Morocco’s Real Estate Market Grinds to Halt: Tax Certificate Chaos Derails Summer Sales

The Moroccan real estate market is almost at a standstill due to the unavailability of the tax clearance certificate, a document essential for the conclusion of any real estate transaction. This administrative blockage has led to the congestion of the tax services, the paralysis of the notary’s offices and the exasperation of real estate professionals. "Without this document, no notary can legally record a sale. Result: transactions that are nevertheless well underway, sometimes even urgent for personal or investment reasons, find themselves blocked," explains Karim Librahimi, Director of the "Le Point de Vente" agency, to Le Challenge.

He recounts that he has happened to see a seller quickly accept an offer, motivated by the acquisition of another property or an immediate need for liquidity. "But when it comes time to go to the notary, the waiting times to obtain the clearance certificate cool everything down. The sale is suspended, renegotiated, or simply canceled. This is a situation that creates frustration for all parties, and undermines confidence," he laments, pointing to a real disconnect between administrative decisions and the reality on the ground. He also mentions a glaring lack of coordination: "The State reforms, but without consulting those who then have to implement these changes. We, agents, notaries, developers, we are left out, while we are in direct contact with citizens."

"Our clients are forced to leave without having been able to sell or buy. It’s frustrating for them, and catastrophic for the local economy [...] Yes, undeniably. Several owners, especially among the MRE, are postponing their sales projects because of administrative inertia," Librahimi confides, recalling that the transfer of funds from MRE represents a significant share of Morocco’s GDP and that real estate remains one of their preferred investment channels. To get out of this tax clearance certificate crisis, he makes a few recommendations. He calls for an acceleration of digitalization, but with truly functional and understandable platforms.

Librahimi also pleads for more flexibility in price assessment, believing that the strict application of a frozen tax reference creates distortions. According to him, the establishment of a coordination cell between field professionals and the administration is necessary, as it will allow complex files to be resolved more quickly. He explains that it is not a question of circumventing the rules, but of introducing discernment in their application.