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Snagging Guide for Real Estate Agents in Dubai
This snagging guide for real estate agents in Dubai covers when to recommend an inspection, how to coordinate it, and how to pass the report on. Your job is to advise and organise, not to judge defects. An independent report gives your client, and the other side of the deal, one clear list to work from.
Written by Dubshy's engineering team for agents and brokers who want to handle the snagging stage of a deal smoothly.
When Should an Agent Recommend Snagging?
Recommend it whenever your client is about to accept, buy or let a property and the condition matters. The right inspection depends on the deal.
| Deal type | When to inspect | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Off-plan handover | Before your buyer signs the handover | snagging report service |
| Resale purchase | Before your buyer commits | resale property inspection |
| Landlord before letting | Before the tenant moves in | landlord inspection |
| Tenant moving in | At move-in, before items are unpacked | tenant move-in inspection |
How Do You Coordinate an Inspection?
Most delays come down to access and timing, which is where an agent can help most.
- Agree who the client isConfirm who books the inspection, who receives the report and who else it will be shared with.
- Share the datesPass on the handover notice, viewing or move-in date as soon as you have it.
- Arrange accessKeys, building passes and any developer or building management appointments.
- Get services onPower, water and AC need to run so the inspector can test them.
- Decide who attendsYour client, you, or the inspector alone with the handover team.
How Should You Read and Pass On the Report?
Read it the way the other side will: item by item. Each entry should have a photo, an exact location and a severity rating, so it can be found and fixed without another visit. Our guide on how to read a snagging report explains the ratings.
When you pass it on, send the full report rather than a summary, and keep a record of when it was sent and acknowledged.
How Can the Report Be Used in a Deal?
The report describes condition. How it is used is your client's decision, with your advice on the deal.
Have a handover or viewing coming up?
book an inspectionWhat Should Agents Not Do?
- Don't inspect it yourself. An independent inspector's report is easier for every party to accept.
- Don't rate defects. Leave severity and causes to the inspector.
- Don't give legal advice. Questions about rights and obligations belong with a lawyer.
- Don't edit the report. Pass it on in full, as issued.
What a snagging report is not
A snagging report records the condition of a property on the day. It is not a valuation and does not set a price. For official information on property transactions in Dubai, see the Dubai Land Department.
FAQs
Should agents carry out snagging themselves?
No. An agent's role is to advise and coordinate, not to judge building defects. An independent inspection gives your client a report from someone with no stake in the deal, which is easier for a developer, seller or landlord to accept. You can still attend and help with access on the day.
Is a snagging inspection useful for resale deals?
It can be. On a resale, the inspection records the current condition before your buyer commits, so there are fewer surprises after the deal closes. The report describes defects; how your client uses it in the negotiation is their decision, with your advice on the deal itself.
Who should book and pay for the inspection?
Usually the person who needs the report, such as the buyer, landlord or tenant, but it depends on what the parties agree. Make clear at the start who the client is, because the report goes to them, and agree in advance who else it will be shared with.
Can the agent attend instead of an overseas client?
Yes, if your client agrees. An agent on site can help with keys and access, and the inspector can walk you through the main findings. Your client still receives the full photo report, so they see every item even though they were not there in person.
Working on a Handover, Resale or Letting?
Send us your client's date and the property type, and we will plan the visit. Fees are quoted after a short scope call, with all costs listed upfront.
