The Jasmine Effect is an initiative based on the principle that the goals of transparency, accountability, and fair market value in the marketplace are universal ones, and that recent advances in technology are making these goals attainable in markets and in parts of the world where such access was much more limited. The seed for The Jasmine Effect was planted in Cairo during the early heady days
of the Revolution. A group of graduate students at the American University in Cairo came up with a web-based solution to address the housing crisis faced by students in Cairo, which had become greatly exacerbated – and much more unsafe – by the revolution. In Egypt, a lack of transparency, fair market values, and consumer protection laws has clouded the real estate market, even for Egyptians. For foreigners and students moving to Egypt, buying or renting could often be a nightmare, particularly when there was a language or cultural barrier involved. The current system operating was one that privileged unscrupulous landlords and brokers while disadvantaging the good ones, as well as hiked prices for foreign renters while disenfranchising Egyptians. These students created an initiative to solve this issue, which they titled Cairo Housing Revolution. While this initiative enjoyed several years of popularity among the student and expat community in Cairo, it eventually had to be shelved due to a number of unforeseen issues in implementation. However, this separate project eventually led to the concepts behind what is now The Jasmine Effect. The primary focus of The Jasmine Effect is on real estate rentals, though it also sources other, local businesses to promote their products or services to individuals and their families moving to the neighborhood. It is designed in such a way as to prevent or at least diminish the bad businesses practices that had become prominent in some parts of the world, and to promote good stewardship and create a cleaner, more transparent, and equitable online marketplace whereby the housing seeker could connect with the housing provider without adding undue burden onto either party.
