How RERA verification works, and why it matters

In short: RERA is the law that makes most real estate projects register with a state authority before they are advertised or sold. A valid registration lets you check a project against an official record, which is one of the simplest ways to avoid a risky purchase.

What RERA is

The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act asks developers to register most new and ongoing projects with their state's RERA authority. In Karnataka that is K-RERA. Once a project is registered it gets a unique number, and the authority publishes its approved plan, the land title details, the promised completion date and any complaints filed against it.

What a registration tells you

A registration does not mean a project is a good choice. It means the project is on the record, so what you are shown can be checked: the developer's name, the phase or tower on offer, the approved layout and the possession date the developer has committed to.

How to check a project yourself

Each state runs a RERA portal where you can search by registration number or by project name. Check that the developer, the project name and the exact phase you are looking at all match the record, and that the registration is current rather than lapsed. If the possession date on the portal is not the one in the brochure, ask why before you go further.

Red flags to watch for

• No registration number, or a number that does not show up on the portal.
• A registration for a different phase than the one being offered to you.
• A possession date that has already passed with no update on record.
• Marketing claims that do not match the approved plan.