A client arrives with two offers and one question: which is better? The quick answer is usually wrong, because two offers rarely share the same terms. The areas differ, and so do the down payment, the plan length, the deposit and the extras. A fair comparison means calculating each offer on its own, putting both in one table with the same items, and explaining the difference in numbers.
Step 1: get both offers in writing
Do not compare a written offer with one given over the phone. Get the written offer for each unit from the client or the developer, and check each one's expiry date. An expired offer is not an offer.
Step 2: run each offer separately
Enter each offer in the payment plan calculator in the CalcRealty app: price, down payment, discount (before or after the down payment, as a percentage or a fixed amount), maintenance deposit, and installment frequency and length. The calculator gives you the down payment, the installment and a full schedule with the date, amount and percentage of every payment. Save both; a saved calculation is titled with the unit price, so you can tell the two offers apart by price.
The app does not show two plans side by side, so you do the comparison itself in a table. If the areas differ, use the price per square metre calculator to compare on the same basis.
Step 3: line these items up
| Item | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Advertised price | Only the starting point |
| Area and price per m² | A lower price for a smaller unit is not cheaper |
| Down payment (DP) | What the client pays at signing |
| Installment, frequency and count | Convert both to the same period first |
| Maintenance deposit | Its percentage, the price it is based on, and when it is due |
| Extras | Garage, club, a payment at delivery |
| Total | Down payment, installments, deposit and extras |
| Delivery date and delay compensation | From the contract, not the conversation |
| Transfer fees on resale (رسوم التنازل) | Matter to a client who plans to resell |
Two items people often skip are delay compensation and transfer fees. A legal study by the Saada & Abu El-Qomsan law firm, published by Masrawy on 19 September 2026 after reviewing more than 40 contracts, found transfer fees of 1% to 5% of the unit's value, and delay compensation in some contracts as low as 0.25% a year with a total cap of 2% of the unit price. The same study found maintenance deposits of up to 10% of the unit price in some contracts. A gap in the deposit alone can flip a comparison.
Illustrative example with hypothetical numbers
Offer A: a 160 m² unit priced at EGP 5,000,000, garage included, 10% down, the rest over 6 years in quarterly installments, an 8% maintenance deposit.
Offer B: a 150 m² unit priced at EGP 4,800,000, 15% down, the rest over 8 years in quarterly installments, a 10% maintenance deposit, and a garage outside the price at EGP 150,000.
| Item | Offer A | Offer B |
|---|---|---|
| Advertised price | 5,000,000 | 4,800,000 |
| Price per m² | 31,250 | 32,000 |
| Due at signing | 500,000 | 720,000 |
| Number of installments | 24 | 32 |
| Quarterly installment | 187,500 | 127,500 |
| Monthly equivalent | 62,500 | 42,500 |
| Maintenance deposit | 400,000 | 480,000 |
| Garage | Included | 150,000 |
| Total | 5,400,000 | 5,430,000 |
The working: Offer A's down payment is 5,000,000 × 10% = 500,000, and the remaining 4,500,000 over 24 installments is 187,500. Offer B's down payment is 4,800,000 × 15% = 720,000, and the remaining 4,080,000 over 32 installments is 127,500. The deposits are 8% of 5,000,000 = 400,000 and 10% of 4,800,000 = 480,000.
The offer with the advertised price EGP 200,000 lower ends up EGP 30,000 higher in total, with a higher price per square metre and EGP 220,000 more due at signing. On the other side, its installment is smaller and its plan longer, and money paid later has value. To measure that in present value, use the method in the comparing payment plans guide instead of judging by the total alone.
Step 4: explain the difference to the client
Do not say "Offer A is better". Give the numbers and let the client choose for their situation:
Possible wording (illustrative): "The second offer has a lower price, but once we add the garage and the deposit its total is 30,000 higher. It asks for more upfront, but the monthly equivalent is 20,000 lower. If the down payment is not a problem and the installment is what matters to you, that favours it. If it is the other way round, the first one fits better."
Tie each difference to a question about the client: how much cash do they have now, what monthly amount can their income carry, when do they need the unit, and will they live in it or resell? The numbers answer "which is cheaper"; the client answers "which suits me".
After the meeting, send both calculations as PDFs so they can review them calmly. The guide to sending an installment PDF on WhatsApp shows how.
Common comparison mistakes
- Comparing advertised prices only, without area, deposit and extras.
- Setting a monthly installment against a quarterly one.
- Including the deposit in one offer and not the other, or calculating it on the wrong price.
- Ignoring the delivery gap between a ready unit and an off-plan one, covered in off-plan vs ready units.
- Dividing the price difference by the number of years and calling it yearly interest.
Questions to ask the developer before presenting the comparison
- How long is the offer valid?
- Is the discount applied before or after the down payment?
- What is the deposit percentage, which price is it based on, and when is it due?
- Is there a payment at delivery or extra annual payments?
- Are the garage and club included in the price?
- What is the delay compensation, and is it capped? What is the transfer fee if the client resells?
Frequently asked questions
Does CalcRealty compare the two offers for me?
No. Run each offer separately in the payment plan calculator and save it, then put the results in a table like the one above. The app gives you the numbers; you do the comparison.
The two units have different areas. How do I compare?
Compare the price per square metre next to the total. The price per square metre calculator works both ways, from price to metre and from metre to price. Developers may also measure area differently, so ask about the net and gross areas.
Is comparing totals enough?
Not always. The total tells you how many pounds, not when. If the plan lengths differ a lot, work out each plan's present value with the method in the comparing payment plans guide.
Should I compare a competing offer the client got from another consultant?
If the client brought it, compare it honestly on the same items. An honest comparison builds more trust than defending your own offer, even when the other one turns out to fit better.
Run the numbers
The payment plan, price per square metre and total unit price calculators in the CalcRealty app give you each offer's figures in minutes, and you can save the calculations and export the payment plan schedule as a PDF. Get CalcRealty on Google Play.
Read also the total cost of owning a unit, the maintenance deposit guide, and how to present a payment plan to a client and answer objections.
Results are planning estimates; the developer contract sets the final amounts.