Developer or Resale? Steps to Buy a Unit in Egypt

Last updated: November 2026

Buying from the developer or as a resale depends on when you need the unit. The developer gives you a direct contract, a clear payment plan and later delivery; a resale gives you an existing unit that may already be delivered, but it needs closer checks on the contracts, installments and transfer fees. In both cases have a lawyer review the contract before you pay.

This guide sets out the practical differences between the two routes, the step-by-step process for each, and what to ask before you book.

What is the difference between buying from the developer and buying a resale?

The main difference is that the developer sells you a unit in its own name, while in a resale you buy from an owner who contracted before you, so their rights and obligations pass to you with the developer’s approval. The table summarises the comparison:

What are the steps to buy a unit from the developer?

1. Set your budget and purpose: living or investment, the down payment you can bear and the installment you can carry.
2. Request the available units: the unit plan, area, price, finishing condition and the payment plan in writing.
3. Check the developer’s record: projects actually delivered and the real delivery date against the contractual one; visit a delivered project if you can.
4. Review the contract: delivery, the delay clause, the payment schedule, maintenance and management fees, and the right to assign.
5. Sign and pay the down payment, and keep an official receipt in the developer’s name for every payment.
6. Follow installments and delivery: keep all correspondence and inspect the unit at handover before signing the handover record.
7. Ask about registration: its timing, route and the documents required after payment.

What should you check when buying a resale unit?

Before you agree a price with the owner, request these documents and review them:

• The contract chain: the current owner’s contract with the developer and every earlier assignment if the unit has had more than one owner, with names and dates that connect without a gap.
• Remaining installments: a statement from the developer of what was paid and what remains, with dates, not from the owner alone.
• Transfer fees: the amount the developer collects when a unit is transferred, when it is paid and who bears it; write it into the sale agreement.
• Developer approval: that the transfer will be made officially on the developer’s paperwork and that you will receive a contract in your name or an annex recording the assignment.
• Maintenance and services: that the unit has no unpaid maintenance or utilities, with the receipt of the last payment.
• Unit condition: the actual area, the finishing, and any alterations made without approval.
• Seller identity: that the seller is the name on the developer’s contract; if an agent is acting, ask for the power of attorney and show it to your lawyer.

For units listed for assignment see our resale page, and for ready-to-live apartments in one area see ready apartments in 6th of October.

What mistakes should you avoid before paying anything?

• Paying an owner in cash with no receipt or written agreement stating what you paid and what remains.
• Relying on the seller’s word about remaining installments instead of an official statement from the developer.
• Signing a contract or booking receipt before reading the delivery, delay and assignment clauses.
• Relying on photos or a show unit without checking the actual area, finishing and documents.
• Leaving out maintenance, management fees and transfer cost when working out the total budget.

What should you ask the developer before booking?

These short questions reveal most of what you need: what is the contractual delivery date, and what compensation applies for delay if any? Is the project licensed and at what stage of construction is it now? What does the unit price include and exclude? What are the maintenance and management fees and when do they start? Does the contract allow assignment and on what terms? And what is the registration route? Ask for the answers in writing, because a verbal promise does not protect you.

How do you work out the total budget for a resale unit?

Do not count only the amount the owner asks. Add what you will pay the owner, the remaining installments to the developer, the transfer fee the developer sets, maintenance and management fees, and any finishing or fit-out cost, then compare the total with a similar unit bought from the developer. That shows the real difference, rather than leaving you misled by a down payment figure or a price per metre.

What is registration and why ask about it early?

Registration is the step that records ownership officially in your name. Its timing and route are not the same across projects, because they depend on the status of the land, the completeness of the documents and the developer’s policy. So ask before booking: is the land registered? When can the unit be registered? What documents and fees are required? What do you need after full payment? In a resale also ask whether the registration right passes to you in full after the transfer.

Fees and rates change from case to case, so confirm them with the developer and your lawyer.

When should you choose the developer and when the resale?

• Choose the developer if you have time to wait and want an extended payment plan and a contract directly from the developer.
• Choose a resale if you want an existing unit you can inspect on site and take over sooner, and you are ready to review the documents.
• In both cases compare the price with similar units in the same project and do not decide on price per metre alone.

If you are buying a shop in a mall, the same steps apply with extra points covered in how to buy a shop in a mall, and you can review New Cairo malls and 6th of October shops, Fifth Settlement shops and clinics and New Capital offices and shops.

Review the contract with a lawyer before signing or paying any amount. This guide is general information; it is not legal advice and does not guarantee a price or an outcome.

Frequently asked questions about buying from the developer or resale

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