Ahmed ElBatrawy: The Growing Talk About a Potential Real Estate Bubble Calls for Strong State Leadership to Regulate and Stabilize the Market
Ahmed ElBatrawy, Founder of Misr Real Estate Platform and a leading expert in real estate development and market regulation, has warned that the rising discourse about a “potential real estate bubble” in Egypt is no longer mere speculation, but a reflection of deeper structural imbalances that demand decisive government action.
ElBatrawy stressed that the stability and future of Egypt’s real estate sector cannot be safeguarded through optimistic statements alone, but through comprehensive legislative and structural reforms that enhance transparency and restore the state’s leadership role in regulating the market.
> “As long as real estate forums remain limited to developers and stakeholders, genuine reform will remain out of reach, because those who benefit from the imbalance cannot be the ones to fix it,” ElBatrawy said.
He emphasized that while positive media narratives may provide short-term reassurance, they fail to address the root causes of market instability — issues tied not only to supply, demand, or pricing, but to governance and decision-making structures themselves.
ElBatrawy commended the Egyptian government’s recent legislative steps to protect consumers and prevent market manipulation, urging continued expansion of such efforts across all aspects of the sector.
A Supreme Real Estate Authority: A National Necessity
ElBatrawy proposed the creation of a “Supreme Egyptian Real Estate Authority”, an independent body with executive and legislative powers to oversee the entire market and establish balanced policies that serve citizens, investors, and developers alike.
He explained that this authority should include representatives from government agencies, the private sector, civil society, and the Financial Regulatory Authority, forming a unified oversight system that supervises every stage of development — from planning to delivery.
Beyond regulation, the new authority would ensure balance, fairness, and transparency across all market activities. ElBatrawy suggested measures such as:
Introducing standardized sales contracts and transparent advertising rules
Prohibiting direct cash transactions and requiring all developers to use escrow accounts monitored by regulatory bodies
He also called for full digital transformation of the sector, establishing a national real estate database to record every transaction in real time, enabling precise monitoring, market analysis, and accountability.
Mortgage Financing: A Banking Responsibility, Not a Developer’s
ElBatrawy urged for a fundamental restructuring of Egypt’s mortgage financing system, emphasizing that financing should be the sole responsibility of banks — not developers.
> “It is illogical for developers to offer financing schemes without regulatory oversight or official licenses,” he said. “In global markets, these practices are exclusively managed by banks to ensure financial discipline and consumer protection.”
He warned that some long-term installment arrangements currently lack proper documentation, exposing buyers to risks. He called on the Financial Regulatory Authority to require developers to obtain official licenses before offering any financial or installment products.
Technology and Governance: The Road to Market Stability
According to ElBatrawy, digital transformation and strong governance are the key pillars for restoring order and stability to Egypt’s real estate market.
He proposed creating a unified electronic platform to record all real estate contracts and transactions — a system that would reveal real-time supply and demand trends, prevent speculative practices, and enhance investor confidence.
ElBatrawy noted that the government is already taking steps in this direction through advanced regulatory and legislative reforms, and urged for continued acceleration of these initiatives to make Egypt’s property market more transparent, stable, and globally competitive.
> “When the state takes the lead and the market operates through a structured, digital mindset, we will witness a real estate industry built on transparency and good governance — a fair, stable, and secure market for everyone,” ElBatrawy concluded.