1. Verify the exact property
Start with the cadastral or registration data rather than a marketing description. The property being sold must correspond to the asset the buyer believes is being purchased. Address descriptions, unit numbers, area and cadastral information should be cross-checked against the Public Registry record and the transaction documents.
For projects under construction, the legal object available today may not be identical to the finished apartment or commercial unit promised for the future. The contract should make that distinction clear.
2. Confirm ownership and seller authority
The registered owner and the person signing the sale documents must be connected by valid authority. For a company seller, corporate representation and registration data should be checked. For an agent, the power of attorney should cover the intended transaction. Additional questions can arise where ownership is shared, inherited, disputed or subject to family-law considerations.
Identity and authority checks are not administrative formalities. If the wrong person signs or authority is insufficient, the problem can affect the validity or registration of the transaction.
3. Check mortgages, seizures and other encumbrances
Registry information may show mortgages, seizures, restrictions or other registered rights. The legal effect of each entry needs to be understood and the closing mechanics should address how any right that must be removed will be discharged.
The absence of one type of registered encumbrance does not answer every due-diligence question. Contractual rights, possession, litigation, construction status and public-law restrictions can also matter depending on the property.
4. Review the legal status of construction
For new or substantially altered buildings, permits, commissioning or completion status and the correspondence between the registered object and actual construction may require review. The exact documents vary with the project and transaction.
Where the buyer is purchasing from a developer before completion, particular attention should be paid to project documentation, payment stages, completion obligations, registration mechanics and the consequences of delay.
5. Understand the sale agreement
The contract should identify the property precisely, state the price and payment mechanics, allocate closing responsibilities, define when ownership and possession transfer, and address representations about title and encumbrances. If payment and registration occur at different times, the sequence should protect both parties as far as the transaction allows.
Template contracts may contain provisions designed primarily for one side. The buyer should understand cancellation, penalties, developer modification rights, service obligations and any restrictions on assignment or resale.
6. Plan registration and closing
In Georgia, registration is a central part of many property transactions. The parties should know which documents will be filed, who will file them, which fees apply and what conditions must be satisfied at closing. Foreign documents may require notarization, apostille or legalization and translation.
Payment should be coordinated with the registration sequence. The correct structure depends on the transaction, the parties and any financing or encumbrance discharge.
7. Consider use, lease and operational restrictions
A buyer purchasing for rental, business use, development or another specific purpose should check whether the legal and practical status supports that use. Existing leases, management arrangements, common-area rules or public restrictions may affect the business case.
For commercial property, the due-diligence scope may also include corporate, licensing, utility, construction and contractual issues beyond the ownership record itself.
8. Keep the due-diligence record
The documents reviewed, registry extracts obtained and conclusions reached should be retained with the transaction file. This record helps explain what was known at signing and can be important if a later question arises about a representation or undisclosed issue.
Due diligence reduces identifiable legal risk; it does not guarantee that no future problem can occur. The useful question is whether the material risks that could reasonably be checked were identified and addressed before commitment.
How we approach the matter
Legal work is most useful when the facts, the legal rule and the practical objective are examined together. At the beginning of a matter we establish a chronology, identify the parties and decision-makers, review the documents already available and check whether any court, administrative, contractual or limitation deadline is running. We separate confirmed facts from assumptions and from points that still require evidence. This makes it possible to define what must be proved, which document is missing and what action should come next.
We also look beyond the first letter, claim or hearing. A good legal position should remain workable if negotiations fail, if the other party changes its position, if an authority refuses an application or if the dispute moves to another stage. Depending on the matter, the plan may involve correspondence, negotiation, a formal demand, an administrative application, interim protection, a court claim, an appeal or enforcement. The purpose is not to create more procedure than necessary, but to select a route that can realistically serve the client's objective.
Communication is kept practical. After a material development, the client should understand what happened, what it means and what decision is required. We do not promise outcomes controlled by a court, investigative authority, registry, bank, regulator or another party. Our responsibility is to prepare the legal position carefully, manage deadlines, draft accurately and represent the client's interests professionally.
When to involve a lawyer
Early legal review usually creates more options. Before signing a contract, transferring property, accepting a settlement, responding to an official notice or taking a position in a dispute, it may still be possible to change wording, preserve evidence, clarify authority, negotiate security or choose a more effective procedure. Once a deadline has expired or a transaction has been completed, the available remedies can become narrower and more expensive.
A matter can still be improved after a dispute has started. The first task is then to identify the procedural position: what has already been filed, which evidence is in the record, whether a response or appeal deadline is pending and what can still be obtained. In urgent matters — including detention, imminent hearings, rapidly changing property status or short appeal periods — the timing of legal advice is itself part of the strategy.