The public registry, the listing portals, the business register and the buyers' forums — what each one tells you, and in what order.
Most of what you need to know about a Georgian developer is public, free and reachable from your phone. The checks below take about ten minutes and catch the failures that cost buyers the most: an encumbered title, a history of missed deadlines and a company with no track record.
1. The Public Registry — the title itself
Start at the National Agency of Public Registry with the cadastral code from the listing. You are looking for encumbrances: an existing mortgage, a seizure or a third-party claim on the property.
Finding one is not automatically a reason to walk away — much new-build stock is financed and carries a bank charge. It is a reason to insist the encumbrance is lifted before you pay, not after. That sequencing is the single most expensive detail in a Georgian purchase.
2. The listing portals — price and deadline history
The major Georgian listing sites carry the same projects over time. Two things show up there that a brochure never will:
- Price history for the project, which tells you whether the growth story is real.
- Listing dates against promised completion dates. A project that has been advertised as completing next year for three years running is telling you something.
3. The business register — who the company actually is
Check the age of the legal entity, how many projects it has delivered and whether the entity selling to you is the one with the track record. A brand-new company with a famous name attached is a different risk from an established builder.
A related red flag sits here: if you are asked to pay an individual rather than the company account, stop. Legitimate developers take payment to a corporate account or escrow.
4. Buyer forums and chats — the uncensored version
Buyers of previous phases talk to each other in public groups. This is where delays, quality disputes and management problems surface long before they reach any official channel. Read the complaints, then check whether the developer answered them.
The contract clauses that matter
When you get to the contract, four phrasings deserve attention:
- A completion date described as indicative or approximate, with no consequence attached.
- A right for the developer to substitute materials without your consent.
- A penalty for delay so small it is not a deterrent.
- No penalty clause at all.
What this does not replace
Desk checks tell you about paper. They do not tell you whether the stairwell is maintained, whether the building smells of damp, or what the neighbours say about the water supply. Someone independent still needs to stand in the building — ideally not the seller's agent.
FAQ
Can I do these checks from abroad? Yes, all four are online. Is a mortgage on the property a dealbreaker? No, but it must be cleared before payment. What if the developer refuses to share the cadastral code? Treat that as an answer.
How we help
We run these checks as standard before recommending anything, verify title and encumbrances before any money moves, and tell you what we found including the parts that are inconvenient. Informational only — not legal advice.