What should conveyancing actually cover on a Cairo multifamily purchase?

[lila.dove]

I’m comparing conveyancing quotes for a small multifamily in Cairo priced around EGP 46,560,000, and the scopes barely resemble one another. One includes negotiation and document coordination; another seems to end after making introductions.

What should I insist is included between offer and closing? My priorities are clear fees, agreed response times, local knowledge, a traceable document trail and one person remaining accountable throughout. I’d particularly value practical examples of how the scope should be written for an Egyptian transaction, rather than a broad promise to “handle everything.”

 

[booksAndOak]

At that price, I would want a written task list rather than rely on the word conveyancing. It should identify who examines ownership and registration evidence, seller authority, building and unit documents, existing occupancies, payment conditions, contract drafts and closing paperwork. It should also state exclusions, third-party costs, response targets and who reports unresolved issues to you. Negotiation can be separate, but document coordination cannot simply disappear between advisers.

 

[RealMoss]

Is the building being delivered vacant, or are there tenants and rent records to reconcile? That changes the practical scope considerably. I’d also ask whether each quote covers only legal document work or includes physical and financial due diligence. Otherwise two firms can give very different prices while both accurately call their service “conveyancing.”

 

[timber.light]

There are two reasonable models here: one firm handles every strand, or several specialists work under a clear coordinator. I would favour the second if necessary, because the lawyer dealing with a Cairo transaction may not also be the best person to inspect the building or test the rental figures.

What cannot be left vague is ownership of the issue list. One named person should track documents, dependencies and deadlines, even where physical or financial checks are assigned elsewhere.

I would also require each firm to state in writing which ownership and registration route it believes applies to this building, what supporting evidence can be obtained, and what must be resolved before funds are released. Specialist appointments can be changed; releasing money without a satisfactory ownership trail is much harder to undo.

 

[RealMoss]

The tenancy question and Kai’s distinction are the missing pieces. I’d request revised quotes using the same checklist, with each item marked included, excluded or handled by a third party. Add deadlines for acknowledging questions and returning draft comments, plus an escalation contact.

For the cash downside, require the engagement to say what happens if ownership evidence, authority, occupancy records or another agreed condition cannot be satisfied: who advises on stopping, what work remains payable, and whether any proposed payment is refundable under the transaction documents. That should expose an introduction-only quote very quickly.