Prices Set to Rise 8–12% as Gold Retreats: A Reading of the Real Estate Market — 12 November 2026

<h2>Key Market Figures Today/This Week</h2><p>Market expectations point to further price increases: Ahmed Ismail, head of sales at Address Real Estate Development, said residential unit prices are likely to rise by an average of between 8% and 12% during 2026, after the average unit value rose by about 6% in the first half of the year, according to what Timer News published today. The same figure revealed a striking gap: real estate financing value grew by 25% while the number of clients fell by about 9% — larger deals from fewer buyers. Adding to the picture, the dollar has risen by about 5% since the end of July, which directly raises development costs. In the same context, Dr. Abdullah Lutfi, managing director of Livingyards Developments, expected prices to rise by between 5% and 10% during the remainder of 2026 and the start of 2027, according to Masrawy. Madinet Masr, meanwhile, announced via Al Arabiya that it had raised selling prices in its projects by an average of 7% during the current year, even though it had planned an increase of between 15% and 20% and did not implement it, and that 2027 prices are likely to rise, with the effect of the central bank's latest interest rate hike expected to appear in selling prices next year.</p><h2>Gold Today and Its Relation to the Property-Buying Decision</h2><p>Gold declined on Thursday morning: 21-karat recorded about EGP 6,095 for sale according to Al Ain, EGP 6,115 according to Masrawy after a drop of about EGP 10 at the start of trading, and EGP 6,140 at the start of trading according to Youm7, while the Gold and Jewelry Division of the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce reported EGP 6,100 for sale and EGP 6,050 for purchase via Maspero — meaning the gram is moving this morning within a range of EGP 6,095–6,140, retreating from yesterday's close, at which 21-karat ended at EGP 6,140 after falling by about EGP 20 in evening trading. The gold pound recorded about EGP 49,120 according to Youm7, while the ounce fell globally to about $3,978, down 0.24%, according to Bloomberg data reported by Masrawy. Gold's relationship to real estate is direct in the Egyptian buyer's calculations: every wave of volatility in the yellow metal pushes a segment of savers to rebalance between gold and property as two stores of value — and this week's consecutive decline makes converting savings into property relatively cheaper for those who were waiting for the moment to switch, but it also reminds us that timing is a decision that requires calculation, not impulse.</p><h2>New Projects and Launches</h2><p>The Ministry of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities has opened a new door for foreign investment in the real estate market: starting from 1 November 2026, it began receiving applications from foreign companies for new real estate investment opportunities in a number of urban cities, using electronic wallets via the New Urban Communities Authority platform, according to what Masahat News published today — noting that the announcement did not specify the number of November land plots or their financial value, and that offering land does not amount to selling it or allocating it definitively. In the private sector, Alamat Real Estate Investment is preparing to enter the Egyptian market with its first project, 'Kanan Towers', in the New Administrative Capital, and will reveal its full details during a launch ceremony it is organising on 14 November at the Kempinski Palace Hotel in New Cairo, according to Al Motawwer. T Developments also announced the introduction of the first model of balanced real estate contracts in its project 'T19 Business Complex' in the Financial District of the Administrative Capital, with targeted investments of about EGP 2 billion on a land area of nearly 5,000 square metres, and it aims to bring its investments in Egypt to EGP 10 billion by 2030, according to Al Bawaba Al Aqareya. Registration also remains open in the third offering of the 'Beitak Fe Misr' (Your Home in Egypt) initiative for Egyptians abroad since 10 November, with about 4,000 units in 9 new cities.</p><h2>A Trend Worth Watching: 'Rebalancing' — The Full Increase Has Not Yet Been Passed Through</h2><p>Ahmed Ismail of Address Real Estate Development describes the current market as a 'rebalancing' — neither stagnation nor a sales boom — and a deeper reading of today's figures supports him: the real estate financing gap (financing value +25% versus number of clients −9%) means the market is selling larger deals to a smaller number of buyers, a sign of a selective market, not a stalled one. At the same time, the major companies raised their prices by only about 7% this year while costs rose faster — the dollar rose by about 5% since the end of July, and financing costs increased with the latest rate hike — which means that part of the increase has not yet been passed on to the buyer. Madinet Masr's statement that 2026 prices rose at a slower pace than the increase in costs, and that the effect of the rate hike will appear in selling prices next year, indicates that 2027 may carry a deferred wave of cost pass-through. The practical meaning: a buyer negotiating today may buy before the cost pass-through is complete, but the condition is always the same — a project by a developer with a delivery track record, and a price per metre compared within the same project, not across different projects.</p><h2>From Our Market Today</h2><p>The Dealers State catalogue currently includes 97 units with announced prices: starting from EGP 1,375,000, with a median price of about EGP 10.35 million, distributed between 71 developer units (65 under construction and 6 ready) and 26 resale units (19 immediately ready and 7 under construction). Ten more units were approved and added to the catalogue later the same day, so the choice is wider than yesterday's list — meaning that entry options at prices below the large market average do still actually exist for those who search in the right two segments and compare by the price per metre within the same project.</p><h2>A Practical Takeaway for the Buyer</h2><p>Three practical signals: First, expectations of a rise of 8–12% during 2026, with an increase that has not yet been fully passed through, mean that waiting too long may cost more, but buying hastily without comparing the price per metre within the same project costs more. Second, this week's gold decline lowers the cost of converting from the metal into property for those who were waiting, but the sharp volatility (about EGP 20 in a single evening session yesterday) is a reminder that conversion is a decision to be calculated in instalments, not in one lump sum. Third, new developers racing to enter the New Administrative Capital and the state opening investment opportunities for foreign companies mean a wider supply and easier negotiation for the buyer who is ready with their liquidity. Tomorrow, a new edition with the next day's figures.</p>