DLD provides outstanding services to all its customers and develops the necessary legislation to propel the real estate sector in Dubai by organising and promoting real estate investment, and spreading industry knowledge. DLD seeks regional and worldwide innovation in real estate with the aid of its active sectors that include Real Estate Registration and Services, Real Estate Promotion and Investment Management, and Corporate Support, as well as with the aid of its active organisations that include the Real Estate Regulatory Agency, the Dubai Real Estate Institute, and the Rental Dispute Centre.

DLD was formerly known in the 1950s as the Land Registry Department. It was the first entity to handle properties and ownership affairs until HH Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, one of the Founding Fathers of the UAE and its Union rules, established the Land Affairs Commission, granting it the authority to document and audit certificates, and examine and map properties.

DLD seeks to achieve the objectives of Dubai Government's strategy in the real estate sector, and improve land registration procedures according to latest international systems and practices in the real estate sector. This is aligned with a framework of strategic objectives to plan and develop an integrated strategy to enhance the real estate industry in Dubai. The strategy will also help improve the sector's control and monitoring competency, oversee and develop its leasing regulations, and encourage investments by establishing appropriate environments to promote the role of real estate in Dubai's comprehensive development plan.