Most buyers open a RERA project page, glance at the registration number, take a screenshot for the family WhatsApp group, and close the tab. That is roughly the equivalent of reading only the title of a contract before signing it. The RERA portal actually holds a surprising amount of detail that can save you from a very expensive mistake, provided you know where to look and what each section actually means.
A five minute skim of the registration number is not due diligence. Reading the full page properly is.
Start With the Registration Number Itself
Every legitimate project carries a unique RERA registration number, usually something like PRM or P52100 followed by a string of digits, depending on the state. Before anything else, confirm this number matches exactly what the builder has printed on the brochure and the agreement draft. A mismatch, even a single digit off, is reason enough to pause and ask questions rather than assume it's a typo.
Check Whether the Registration Is Still Active
Registration status sits right near the top of most state portals, and it tells you something buyers often overlook. A project can be registered but still show as lapsed or expired if the promoter has not renewed it on time. Booking a flat in a project with an expired registration status is not illegal outright, but it does strip away a layer of regulatory protection you would otherwise have.
Read the Promised Possession Date Carefully
This is the single most important date on the entire page, and yet many buyers never actually locate it. The RERA portal lists the original committed completion date the builder submitted at the time of registration, which is often more conservative and more reliable than whatever a sales executive verbally promises you. Compare this against what you're being told in person. If there's a gap of a year or more between the two, that gap deserves a direct conversation before you pay any booking amount.
Dig Into the Quarterly Progress Reports
Builders are required to upload construction progress updates every quarter, and this section is where the real story of a project lives. Look for photographs of actual site work, updated construction percentages, and whether these reports are being filed on time. A project that has gone several quarters without an update is often signalling internal trouble, even if the sales office is putting on a confident front.
Look at the Sanctioned Layout and Approvals
Every registered project must upload its sanctioned building plan and layout approval from the local development authority. Cross check the flat number and tower you're being sold against this approved layout. It sounds tedious, but buyers have occasionally discovered that the specific unit or floor being offered to them doesn't actually exist in the sanctioned plan, usually because of unauthorised additional construction.
Check the Promoter's Litigation and Complaint History
This is where a lot of red flags hide. The portal typically shows whether any complaints have been filed against the promoter across their various projects, along with basic case status. A single old complaint that got resolved isn't necessarily alarming. A pattern of repeated complaints across multiple projects by the same builder absolutely is, and it's worth taking seriously even if the specific project you're eyeing looks clean on paper.
Understand the Escrow Account Details
RERA mandates that seventy percent of funds collected from buyers be parked in a dedicated escrow account, used only for construction and land costs on that specific project. Some state portals disclose basic details around this account. While you likely won't get transaction level access, confirming this structure exists at all adds a layer of financial discipline that protects your money from being diverted to the builder's other projects.
Cross Verify the Land Title Documents
Look for the title deed or ownership documents uploaded as part of the registration. This tells you whether the promoter genuinely owns the land or is developing it under a joint development or power of attorney arrangement, which carries a different risk profile entirely and is worth understanding before you commit.
Putting It All Together Before You Book
None of these checks take more than thirty minutes once you know where to look, and together they paint a far more honest picture than any brochure ever will. A five minute skim of the registration number is not due diligence. Reading the full page properly is.
Summary
Reading a RERA project page properly means going well beyond the registration number. Buyers should verify active status, compare promised possession dates against sales claims, review quarterly progress reports, check sanctioned layouts, and look closely at the promoter's complaint history and escrow arrangements. Together, these checks reveal far more about a project's genuine health than any brochure or sales pitch, and they take only a short amount of time before booking a flat.
