Iraqi Kurdistan real estate transactions to go fully electronic

Kurdistan region property buying and selling to turn electronic

ERBIL,— The Ministry of Justice in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region is moving to shift real estate sales online, mirroring a system already rolled out in Baghdad, Channel8 TV reported.

The Kurdistan Regional Government’s Ministry of Justice has asked the Union of Chambers of Commerce to convert property buying and selling into an electronic process, ending the current paper-based system.

Baghdad introduced its own digital property platform, known as “Aqari,” earlier this month.

The federal government’s move prompted lawmakers in the Iraqi Parliament to question officials about data security and the legal framework behind it.

Authorities said the Baghdad system runs under Electronic Signature Law No. 78 of 2012 and is overseen by security agencies and the Central Bank of Iraq.

Gailan Haji Saeed, head of the Erbil Chamber of Commerce, said his office received a formal letter from the Justice Ministry outlining the plan.

He said the new system will cover all residential properties and land parcels, with the broader aim of digitizing the region’s real estate sector.

Officials said a key purpose of the platform is to curb money laundering tied to property deals. Because every real estate office operates under a license issued by the chambers of commerce, the chambers will be positioned to track and review transactions closely.

The system is also meant to help identify offices running without proper licenses or ignoring administrative rules.

Under the plan, a new electronic platform will store all information tied to property sales. That data will then be forwarded to the Ministry of Justice through the chambers of commerce, requiring coordination among land registration departments, tax authorities, security agencies and other relevant bodies.

Saeed said the rollout will take time and that training sessions for real estate office owners will be arranged before the platform goes live.

In Halabja province, similar preparations are underway.

Tahir Sheikh Izzaddin, head of the Halabja Chamber of Commerce, said the area has roughly 17 to 18 real estate offices currently operating, while a number of others have let their licenses lapse.

Once formal instructions are received, he said, his office will work with security agencies and other concerned parties to fold Halabja’s real estate offices into the new digital system.

The initiative reflects a broader push across Iraq and the Kurdistan Region to modernize property transactions, tighten oversight of the real estate market and reduce reliance on paper records.

(With files from channel8.com)