HRERA Warns Gurugram Buyers Against Unregistered Property Projects

GURUGRAM: A glossy brochure, a launch-day discount and a sample apartment are not substitutes for a valid registration. The Haryana Real Estate Regulatory Authority's Gurugram bench has cautioned prospective homebuyers against putting money into unregistered property projects, asking them to check the official record before signing a form or transferring a booking amount.

The advisory is aimed particularly at projects promoted through pre-launch campaigns, social-media advertisements and limited-period offers. Buyers have been asked to verify the RERA registration certificate, registration number, approved site address and project page on the authority's portal. These checks can expose a mismatch between what is being marketed and what has actually been approved.

Registration is the first filter

Under the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, projects that fall within the law's registration requirements cannot be advertised, booked or sold without registration. The authority said it had taken note of promotions involving unapproved projects and directed promoters to stay away from premature advertising and marketing offers.

The warning also covers intermediaries. A real-estate agent facilitating a transaction in a registered project must hold the required registration. Buyers should therefore check both sides of a deal: whether the project is registered and whether the broker or agent is authorised to facilitate the sale. A visiting card, office address or online following does not establish regulatory status.

What a careful buyer should compare

A useful due-diligence check goes beyond finding a registration number. The project name, promoter, land details, completion schedule and approved plans shown on the official portal should match the sales material. Payment demands should be documented, and buyers should be wary when they are rushed to pay before receiving the legal and project information needed for an informed decision.

The advisory does not mean every early-stage proposal is fraudulent. It draws a line between a permissible registered offering and a project being sold before the statutory conditions are met. Nor does registration guarantee that a project will never face delays or disputes. It does, however, place disclosures, timelines and promoter obligations within a formal regulatory framework.

Pressure on promoters and agents

HRERA said legal and regulatory action may follow against promoters, agents or other persons found violating the Act. That makes misleading pre-launch marketing more than a consumer-service issue. It can create statutory exposure for the people arranging or benefiting from the transaction.

For Gurugram, where new residential inventory is often marketed long before a neighbourhood feels complete, the message is timely: verify first, visit second and pay last. A few minutes spent matching the offer with the regulator's record can prevent a buyer from entering a transaction that should not yet be on the market.