Egypt - Real Estate

The laws and taxes in Egypt may have made real estate investing too complicated and expensive in the past. Rhiannon Willliamson says that things are changing, though. It may be time to look at Egyptian real estate.

Is Egypt's Real Estate Sector Really Worth Investing in?

By Rhiannon Williamson

Oh how I love a question that’s so easy to answer…is Egypt’s real estate sector really worth investing in?

Too right it is!

There are so many positive aspects of the property market in Egypt that make the entire sector an exciting place to be right now that anyone serious about venturing into an emerging overseas real estate market should be focused on Egypt for at least the medium term.

First things first let's remove the confusion – Egypt is not a country plagued by terrorism, drought or famine – it's a stunningly beautiful, ancient and interesting country with a coastline that is brushed and caressed by both the Mediterranean and Red seas. It is also one of the most exciting and exotic countries in closest proximity to Europe giving investors a massive potential tourist audience to target; it is also a country that can genuinely boast year round sunshine on its Red Sea Riviera which means it offers investors year round potential for profit.

If these are not reasons enough alone for a property investor to get curious about Egypt, how about the fact that Dubai based mega property developers Emaar have just committed millions of dollars to the Egyptian residential real estate market place in Cairo? Or what about the fact that the Egyptian government have slashed property related taxation costs to make the whole process of owning real estate in Egypt that much more affordable for more people?

You can add to this the fact that inward foreign direct investment into Egypt is at an all time high, the country is receiving higher annual visitor intake than ever before and the country is enjoying its best relationships with Western governments in documented history if you like.

Furthermore the amount of investment and economic confidence in Egypt is opening up a wealthy and growing middle class sector who are keen to afford property for sale and rent in Cairo and Alexandria in particular, and this gives an investor a local resale market to target in the medium term which further boosts the long term potential of an investment made into the real estate sector which is currently dominated by the tourism market.

It's a fact that the highest rental incomes achievable for a real estate investor in Egypt right now are from tourist friendly properties along the Red Sea and Mediterranean coastlines – properties that are well located and facilitated are most in demand from the tourism market looking for short term lets. But there's

also a growing retirement market in Egypt that’s attracting great attention and giving real estate investors another potential revenue stream to explore.

Egypt really is the place to be for real estate investors looking for immediate income and medium to long term capital growth and resale potential - and because the property buying process for foreigners in Egypt has become more affordable and more transparent in very recent years, the numbers of investors examining the market and exploring its possibilities is set to rise and rise.

Reference Box: Rhiannon Williamson writes about real estate investment in emerging markets worldwide. To read more about property investment in Egypt click here.

International Real Estate | Egypt Real Estate