Kuwait sees 155 pc surge in licensed real estate appraisers amid regulatory overhaul

• Monitoring violations remains a top priority. The Ministry continues to enforce transparency and compliance with anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism regulations.
• To strengthen compliance, the Ministry issued a new guide for real estate brokers, highlighting nine key risk indicators, such as complex ownership structures, shell companies, and third-party intermediaries.
• The guide stresses careful verification of fund sources, particularly for large cash transactions or purchases made via family members, to prevent money laundering or terrorist financing.

In a striking turn of events, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry reported a record surge in licensed real estate appraisers, with the total jumping 155.3 percent over the past year.

The number of accredited appraisers soared from 47 at the end of December 2024 to 120 by last December, marking an unprecedented high. On a monthly basis, the profession also saw a modest increase of 3.4 percent.

Officials attributed this boom to the restructuring of the Real Estate Appraisers’ Profession Regulation Committee and its renewed efforts to certify qualified professionals, reports Al-Rai daily.

Meanwhile, the number of licensed real estate brokers experienced a marginal growth of 0.9 percent during 2025, reaching 1,819 brokers, up from 1,806 the previous year.

Monthly figures also reflected slight increases, with seven new brokers added in December alone. Kuwaiti nationals continue to dominate the sector, representing 99.3 percent of all brokers, while Gulf nationals now account for 13 brokers, up from 12 in 2024.

The Ministry reported that real estate management activity in 2025 was diverse: 167 brokerage books were issued, 409 renewal requests were processed, and 149 cancellations were recorded. Additionally, 211 requests were received for broker IDs, compared with 96 renewals.

Monitoring violations remains a top priority. The Ministry continues to enforce transparency and compliance with anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism regulations.

Last year, several breaches in the real estate and precious metals sectors led to financial penalties, including failures to submit risk assessments and adhere to internal control policies.

To strengthen compliance, the Ministry issued a new guide for real estate brokers, highlighting nine key risk indicators, such as complex ownership structures, shell companies, and third-party intermediaries.

The guide stresses careful verification of fund sources, particularly for large cash transactions or purchases made via family members, to prevent money laundering or terrorist financing.