Know the Egyptian property market

You cannot advise a client on a market you do not know. Egypt is large, but most broker deals happen in three places. This lesson gives you the map, the buyers and the numbers to start with.

The big picture

Egypt’s top 10 developers sold about EGP 670 billion of property in the first half of 2026, up 2.9% on a year earlier, while the number of units sold fell to about 39,000 (Daily News Egypt and EnterpriseAM, August 2026). In plain words: prices per unit are rising faster than volumes. Clients still buy, but fewer of them, and they compare more.

The three main markets

Market	Share of top 10 sales, H1 2026	Key areas
East Cairo	47%	New Cairo, Mostakbal City, New Administrative Capital, Madinaty
North Coast	33%	New Alamein, Sidi Abdel Rahman, Ras El Hekma
West Cairo	11%	Sheikh Zayed, 6th of October

Source: EnterpriseAM, August 2026. Ain Sokhna took another 7%.

Greater Cairo. New Cairo is the heart of the eastern market. The New Administrative Capital has ministries and parliament, and apartments there averaged about EGP 50,000 per sqm in July 2026, but only about 30,000 people lived there at that time (Asharq Al-Awsat). That gap is a resale and rental risk you must explain. West Cairo buyers often ask first about the commute. See Greater Cairo on CloserPass.

North Coast (Sahel). Mostly holiday homes, driven by large Gulf-backed projects such as Ras El Hekma. New launch asking prices on the coast rose about 24% year on year in 2026, ahead of Cairo (EnterpriseAM, July 2026). Demand is seasonal, so rental income outside summer is limited. See the North Coast.

Red Sea. Hurghada and resort towns such as El Gouna, Sahl Hasheesh and Soma Bay form the most international market. In 2025, about 39% of El Gouna’s property sales went to international clients (Invest-Gate, March 2026). See the Red Sea.

Who buys, and why

• Egyptian families upgrading to gated compounds, often on long developer plans.
• Savers protecting their money. Urban inflation was 13.9% in September 2026 (Daily News Egypt). It is lower than in 2023 but still high, so many households see property as a store of value.
• Egyptians abroad. Remittances reached a record USD 37.5 billion in the first 11 months of 2025. Clients earning in dollars, riyals or dirhams often buy for family use or as a hedge.
• Foreign buyers, mainly for holiday homes on the coasts and the Red Sea.

Primary, resale and rentals

• Primary (off plan). You sell for the developer. The client pays a down payment and instalments over many years. This is where most volume is. Lesson 6 explains the steps.
• Resale. A current owner sells, either a finished unit or a contract still under construction. The buyer may take over the remaining instalments. You need to check the title chain carefully.
• Rentals. Global Property Guide put the average gross yield of two-bedroom apartments in New Cairo at 8.71% in Q4 2026. Net yields are usually lower once costs are paid. Old rent-controlled leases are being phased out under Law 164 of 2025: they end after seven years for homes and five years for other uses.

What to tell foreign buyers

Foreigners can own residential units. Since recent Cabinet decisions, there is no cap on the number of units when the buyer pays in foreign currency transferred from abroad, and units bought from state bodies such as NUCA need proof of payment in US dollars (Ahram Online, July 2026). Ownership covers units, not land. Sinai has its own restrictive regime, with exceptions reported for Dahab, Sharm El Sheikh and the Gulf of Aqaba tourism zone.

Residency linked to property exists, but we could not confirm the current thresholds on an official page. Send clients to the immigration authority before they rely on it. Full detail in buying property in Egypt as a foreigner.

Your homework

Pick one area. Visit three compounds, note the developer, the delivery record, the finishing level and the price per sqm. Then compare with two resale listings nearby. That is your first market file.

Prices and rules move quickly in Egypt. Check the official source before you act.

Train your area knowledge with Egypt areas and Egypt investment.