What is a resale deal?

Many homes in Egypt are sold before they are finished. The buyer signs a payment plan with the developer and pays in installments. A tanazol (assignment) sale happens when that buyer sells the unit before the plan ends. You do not buy from the developer. You take over the contract, with everything already paid on it and everything still owed.

How it works

The seller already paid part of the price. You pay the seller back for what they paid, and sometimes a profit on top, called overprice. After that, you continue the remaining installments in your name. The developer approves the transfer, updates its records so the statements and the handover are addressed to you, and usually charges a transfer fee. From that point on the unit is yours on exactly the terms the seller had: same price, same schedule, same handover date.

A worked example

A unit was contracted at 5 million. The seller has paid 2 million and asks an over price of 800 thousand. You pay the seller 2.8 million at the assignment, then 3 million to the developer over the rest of the schedule. Your total is 5.8 million. Whether that is a good deal depends on one comparison: what does the developer ask today for the same unit, on its current plan? If new launches in the compound are at 7 million, you are well ahead even after the over. If they are at 5.5 million, you are paying for nothing.

Why buyers look for resale deals

• The contract often holds an older, cheaper price than today's launches.
• The unit is usually closer to delivery, or already delivered.
• Some sellers need to exit fast, so there is room to negotiate.
• The remaining plan is shorter than a fresh one, so less of the price is the cost of waiting.

What to check before you pay

• See the original contract and all payment receipts.
• Get the statement of account from the developer itself, not from the seller.
• Ask the developer about the transfer fee and the steps, and agree in writing who pays the fee.
• Check that the seller is not behind on installments: arrears come with the contract.
• Add up what you pay now plus the remaining installments, then compare that total with other homes.
• Do not pay the full over price before the developer has approved the transfer.

Resale versus buying from the developer

From the developer you get the current price and a fresh, long plan, sometimes with a launch discount. From a resale you get yesterday's price plus an over, a shorter remaining plan and an earlier handover. The developer route is simpler: one counterparty, no over, no transfer. The resale route is cheaper more often than not, but only if you do the comparison above with real numbers and get every approval before money moves.

Want the full picture, with the fees, the paperwork and the government-city route? Read the complete resale and tanazol guide.

On 3altool, every tanazol listing shows the amount paid, the remaining total, any overprice, and one cash price for the whole deal. That makes it easy to compare a tanazol with a normal sale. And if you are the one selling, you can list your resale yourself, free during launch, with the down payment and the remaining plan laid out the same way.

Frequently asked questions

Do I pay the seller or the developer?

Both, at different times. The seller gets back what they already paid plus any over price, at the assignment. The developer gets the remaining installments from you afterwards, on the same schedule the seller had.

Is an over price normal?

Yes, when the compound's prices have risen since the seller signed. The over is the seller's share of that rise. It is fair as long as the total you pay still lands below the developer's current price for the same unit on its current plan.

Can the developer refuse the transfer?

It can, if the contract bars assignment for a period or before a share of the price is paid, or if the seller is behind on installments. That is why the developer's approval and its own statement of account come before any money moves.

How does 3altool show a resale?

Every resale listing shows the amount paid, the remaining total, any over price, and one cash price for the whole deal, so a resale and a normal sale sit on the same scale.