Loan, RERA, Registration: A No-Jargon Guide to Buying in Bengaluru
Three words that confuse almost every first-time buyer: loan, RERA, registration. Here's the plain version, no legal jargon.
Home loan — the basics that actually matter
A home loan is a bank or lender financing most of your purchase, secured against the property itself. What actually matters for buyers, beyond the interest rate: your loan eligibility depends on income, existing liabilities, and credit history — get a pre-approval sense before you fall in love with a specific unit, not after.
RERA — what it actually protects you from
RERA (Real Estate Regulatory Authority) requires developers to register projects, disclose accurate timelines, and hold buyer payments in a way that's meant to prevent fund diversion to other projects. In practice: before committing to any project, check its RERA registration number and confirm it independently on the state RERA portal — don't just take the developer's word for it.
Registration
The step that actually transfers ownership. A sale agreement is not ownership. Registration is. This is the formal, legally binding transfer of the property into your name at the sub-registrar's office, along with payment of stamp duty and registration charges — which vary by state and property value.
The sequence, simplified
Loan approval (or self-funding confirmed) → sale agreement signed → RERA and title verification done → registration completed → possession. Skipping the verification step to move faster is the single most common regret buyers report after the fact.
(This is general process education, not legal or financial advice — always recommend buyers consult their own lawyer and financial advisor for their specific transaction.)
