Aqari property platform draws backlash in Iraq over new fees

Shafaq News

Iraq's newly launched Aqari Platform, a mandatory digital system for property transactions, came into force on Wednesday, drawing criticism from lawmakers, lawyers, and real estate professionals who warned it would increase the cost of buying and selling property despite government efforts to modernize the sector.

The platform, introduced by the Ministry of Trade in cooperation with the Federation of Iraqi Chambers of Commerce, requires all property sales, purchases, and lease transactions to be processed electronically through licensed real estate offices before completion at land registration offices. According to the platform, it replaces paper-based procedures, restricts transactions to licensed brokers, requires payments to pass through the formal banking system, and aims to protect property rights while combating fraud, forgery, and money laundering.

Lawmaker Mohammed Jassim Al-Khafaji argued that the platform would saddle citizens with additional fees of up to 400,000 Iraqi dinars (about $305) through contracted companies, on top of a fixed 150,000-dinar (about $115) charge for processing electronic transactions.

Describing the fees as "a new form of revenue collection" under the banner of digitalization, Al-Khafaji questioned the platform's practical value, arguing that it does not directly connect with land registration offices, municipalities, or other government agencies, but instead acts primarily as an intermediary between buyers and sellers. He said he would pursue parliamentary oversight of the project.

Those concerns are echoed by many in the real estate sector, particularly in Kirkuk, where brokers fear the additional costs could slow an already cautious property market.

For Qahtan Abdullah, a real estate broker, the problem is not the shift toward digital services but the growing financial burden attached to them. He noted that property transfers already require buyers and sellers to pay registration fees, taxes, municipal charges, valuation costs, legal expenses, and brokerage commissions, with total transaction costs reaching around five million dinars depending on the property's value. The new platform, he warned, adds another layer of expenses that could discourage transactions.

Another broker, Hassan Al-Jubouri, expects the extra costs to feed directly into property prices as sellers attempt to recover the additional fees by increasing asking prices, ultimately leaving buyers to absorb the higher costs. He cautioned that the measure could further dampen market activity.

Lawyer Yasser Talib offered another assessment, saying the platform could help reduce bureaucracy, improve documentation, and curb forgery if implemented transparently. However, “any new charges should rest on a clear legal basis, with authorities publicly explaining how fees are calculated, who collects them, and how the proceeds are spent.”

He also called for a public awareness campaign to explain how the platform operates and to publish all regulations and fees to build public confidence.

Government documents state that every property transaction must now begin with an electronic application submitted through an accredited real estate office, including detailed information on the property, the contract, and the source of funds, before ownership can be transferred through Iraq's land registration system.