Almost every new client asks the same things: "What is the over?", "Do I get the deposit back?", "Why is the area on paper bigger than what I see?". Clients trust the consultant who can explain a term in two sentences, without hedging and without promises. This glossary is for the colleague who wants a ready, accurate answer. Each term has a one-line definition followed by "What to tell the client": a line you can say as it stands. Full definitions and the calculations are in the real-estate glossary.
One rule before you start: if you are not sure of a figure or a condition in a specific offer, say "I'll confirm with the developer and get back to you", and never make one up.
Price and payment plan
Down payment (المقدم, DP)
The part of the unit price paid at signing, usually written as a percentage.
What to tell the client: "The down payment is what you pay when we sign; the rest is spread over the plan. Let me confirm whether it is taken from the price before or after the discount."
Monthly and quarterly installments (الأقساط)
The payments that settle the rest of the price after the down payment, every month, three months, six months or year.
What to tell the client: "If the amount and the years are the same, the total is the same. Only the size and timing of each payment change, so pick what fits your income." The calculation is in Down payment and installments.
Delivery payment (دفعة الاستلام)
An extra amount in some plans, due when the unit is handed over, on top of the regular installments.
What to tell the client: "There is a payment larger than a normal installment at delivery, and it may land at the same time as the maintenance deposit, so let's plan for it now."
Cash price and cash discount (السعر الكاش وخصم الكاش)
The unit price if paid in full at once or within a short period, and the gap between that and the installment price.
What to tell the client: "Cash is the smaller number, but money that stays with you for years has value. Let's put both on the same basis and see the real difference." The method is in Developer discounts and cash prices.
Discount before or after the down payment (الخصم قبل المقدم وبعده)
The same discount percentage gives a different figure depending on whether it comes off the full price or only the part paid in installments.
What to tell the client: "A discount before the down payment lowers both the down payment and the installments; after it, only the installments. I'll ask the developer which one applies and show you both figures."
"Installments with no interest" (تقسيط بدون فوائد)
A developer plan has no written interest rate, but the gap between the cash and installment prices implies a yearly cost.
What to tell the client: "There is no interest written in the contract, but the installment price is higher than cash. If you want the real cost, we can work it out with present value." It is explained in Comparing payment plans.
Price per square metre (سعر المتر)
The unit price divided by its area; the figure changes with gross or net area and with what the price includes.
What to tell the client: "Only compare price per metre between two offers on the same definition: the same kind of area and the same items inside the price."
Offer validity (صلاحية العرض)
The period during which the developer stands by the quoted price and plan terms.
What to tell the client: "The developer says this offer holds until this date; after that the price or the plan may change. I'm not pushing you, I just don't want you surprised."
Booking and contract
Expression of interest, EOI (طلب الحجز أو إبداء الرغبة)
A form, often with a payment, that registers interest in a project or phase before any contract, in return for priority when units are picked.
What to tell the client: "An EOI is not a contract. Before you pay, we get in writing whether this amount is refundable and when."
Booking amount (مبلغ الحجز أو جدية الحجز)
A payment that holds a specific unit for you until the contract is signed.
What to tell the client: "Let's get the refund terms for this amount in writing before you pay, and ask for the contract template to read." A legal study of more than 40 contracts, reported by Masrawy on 19 September 2026, found non-refundable booking amounts that reached EGP 250,000 in some cases.
Preliminary contract (العقد الابتدائي)
The sale contract signed with the developer or seller, setting the price, payment schedule, delivery date and penalty clauses.
What to tell the client: "Read the contract before you sign, especially the delivery date and the delay and cancellation clauses, and have a lawyer look at it if you can."
Allocation (التخصيص)
Assigning a specific unit to the client by number, floor and building.
What to tell the client: "Check that the unit number and area in the contract are the ones you were shown."
Penalty and forfeiture clause (الشرط الجزائي والمصادرة)
The clause that sets what you lose if you stop paying or cancel, and what the developer pays if it delivers late.
What to tell the client: "Read this clause before you sign, not after." The study Masrawy reported in September 2026 found contracts where forfeiture could reach 30% of the unit price, and contracts that capped total delay compensation at 2% of the price.
Delivery and unit condition
Delivery date (الاستلام)
The handover of the unit on the date the contract sets.
What to tell the client: "The date I rely on is the one written in the contract, not what anyone says. Let's read the delay clause together." According to Masrawy on 24 October 2026, a draft law to regulate real-estate development, still being prepared by the government, proposes a grace period of up to 12 months after the agreed date and a buyer's right to a refund if the delay passes 24 months. It was a draft, not law, as of that report.
Off-plan (تحت الإنشاء)
Buying a unit that is not finished, based on plans and a delivery date in the contract.
