--- title: "How to Tell if a Landlord or Broker in Saudi Arabia Is Trustworthy: 4 Green Flags — Ejari" description: "Four green flags that a landlord or broker in Saudi Arabia is genuine, and how to check a title deed, a power of attorney and a broker's licence before you pay." url: "https://ejari.sa/en/blog/trustworthy-landlord-or-broker-saudi-arabia/" lang: "en" --- Renting guides # How to Tell if a Landlord or Broker in Saudi Arabia Is Trustworthy: 4 Green Flags Published Oct 11, 2026 • 6 min read By [Fahad Albedah](https://ejari.sa/en/authors/fahad-albedah/), CTO Four green flags that a landlord or broker in Saudi Arabia is genuine, and how to check a title deed, a power of attorney and a broker's licence before you pay. **In this article** 1. [A Story From Reddit](#a-story-from-reddit) 2. [The Ground Rules: Check Before You Sign or Transfer Anything](#the-ground-rules-check-before-you-sign-or-transfer-anything) 3. [4 Green Flags That a Landlord or Broker Is the Real Deal](#4-green-flags-that-a-landlord-or-broker-is-the-real-deal) 4. [Red Flags That Should Stop You Cold](#red-flags-that-should-stop-you-cold) 5. [How to Protect Yourself Even When Everything Feels Smooth](#how-to-protect-yourself-even-when-everything-feels-smooth) 6. [Frequently Asked Questions](#frequently-asked-questions) Here are four green flags that a landlord or broker is genuine, and how to check a title deed, a power of attorney and a broker’s licence in minutes, before you transfer a single riyal. This is a general guide, not legal advice. The services change, so check the linked page before you rely on it. ## A Story From Reddit In December 2025, a 24-year-old woman who had just moved to Riyadh [described on Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/Riyadh/comments/1pwt83y/potential_rental_scam_in_riyadh_need_advice/) how she found a broker on a listings app. He seemed legitimate. They viewed apartments, talked through options and got close to signing. He gave her his bank account details, and she transferred the full year’s rent, the deposit and his commission in one go. Right after the transfer, he messaged to say she should only have sent his commission: the rent and the deposit were meant to go another way. She asked for the difference back, and he stopped replying. She was new to the city, with a large sum gone and no idea what to do. Her story ended well: in an update, she wrote that the broker reappeared after a family emergency abroad and sorted it out. But most of the people who replied agreed on the same lesson: **don’t send money to an account you can’t tie to the contract,** and keep the rent, the deposit and the commission separate, each with a written record of where it goes. This guide isn’t here to make you suspicious of every landlord or broker. It’s here to help you spot the signs that separate a safe deal from a story like hers. ## The Ground Rules: Check Before You Sign or Transfer Anything Before you commit any money, these checks are online and take minutes. **Check the title deed.** The Ministry of Justice’s [deed inquiry on the Real Estate Exchange](https://srem.moj.gov.sa/deed-inquiry) shows a deed’s details, its owner and the property. You sign in with your Nafath account, then enter the deed number and its date, or the deed number and the ID number of one of the owners. Ask the landlord for the deed number: someone who owns the property can give it to you. **Check the power of attorney** if someone says they act for the owner. Najiz’s [power of attorney verification](https://najiz.sa/applications/WekalaVerification/Verify) shows the status of a power of attorney issued by the Ministry of Justice, its terms, its parties and all its details. You need its number and the ID number of one of the parties, and a Nafath account for the code. An expired power of attorney gives the person no right to act on the property. **Check the broker’s licence.** REGA’s [real estate broker inquiry](https://rega.gov.sa/en/rega-services/eservices/inquiring-about-real-estate-broker-real-estate-broker-license/) lets you search by the broker’s licence number, the brokerage contract number or the deed number, and shows the licence and its status. **Check the listing’s licence too.** It’s a separate check: REGA’s [advertisement licence inquiry](https://rega.gov.sa/en/rega-services/eservices/real-estate-advertisement-license-inquiry/) shows whether the advert for the unit has a licence and whether it’s [active, expired or cancelled](https://rega.gov.sa/en/media-center/news-announcements/rega-launches-real-estate-advertisement-license-inquiry-service/). ## 4 Green Flags That a Landlord or Broker Is the Real Deal **1. They offer the deed number without you asking.** A genuine owner or broker won’t flinch if you ask for it. Many offer it from the start, because it builds your trust. **2. The money goes where the contract says.** Rent on a registered lease can be paid on Ejar itself, against your contract: [how to pay rent through Ejar](https://ejari.sa/en/blog/pay-rent-through-ejar/) has the steps. A request to transfer the rent to a personal account, or a payment link from outside the official channels, is a warning sign. Being pointed to the contract and the official channels is a good one. **3. They separate the rent, the deposit and the commission from the first conversation.