Engineer Randa El-Mashanawy, Minister of Housing, Utilities, and Urban Communities, announced that the Social Housing and Mortgage Finance Fund has begun offering an electronic service for transferring ownership of real estate units—whether residential, commercial, or administrative—through new city authorities and housing directorates across all governorates.
Step Toward Digital Transformation and Governance
The Minister explained that this development is part of the government’s ongoing efforts to advance digital transformation and apply governance principles, with the goal of simplifying procedures for citizens and ensuring easier, more accessible public services without unnecessary obstacles.
Fully Integrated Digital System Linking Authorities and the Fund
May Abdel Hamid, CEO of the Social Housing and Mortgage Finance Fund, stated that the initiative is designed to enable citizens to obtain approval for property ownership transfers in a secure and simplified manner, without the need to travel to the Fund’s headquarters in Cairo, as was previously required.
She noted that this is facilitated through a fully integrated digital system connecting new city authorities and housing directorates with the Fund.
She added that ownership transfers are permitted for clients whose restriction period on disposal has ended—after seven years from the date of handover and following approval from the financing entity—or for those who have fully repaid their mortgage and obtained a clearance certificate confirming full payment, in line with applicable regulations.
Required Documents for Ownership Transfer Requests
Abdel Hamid clarified that applicants must provide a set of documents, including:
- A copy of the contract for cash buyers, or a bank clearance letter for mortgage-financed clients confirming full payment of the unit price
- A copy of the unit handover report
- A copy of the property sale contract
- A copy of the national ID for both the original owner and the transferee
- An original clearance certificate from the financing entity stating the financing and repayment dates (for mortgage cases)
In inheritance cases, a legal inheritance certificate must also be submitted along with copies of the heirs’ national IDs. If minor heirs are involved, approval from the competent guardianship court is required before any disposal of their share.
Applicants are also required to present original documents along with copies to the responsible employee at the relevant city authority or housing directorate.
Conditions for Accepting Ownership Transfer Requests
The CEO emphasized that specific conditions must be met for any transfer request to be accepted, including:
- No issues related to the original property allocation
- No legal violations except for judicial seizure reports
She also outlined the applicable fees for ownership transfers as follows:
- 1% of the unit’s total contract value for first-degree relatives (minimum EGP 5,000)
- 10% of the unit’s total contract value for non–first-degree relatives
- 1% of the unit’s value payable to the new city authorities and housing directorates processing the request
- Maintenance fees equivalent to 5% of the unit’s value as stated in the contract, or proof of prior payment
Designated Staff for Service Processing
Abdel Hamid added that each new city authority and housing directorate has assigned a dedicated employee to handle ownership transfer services.
This employee is responsible for verifying the applicant’s identity and legal capacity, receiving applications and documents, collecting signatures, reviewing submitted materials, and confirming the identity of the owner—whether personally or through a legally authorized representative after validating the power of attorney.
The assigned staff member also submits the request electronically on behalf of the applicant by entering required data such as national ID, mobile number, and full name. The registered phone number must match the one recorded in the Social Housing Fund’s database.
All documents are uploaded electronically as a single PDF file not exceeding 5 MB.
Review Process and Notification System
The relevant departments of the Fund review applications carefully and send periodic SMS updates on their status. Applicants are then notified of either approval and completion of the ownership transfer or rejection, along with the reason for rejection.
Continued Digital Transformation Efforts
May Abdel Hamid confirmed that the Social Housing and Mortgage Finance Fund continues to digitize all services provided to citizens. This ongoing process enhances governance, strengthens transparency and credibility, and improves the efficiency and accessibility of public services.