What to tell the client: "Plans are often longer, but you carry the risk of delay. Let's check the developer's delivery record." The comparison is in Off-plan vs ready units.
Ready to move (استلام فوري)
A finished unit you receive right after signing.
What to tell the client: "You see the unit with your own eyes and take it now. Ready does not mean no installments, so ask about the term and the down payment."
Semi-finished and fully finished (نصف تشطيب وتشطيب كامل)
Semi-finished comes without final finishing; fully finished is ready to live in.
What to tell the client: "What semi-finished includes differs between developers, so we'll ask for the specification list in writing. When comparing with a finished unit, we add the finishing cost to the semi-finished one."
Resale (الريسيل)
Buying from a previous owner instead of the developer, sometimes with installments still to pay.
What to tell the client: "On a resale you pay the seller what they paid plus the over, and you take over the remaining installments. We add it all up and compare it with the developer's offer for a similar unit."
Over price (الأوفر)
The amount a seller asks on top of what they actually paid the developer.
What to tell the client: "The over is the seller's profit, and it counts inside your total cost, not as something separate." In a November 2019 Al Borsa News report, a property marketing executive said the buyer pays the owner what they paid plus a profit margin.
Transfer fee (رسوم التنازل)
A fee the developer charges to move the contract to a new owner on a resale.
What to tell the client: "The developer charges a transfer fee, and the contract decides who pays it, so let's agree on it with the seller up front." The study Masrawy reported in September 2026 found these fees between 1% and 5% of the unit's value.
Areas and fees
Gross and net area (المساحة الإجمالية والصافية)
Gross is the area you pay for, including your share of common parts; net is what lies inside the unit's walls.
What to tell the client: "The figure in the offer is usually gross. I'll ask for the net in writing so you know how many metres you actually use."
Loading ratio (نسبة التحميل)
The gap between gross and net area as a share of gross area.
What to tell the client: "This is your share of the stairs, entrances and corridors. Let's work out the price per metre on net area so the comparison is fair." In a March 2021 El Watan report, a property expert said no law sets the loading ratio.
Maintenance deposit (وديعة الصيانة)
A sum paid to the developer, separate from the unit price, to fund upkeep of the project.
What to tell the client: "The deposit sits outside the unit price and does not reduce the down payment or installments. I'll ask when it is due and who manages it." The study Masrawy reported in September 2026 found contracts where the deposit reached 10% of the unit price. Details are in Maintenance deposit and service charges.
Service charges (رسوم الخدمات)
Recurring amounts, often yearly, after delivery for security, cleaning and upkeep of shared areas.
What to tell the client: "These are separate from the deposit. I'll ask whether they are paid from the deposit's returns or on top, and how they are set each year."
Garage, club and extras (الجراج والنادي والإضافات)
Items that may be paid outside the unit price, depending on the project.
What to tell the client: "Before we call any figure final, let's confirm what the price includes and what is paid separately." The calculation is in Total cost of owning a unit.
Returns and finance
Rental yield (العائد الإيجاري)
One year's rent divided by the unit price; net yield subtracts the owner's costs first.
What to tell the client: "I can't promise a rent. Let's calculate the yield with the rent you expect, and look at net, not gross." It is explained in Rental yield.
Return on investment, ROI (العائد على الاستثمار)
The net gain from sale and rent divided by everything you paid.
What to tell the client: "Nobody can guarantee the future sale price. What I can do is run the scenario with your figures and turn the return into a yearly rate." The method is in ROI on a property.
Mortgage finance (التمويل العقاري)
Finance from a bank or mortgage finance company to buy a unit, repaid in installments with interest.
What to tell the client: "This is different from a developer plan. The bank sets the terms and the interest, so we ask the bank directly." According to the Financial Regulatory Authority, the activity is governed by Real Estate Finance Law No. 148 of 2001 as amended by Law No. 55 of 2014. Details are in Mortgage finance routes in Egypt.
Frequently asked questions
What if a client asks about something I don't know?
Say clearly that you will confirm with the developer and get back by a set time, then do it. A wrong answer costs you the client more than "let me check".
Should I quote the study figures to clients?
Use them as examples of what to check in a contract, not as a rule for every developer. Each figure has its source and date, and the contract in front of you is what binds.
How do I show the client the numbers instead of explaining them?
Run the offer in the app and send the schedule as a PDF. The steps are in Sending a payment plan PDF on WhatsApp, and how to answer objections like "the installment is too high" is in Presenting a payment plan to a client.
Run the numbers
The down payment and installments calculator in CalcRealty takes the price, the down payment, a discount before or after the down payment and the maintenance deposit, then builds a full schedule with the date, amount and share of every payment, alongside calculators for price per square metre, area and returns. Get CalcRealty on Google Play, free, in Arabic and English.
Results are planning estimates; the developer contract sets the final amounts.