In a move to restructure and modernize the country's rapidly expanding real estate sector, Egypt has launched the Real Estate Market Regulation Unit, a new entity tasked with overseeing the operations of developers, brokers, and marketing companies to improve transparency and accountability. The announcement was made by Sherif El-Sherbiny, Minister of Housing, Utilities and Urban Development, who outlined the unit's core responsibilities. These include regulating relationships among sector stakeholders, streamlining property registration procedures, supervising ongoing property maintenance, and establishing systems for market evaluation. Established in mid-2025, the new unit responds to mounting concerns over the fragmented nature of Egypt's real estate marketing landscape. Recent years have seen a sharp rise in the number of brokers and marketing agencies—many operating without licenses or adequate oversight—which has prompted growing calls for stricter regulation and greater market transparency. As part of the same initiative, the government has launched the Egypt Real Estate Platform, a centralized digital portal designed to standardize and verify property transactions. The platform provides a comprehensive database of legally registered property listings, certified developers and brokers, a system for submitting complaints, and standardized marketing guidelines to protect consumers. At the meeting announcing the initiative, Minister El-Sherbiny emphasized the importance of developing a fully integrated database covering every aspect of the real estate sector. He also called for the creation of a comprehensive strategic vision in partnership with real estate developers and relevant stakeholders to achieve the objectives of the new unit and digital platform. The minister added that these measures aim to bring Egypt's real estate sector closer to international standards. The initiative is expected to strengthen investor confidence, improve market practices, and offer greater protection to homebuyers from misleading or unregulated transactions.
