Regulatory tours of the General Real Estate Authority: A safety valve for the Saudi real estate market
Abdelfattah Abu Zeid
The Saudi real estate market is witnessing the real estate market is witnessing an accelerated growth that is clearly reflected in the volume of contracts, announcements and licenses; at the heart of this transformation comes the regulatory tours implemented by the General Real Estate Authority as an effective national regulatory and control tool to ensure market integrity and protect beneficiaries, enhance the investment environment and contribute to supporting the Kingdom's economy according to Vision 2030.
Recent statistics confirm the effectiveness of regulatory tours
<In the first quarter of 2025, the authority documented more than 96,000 real estate brokerage contracts (an average of 44 contracts per hour and 1,066 contracts per day), representing a growth of 97% compared to the same quarter in 2024. The total number of contracts registered since the implementation of the brokerage system exceeded 507,000 contracts
The same quarter saw the issuance of more than 7,875 licenses for brokerage, consulting, and property management activities, in addition to licensing more than 105,000 online real estate advertisements and 10 online real estate platforms, bringing the total number of licensed platforms to 71
The Authority carried out 36,000 field inspections during the same quarter, resulting in 51,352 violations related to advertising in public places
There were 35 joint inspection campaigns that included visiting 466 real estate establishments in cooperation with multiple government entities, in addition to 23,746 electronic scans to ensure the safety of digital advertisements and real estate platforms.
Monthly regulatory activity:
May 2025: Conducted 13 joint tours that included visiting 103 facilities, conducting 23,530 field audits, monitoring 780 real estate reports, and 33,372 electronic scans.
June 2025: 8 joint tours involving 108 facilities, 6,532 field audits, 778 real estate reports, and more than 20,072 electronic scans.
March 2025: The Authority carried out 7 joint tours on 86 real estate establishments, with 19,636 field audits, 589 reports, and 3,204 electronic scans.
March 2025: The Authority carried out 7 joint tours on 86 real estate establishments.
The importance of regulatory tours and their impact on the market
Guaranteeing consumers" rights: By detecting abuses, misleading advertisements and irregular real estate practices.
Enhancing investor confidence: By providing a transparent and regulated environment that preserves rights and minimizes risks.
Raise the level of professionalism and commitment: By imposing fines of up to 200,000 riyals for violations, prompting the legalization of the activity and improving quality.
Promote digital transformation: thanks to an extensive electronic survey that covers digital platforms and ensures digital compliance.
Rounds instill confidence in the real estate sector, making it attractive to local and international investments. Government and regulatory interventions are working on fiscal balance.
The role of regulatory tours in supporting the national economy
The real estate market is a tributary to non-oil output; real estate output has been estimated to reach about 10% of the total economy by 2030.
Tours contribute to market discipline, balancing supply and demand and thereby alleviating inflationary pressures associated with housing; although rents are estimated to rise by around 7.6% in June 2025, government and regulatory interventions are working on fiscal balance.Conclusion: Strategic oversight rounds to regulate the sector
<It is a regular strategy that manages the market, legalizes practices, and addresses violations before they escalate, serving the interests of beneficiaries, investors, and the state. This calls for us to continue strengthening these tracks, linking them with awareness campaigns, and integrating them with government partners to achieve the goals of Vision 2030 towards a strong, transparent, and sustainable real estate sector.
