RERA - Curtains raised, the act begins

​As with the General Services Tax (GST), which needlessly put fear into consumers about rising prices, RERA, the Real Estate Regulation Act, currently tending to slow purchases of property, will actually be a boon. But you needn’t slow down buying and lose out. Well, RERA can actually be considered a process and not an ultimatum. Think of it. For example, even real estate agents have to register under it. Only then will they be authorised to continue in their business. Shouldn’t that make you feel safe? Hang on, we’ll talk you through it more. But just imagine the broad and all encompassing idea of this Act. It’s like the putting the scoreboard operator at the cricket stadium through a qualification and registration process when you go there to watch your Virat Kohli slam bang show! Your protection as a consumer is foremost, therefore even a relatively straightforward job of an intermediary’s is not taken for granted. Needless to say all other actors have to fall in line. Well, of course, developers themselves and well, even states have to fall in line and register themselves.
Gen Y would ask you to take a chill pill and go about your task of scouting your favourite property, but paying attention to some basic facts – check out on the developer’s website if they are pursing RERA compliance. Non RERA compliant developers will cease to be in the market and their projects will be absorbed by bigger ones who will in fact be RERA compliant.
Don’t let waiting for favourable market conditions slow you down. The cleanup in the market will inadvertently happen through RERA. Look for properties which are in advanced stages of completion, if not complete yet. Of course, for newbies, note that the oracle called RERA will among other benefits, ensure that construction delay is not caused, show track records of developers on its own website, aside from details of litigations, advertisements and prospectus issued about the project and registered agents and consultants. There will be no sale without the property being registered with RERA, no registrations without approvals and no pre-launches. All advertising material will need to be registered, all registration will be on carpet area and not super built up area. With 70% sale proceeds needing to go to Escrow (preventing fund diversion), huge penalties and imprisonments for violations and if defaulting, builders needing to return all the money invested or a monthly interest till delivery, RERA sure is taking care of all of us.
RERA is indeed Reality. Go shopping now without fear. There can always be a perceived “better time,” but remember the olde saying “Time’s a tyrant.”