** A trustworthy landlord or broker gives you a written breakdown of each amount and where it goes. Compare that with someone who bundles everything into one transfer “to make it easier for you”. A deposit taken through a broker [goes to REGA or a party it authorises](https://rega.gov.sa/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%86%D8%B8%D9%85%D8%A9-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AA/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%86%D8%B8%D9%85%D8%A9-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%AD-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D8%AF%D9%84%D8%A9/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%86%D8%B8%D9%85%D8%A9/%D9%86%D8%B8%D8%A7%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%88%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%B7%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A9/) under Article 12 of the Real Estate Brokerage Law (in Arabic), not to the broker’s own pocket. **4. They give you time to read the contract before you sign.** “You have to decide and pay today” is a warning sign however professional the person seems. Someone you can trust is comfortable giving you time to check the details. ## Red Flags That Should Stop You Cold * A request to transfer to a personal bank account instead of paying against the contract * Rent, deposit and commission mixed together without a written breakdown * Refusing, or hesitating, to give you the deed number or the power of attorney * Heavy pressure to act fast, together with a refusal to show official documents * A lease that won’t be registered on Ejar: an unregistered lease [isn’t treated as valid for administrative or judicial purposes](https://www.ejar.sa/ar/faqregulation) (Ejar, in Arabic) ## How to Protect Yourself Even When Everything Feels Smooth * Don’t transfer money or sign anything before checking the deed and the licence. * Make sure the lease is registered on Ejar, and approve it from the link Ejar sends you. * If something goes wrong with a payment, call your bank straight away, report it to the police, and report the broker to REGA. **A few minutes checking now can save you months of chasing your money later.** ## Frequently Asked Questions **Can I check a title deed myself?** Yes. Use the Ministry of Justice’s [deed inquiry](https://srem.moj.gov.sa/deed-inquiry): sign in with Nafath and enter the deed number and its date, or the deed number and an owner’s ID number. **Can I pay safely through a property app?** A listings app helps you find a unit, but it doesn’t make a transfer to a personal account safe. Pay rent against your registered contract, through Ejar or a company licensed to collect it. **What do I do if I already transferred money to a personal account and regret it?** Call your bank at once to ask whether the transfer can be stopped or recalled, file a police report, and report the broker to REGA. **Is a broker’s licence the same as a listing’s licence?** No. They’re two separate checks with REGA: the [broker’s licence](https://rega.gov.sa/en/rega-services/eservices/inquiring-about-real-estate-broker-real-estate-broker-license/) belongs to the person or firm, and the [advertisement licence](https://rega.gov.sa/en/rega-services/eservices/real-estate-advertisement-license-inquiry/) to that particular listing. *** *When you rent with Ejari, a REGA-licensed company, your lease is registered on Ejar and you never pay into a personal account. The landlord gets the year’s rent upfront, and you pay monthly, if you’re approved. [See how it works](https://ejari.sa/en/).* In this article 1. [A Story From Reddit](#a-story-from-reddit) 2. [The Ground Rules: Check Before You Sign or Transfer Anything](#the-ground-rules-check-before-you-sign-or-transfer-anything) 3. [4 Green Flags That a Landlord or Broker Is the Real Deal](#4-green-flags-that-a-landlord-or-broker-is-the-real-deal) 4. [Red Flags That Should Stop You Cold](#red-flags-that-should-stop-you-cold) 5. [How to Protect Yourself Even When Everything Feels Smooth](#how-to-protect-yourself-even-when-everything-feels-smooth) 6. [Frequently Asked Questions](#frequently-asked-questions) Rent Smart. Pay Monthly. [Get my quote](https://app.ejari.sa/dashboard/onboarding?lang=en) ## Stories from Ejari [Read all stories](https://ejari.sa/en/blog/) * [Oct 11, 2026 • 5 min read](https://ejari.sa/en/blog/ejari-partner-compounds-and-offices/) ### [Looking for a Rental? Ejari's Partner Compounds and Real Estate Offices](https://ejari.sa/en/blog/ejari-partner-compounds-and-offices/) * [Oct 11, 2026 • 6 min read](https://ejari.sa/en/blog/first-time-living-alone/) ### [First Time Living Alone? What No One Prepares You For](https://ejari.sa/en/blog/first-time-living-alone/) [Read all stories](https://ejari.sa/en/blog/) ## Rent Smart. Pay Monthly. Get your indicative quote in seconds. Free to check, no commitment, no hidden anything. * [Google Play](https://app.adjust.com/1uq2ib77?campaign=final_cta\&adgroup=en\&engagement_type=fallback_click\&redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fplay.google.com%2Fstore%2Fapps%2Fdetails%3Fid%3Dcom.ejari.EjariApp) * [App Store](https://app.adjust.com/1uq2ib77?campaign=final_cta\&adgroup=en\&engagement_type=fallback_click\&redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fapps.apple.com%2Fus%2Fapp%2Fejari-%25D8%25A7%25D9%258A%25D8%25AC%25D8%25A7%25D8%25B1%25D9%258A%2Fid6739182817)