Can I give one broker an exclusive mandate to sell in Lebanon, or is it open listing, and what is an irrevocable sale agency?

Also asked as: “Exclusive listing agreement in Lebanon” · “Can I list my apartment with several brokers in Lebanon?” · “What is an irrevocable power of attorney to sell?” · “Sole agency contract with a Lebanese broker”

Exclusive or open: what Lebanese law says#

Lebanon's brokerage rules sit in Articles 291 to 297 of the Commercial Code (Legislative Decree 304/1942). Article 291 defines brokerage as guiding the other party to a deal, or acting as intermediary in the negotiations, for a fee, and applies the rules of agency to it generally^[1]. We found no Lebanese source on exclusive versus open mandates, sole-agency clauses or how courts enforce them. Do not assume that exclusive-listing rules you know from Dubai or elsewhere apply here.

Article 293 says a broker earns the fee when the broker's work leads to the contract^[1]. It does not deal with competing claims when several brokers worked on the same sale, so settle that in each written agreement. No source we read says what an exclusivity clause adds on top, for example a fee when you find the buyer yourself. See whether you owe a commission if you sell another way.

What to put in writing with the broker#

No law fixes a rate or names which party pays, and we found no official tariff for real-estate brokerage^[1]. According to JSK Real Estate, a Lebanese agency writing in 2018, and the president of the brokers' syndicate REAL in 2015, custom is 2.5% of the final price from each side. Those are brokers describing custom, not law^[7,8]. A judge may reduce an agreed fee that is out of proportion to the deal and the work done. More in whether a court can cut a broker's fee.

The law does not say whether the fee is due at the promise of sale, the notarial deed or registration, so your agreement should fix the moment^[1]. If you agree to pay expenses, you owe them even if no sale results. A broker who acts for the buyer in breach of his duties to you loses the fee and his expenses. Read when one broker acts for both sides before you agree to that.

What an irrevocable sale agency is#

An irrevocable sale agency (wakala ghayr qabila lil-azl) is a power of attorney that lets someone sell your property. It does not transfer ownership. A buyer holding only such a POA has a personal claim against you, and ownership passes only on inscription at the Land Registry^[2]. According to Kallas Law Firm, an ordinary POA older than five years cannot support registration, but settled case law exempts a truly irrevocable mandate from that limit.

The document also counts in the seller's tax clearance. Finance Ministry decision 825 treats an irrevocable POA that includes receipt of the price as a reference date, like a sale contract, when deciding how a Treasury lien affects the rental-value statement^[9]. The Lebanese consulate in Dubai lists the irrevocable POA among the types it handles. Revoking a POA there needs a copy of the POA and costs AED 276 per signature, as listed on the consulate's page when we checked in October 2026, so confirm with the consulate before you go^[6]. Whether an irrevocable POA can be cancelled against the holder's will is a question for a lawyer. See irrevocable powers of attorney and how to cancel a POA.