Real estate industry
Accounting, VAT and Corporate Tax Services for UAE real estate businesses
Broker commissions, rental income, escrow accounts and mixed VAT treatments all reconciled into one clear set of books, built for how UAE developers, brokers and property managers actually operate.
- 1,000+ UAE Businesses Served
- Transparent Upfront Pricing
How we account for your real estate business
Income
Commissions · rentals · sales
Reconciliation
Escrow · bank · agent payouts
Accounting
Revenue · VAT split · service charges
Compliance
VAT · Corporate Tax · RERA
Awards
1000+
1000+ Active Clients
30+
Industries Served
94%
Client Renewal Rate
35+
Years of Experience
300+
Experts Globally
Understanding real estate accounting
Real estate accounting isn't ordinary accounting
Property transactions mix residential and commercial VAT treatments, broker commissions and escrow funds in a single portfolio. Each needs to be recorded and reconciled correctly before VAT and Corporate Tax can be filed.
Mixed VAT treatment
Residential leasing is generally VAT-exempt, new residential sales are zero-rated, and commercial property and brokerage fees are standard-rated, all in the same book of accounts.
Commission and agent splits
Broker commissions need to be tracked by deal and by agent before payouts and VAT can be calculated correctly.
Escrow and trust accounts
Landlord, tenant and owners association funds sitting in escrow must stay clearly separated from company cash.
RERA and service charge reporting
Owners associations and property managers face specific reporting requirements on top of standard VAT and Corporate Tax filing.
Off-plan and development accounting
Revenue on off-plan sales and development projects needs to be recognised against project milestones, not the full sale price upfront.
Rental income by property
Investors and property managers need income and expenses tracked property by property to see true portfolio returns.
Where the numbers get complicated
From deal agreed to accounting entry
A single property deal touches the buyer, seller, broker, escrow agent and the bank before it reaches your accounts. Every step in this sequence is a place where commission, VAT and payouts can drift apart.
Sale or lease agreed
Funds received into escrow
Buyer · landlord · tenant deposits
Commission earned
Broker · agency split
VAT applied to commission
Agent payout processed
Accounting records
VAT & Corporate Tax filed
Built from these records
Where it usually breaks: the highlighted steps above are where most real estate businesses lose track, escrow funds get mixed with operating cash, commission is booked gross without the correct VAT split, and agent payouts don’t reconcile back to the original deal.
✓
How BCL fixes it
We reconcile escrow movements, commission and agent payouts against every deal each month, so your VAT return and Corporate Tax filing are always built on numbers that tie back to the original transaction.
What's included
Our real estate accounting services
Six service pillars, built around how commission, rental and development income actually move through your business.
01
Real estate bookkeeping & reconciliation
02
Escrow & RERA-compliant accounting
03
Commission & brokerage accounting
04
UAE VAT compliance
05
UAE Corporate Tax
06
Financial reporting
Built for your model
Accounting built around your real estate model
Developers, brokers and property managers each create different accounting and VAT questions. We adjust the approach to the model, not the other way round.
Real estate developers
Off-plan sales, construction cost allocation and milestone-based revenue recognition.
Real estate brokers & agencies
Commission tracking by deal and agent, VAT on brokerage fees and payout reconciliation.
Property management companies
Service charges, maintenance costs and owners association reporting.
Owners associations & community management
RERA-compliant reporting and clear segregation of community funds.
Individual property investors
Property-wise rental income, expense allocation and portfolio ROI tracking.
Know your real numbers
Commission isn't the same as net revenue
A brokerage fee looks straightforward until VAT, the agent split and referral costs come off the top. We build reporting that shows what the agency actually keeps from each deal.
Take a deal worth AED 2,000,000 with a 2% commission of AED 40,000. VAT of AED 2,000 is due on that commission, the agent’s split takes out AED 20,000, and a referral fee accounts for a further AED 5,000. What’s left, AED 13,000, is the agency’s actual net revenue from the deal, less than a third of the headline commission. Most agencies only see the AED 40,000. We make sure you see the AED 13,000.
Illustrative example, not actual client figures
How it works
How BCL manages your real estate accounting
01
Collect
We collect sales agreements, tenancy contracts, escrow statements and bank data.
02
Reconcile
We reconcile commission, rental income and escrow movements against bank transactions and agent payouts.
03
Record
We accurately record revenue, agent splits, service charges and other expenses.
04
Comply
We handle applicable VAT, Corporate Tax and RERA reporting requirements.
05
Report
You receive accurate financial statements and property or deal-level management reports.
See it in practice
From property deal to accounting entry
This is what commission and VAT reconciliation actually look like for a single sale, worked through step by step.
Illustrative example, not actual client figures
- Property sells for AED 2,000,000
- Agency earns a AED 40,000 commission
- VAT of AED 2,000 charged on the commission
- Agent split of AED 20,000 paid out
- Net agency revenue of AED 18,000 reaches the bank
BCL reconciles the deal so your books reflect the commission, VAT and agent split correctly
Works with your stack
Platforms we reconcile with
Why UAE real estate businesses choose BCL
One firm for accounting, VAT, tax and reporting
Real estate accounting expertise
Accounting processes designed around commission, rental income and escrow funds, not generic bookkeeping.
Escrow & RERA-aware reconciliation
Escrow movements, service charges and owners association funds reconciled and kept clearly separated.
UAE VAT & Corporate Tax
Mixed residential and commercial VAT treatment handled correctly, alongside Corporate Tax compliance.
Clear property-level reporting
Accurate profit and loss, portfolio ROI and management reports, by property and by deal.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. We apply the correct VAT treatment for each transaction, residential leasing is generally exempt, new residential sales are zero-rated within the first three years, and commercial property and brokerage fees are standard-rated.
Broker commission is standard-rated at 5% where the broker is VAT-registered. We calculate VAT on the commission, reconcile it against the deal, and include it in your VAT return.
Yes. We record commission income and agent splits deal by deal, so payouts, VAT and net agency revenue reconcile back to the original transaction.
Yes. We reconcile escrow account movements and help developers and property managers keep landlord, tenant and owners association funds clearly separated for RERA and audit purposes.
Corporate Tax generally applies to real estate businesses such as development, brokerage and property management. Personal rental income earned by individuals is usually excluded, but this depends on your specific structure, which we assess before registration.
Off-plan revenue is generally recognised against project milestones and construction progress rather than the full sale price on signing, in line with the applicable accounting standards.
Yes. We track service charges, maintenance costs and owners association funds separately from your company’s own operating income and expenses.
Yes. We offer property-wise rental income and expense tracking for individual investors, alongside full accounting for developers, brokers and property managers.
We maintain property-wise accounts so each unit’s VAT treatment, income and expenses are tracked separately, then consolidated into one set of management reports.
We work with Xero, QuickBooks, Zoho Books and similar cloud platforms, and can set one up if you’re not currently using any.
Monthly as standard, covering profit and loss, cash flow and property-level performance, with more frequent reporting available for larger portfolios.
Looking for an accounting partner who understands real estate?
From commission and escrow accounts to VAT, Corporate Tax and RERA reporting, let our team handle the accounting behind your real estate business.
