Ethical Questions Regarding Real Estate Business
There’s no prohibition in buying something and selling it for a profit. If someone is brokering a deal between a buyer and a seller, however, their commission as well as other aspects of the deal should ethically be disclosed. Selling something that one hasn’t acquired yet and there’s a chance that they won’t be able to deliver to the buyer according to the sales contract is immoral, hence forbidden. One possible permissible situation could be a transaction in which the buyer already knows at the time of buying the possibility of the deal falling through. Of course in that case buyer’s money should be returned promptly with justice. In every business transaction the key to determine its permissibility is its moral aspect. This includes lies, deceptions, delays in delivery or return of money, injustice, etc. As long as a deal is done morally with clear understanding of all parties and it’s done with justice then it’s halal otherwise it’s haram.