How do I verify a title deed in Dubai before paying a deposit on a property?

You can verify the deed yourself through official channels before paying a dirham. The Dubai Land Department provides a title deed verification service through the Dubai REST app and the DLD website: entering the deed details confirms whether the document is genuine and shows the registered ownership information. Ask the seller for a copy of the deed and their Emirates ID or passport, and check the names match exactly. Mortgages on Dubai property are registered with the DLD, and a transfer cannot complete at the registration trustee office while a mortgage remains unsettled, so insist that any mortgage status is disclosed and verified before you commit. Two further protections: deal only through a RERA-registered broker — you can verify the broker's licence on the Dubai Brokers app — and sign the official Form F memorandum of understanding before any deposit changes hands, with the deposit given by cheque rather than a rushed bank transfer to a personal account. A broker pressuring you to transfer money before verification is itself a warning sign. If anything in the documents does not line up, have a property lawyer examine the file before any money moves.