What Is the Over Price (Al Over)? Understanding Egypt's Contract-Transfer Deals

Walk into any conversation about resale units in Egyptian compounds and one word appears within minutes: the over, or over price. It confuses first-time buyers, yet the concept is simple once broken down.

What the over price actually is

When a seller bought a unit from a developer on installments, they have paid part of the price and still owe the rest. If the unit's market value has risen since their purchase, they will not hand over their contract for merely what they paid. The over price is the premium you pay the seller on top of reimbursing what they already paid, in exchange for stepping into their contract. After the transfer, you continue paying the remaining installments directly to the developer under the original schedule.

How the money flows in practice

• You reimburse the seller for the installments and down payment already made.
• You pay the agreed over price on top — this is the seller's profit.
• The developer transfers the contract into your name, usually for an administrative fee that varies by company.
• You continue the remaining installments with the developer.

Is the over price fair?

There is no official tariff — the over is pure supply and demand. To judge it, compare the total you will pay (paid amount plus over plus remaining installments plus transfer fee) against what the developer charges today for a similar new unit, and against other resale listings in the same compound. Older contracts with lower original prices and longer remaining plans usually justify a higher over.

The takeaway: evaluate the whole deal, not the over in isolation. A large over on a cheap old contract can still beat a small over on an expensive one — always compare total cost against today's alternatives.