platform (QREP) for transactions and market data.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Doha

HQ country

Qatar

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Licensing Fees: The authority collects fees for issuing and renewing developer licenses, off-plan sale licenses, real estate brokerage licenses, and advertising licenses. These fees are regulated by ministerial decisions.
2. Government Funding: As a government regulatory authority established by Emir's Decision No. (28) of 2023, the organization is primarily funded through government budget allocations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Aqarat is the government regulatory authority for Qatar's real estate sector, issuing and managing licenses for real estate developers, off-plan sales, brokerage activities, escrow accounts, and advertising. It operates the Qatar Real Estate Platform (QREP), an AI-powered digital ecosystem that supports developer and project registration, broker licensing, property transactions, market indicators, and a step-by-step investor journey for non-Qatari property buyers seeking residency-linked ownership.

Product overview

The Real Estate Regulatory Authority (Aqarat) operates a digital regulatory ecosystem comprising the Qatar Real Estate Platform (QREP) as its core unified portal, supported by an AI-powered Interactive Real Estate Map, an AI chatbot assistant (Dalal), a Smart Search tool, and a Real Estate Market Indicators Dashboard. The platform serves investors through a 5-step Investor Journey, licenses real estate developers through digital registration and off-plan sale management, and professional practitioners through broker, appraiser, and property manager programs. Aqarat also maintains a comprehensive legislative framework and organizes the annual Qatar Real Estate Forum. Mobile applications extend accessibility to iOS and Android users.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Qatar Real Estate Platform (QREP): Digital platform for real estate services including project registration, developer registration, and market indicators
• Real Estate Forum (منتدى قطر العقاري)
• Dalal

Products and services

• Qatar Real Estate Platform (QREP) The primary digital portal for managing developer and project registrations, property transactions, sales and rental indicators, and real estate broker information in Qatar.
• Interactive Real Estate Map (الخارطة العقارية التفاعلية) An AI-powered interactive map that helps investors and buyers explore and compare investment areas in Qatar, match properties to budgets, and view annual investment volumes and monthly sales trends for informed property decisions.
• Smart Assistant Dalal (المساعد الذكي دلال) An AI-powered conversational chatbot named Dalal that answers user queries about property ownership rules, freehold areas, residency requirements, and general real estate information in Qatar.
• Real Estate Developer Registration and Licensing A digital regulatory service enabling real estate developers to register projects, obtain off-plan sale licenses, open escrow accounts, and obtain advertising licenses under Aqarat's regulatory oversight.
• Professional Licensing and Development Programs (مزاوولي المهنة) Professional programs and licensing services for real estate brokers, property appraisers, auditors, property managers, and Owners Association management, all under Aqarat's regulatory oversight.
• Investor Journey (رحلة المستثمر) A structured service guiding non-Qatari investors through a 3-step process to obtain property ownership in Qatar: obtain ownership approval, sign purchase agreement with a licensed developer, and submit application for real estate residency requirements.
• Real Estate Market Indicators Dashboard A real-time data dashboard providing total sales transactions, total value of sales, building permits, completion certificates, rental transactions, and population data for Qatar's real estate market.
• Aqarat iOS App iOS mobile application for accessing Aqarat's real estate platform and services on Apple devices.
• Aqarat Android App Android mobile application for accessing Aqarat's real estate platform and services on Android devices.

Quantifiable outcome

• First globally in ease of real estate property registration
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry (غرفة قطر)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 June 2026Strategic cooperation agreement to enhance joint collaboration in developing and regulating Qatar's real estate sector. Both parties agreed to hold an expanded meeting at Qatar Chamber bringing together real estate developers and Aqarat to discuss sector challenges and opportunities.
• United Kingdom Embassy in QatarminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 January 2026Bilateral meeting between Aqarat President and UK Ambassador to discuss cooperation opportunities and matters of mutual interest in real estate regulation.
• Qetaifan Projects (قطيفان للمشاريع)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 May 2025MOU signing ceremony for strategic cooperation in real estate development projects on Qetaifan Islands.
• Investment Promotion Agency (الهيئة العامة لترويج الاستثمار)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 May 2025MOU signing with Investment Promotion Agency along with Al Ahli Bank and Qatar Development Bank to enhance real estate investment ecosystem.
• Ministry of MunicipalitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment coordination for building permits, construction licensing, and municipal services related to real estate development.
• Ministry of JusticecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment coordination for property registration, ownership deeds, off-plan sales regulation, and escrow account oversight.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Dubai Land Department: Dubai's government authority for real estate registration, licensing, and transaction oversight. Comparable as the most mature Gulf real estate regulator and a direct regional peer for Aqarat's regulatory mandate.
• General Real Estate Authority (Saudi Arabia): Saudi Arabia's federal body regulating real estate development and brokerage. Comparable in mandate scope and structural position as the national regulator of a GCC real estate market adjacent to Qatar's.
• Department of Municipalities and Transport (Abu Dhabi): Abu Dhabi's government entity overseeing real estate registration and municipal permitting. Comparable as a UAE peer regulator issuing licenses and managing property registration in a similar Gulf market.

Regional players

• Survey and Land Registration Bureau (Bahrain): Bahrain's national authority for land registration and real estate records. Comparable in function as a smaller GCC real estate registry but operating in a different national market.
• Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning (Oman): Oman's ministry overseeing housing, land, and urban planning policy. Comparable as a GCC public-sector body regulating property and ownership but operating in a different geography.
• Kuwait Municipality: Kuwait's national municipality handling building permits, land, and real estate oversight. Comparable in regulatory function over GCC real estate but in a different domestic market.
• Department of Lands and Survey (Jordan): Jordan's national body for land registration and property surveying. Comparable as a Middle East real estate registry with similar registration and licensing responsibilities outside the GCC.

Broad incumbents

• Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS): Global professional body setting standards and credentials for real estate, valuation, and brokerage. Comparable as a broader institutional counterpart that influences professional licensing frameworks Aqarat administers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AqaratQa
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@AqaratQa
• Facebookfacebook.com/AqaratQa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/aqarat-rera
• Instagraminstagram.com/aqaratq/reels

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Real Estate Regulatory Authority