Why key checks
Buying real estate in Batumi is a decision with many variables: the property itself, its legal status, the developer, the district, yield expectations, and deal terms. Each variable may look acceptable in isolation and create risk in combination.
Key checks separate these variables and verify each before a property becomes a recommendation. If a property fails at least one check, no recommendation is issued. The principle holds for residential new-builds, aparthotels, secondary market, and seller-side work alike.
Each check has a defined scope, a specific data source, and a concrete example of what "failure" looks like in practice.
The building, surroundings, the actual view.
What is checked
- Physical condition of the building: walls, common areas, lifts, roof.
- Whether the actual layout matches the plan.
- The actual view from the window — not a render or agency-portfolio video.
- The 200 m surroundings: neighbouring lots, noise sources, infrastructure.
- Off-season surroundings if the property sits in a tourist corridor.
How it is checked
- A physical visit to the property — Partner Estate or a trusted local for a remote buyer.
- Comparison of the NAPR plan with the actual layout.
- Checking neighbouring-lot development plans through NAPR and municipal documents.
- Optional: an off-season visit.
Why it matters
Renders and portfolio photos are a plan or a snapshot selected by the seller. The real property may differ structurally or contextually. A frequent post-purchase issue in Batumi is a changed view one year later because the neighbouring lot was not checked for development permission.
When it fails
The plan and actual area differ by more than 5%. A neighbouring lot has permission for a 15-storey building directly in front of the windows. The building shows construction-risk signs: visible cracks, uneven walls, engineering-system issues in common areas.
Track record, legal status, operational team.
What is checked
- Previous projects by the developer: number, scale, completion status.
- Delivery history: on time, delayed, unfinished.
- Company legal status: actively operating, disputes, bankruptcy proceedings.
- Operational team: whether the project is visibly active or paused.
- Current construction sites — visible pace of work.
How it is checked
- NAPR developer registry — previous projects under the same developer ID.
- TCSA — construction-permit history.
- PSH — legal entity, disputes and registration status.
- Field visit to current sites: pace, condition, activity.
- Conversations with residents of previous projects.
Why it matters
"Good developer" is not a credential. It is a track record evidenced by 2–3 completed projects. Without track-record verification, the buyer relies on current-project marketing, which does not show delivery risk.
When it fails
Two of three previous projects were delivered more than 6 months late. There is pending litigation from subcontractors. Construction has visibly paused for more than 2 months. Management changed within the last year alongside aggressive last-minute discounting.
NAPR, title clarity, permits, classification.
What is checked
- Fresh NAPR extract for the specific unit, not an agency copy.
- Title clarity: ownership chain, no encumbrances, seizures or pledges.
- Construction permits: urban planning approval, construction permit, occupancy permit.
- Actual property classification: residential, commercial or aparthotel.
How it is checked
- NAPR online portal — ordering an extract for the specific unit, not relying on the seller’s verbal claim.
- Cross-checking classification against the Ministry of Finance 2026 public decision.
- TCSA review of permits.
- Title history chain — previous transfers if this is secondary market.
Why it matters
Document verification is a binary risk: either clean, or the issue can cost the whole property. NAPR is the central public source; double-sale is structurally impossible in Georgia when title is checked through the registry. Forged documents become a risk only when not verified. Residential vs aparthotel classification directly affects tax on sale: 5% vs 20% capital gain.
When it fails
NAPR shows a seizure or pledge. Title history contains an unresolved dispute. Construction permits are missing from the full package. Classification mismatch: the property is sold as residential but legally registered as aparthotel, which means a different tax rate at sale.
District character, seasonality, supply pressure.
What is checked
- Real district character: tourist, residential or mixed.
- Demand seasonality: high-season peak vs off-season floor.
- Current supply pressure: how many new builds sit within 1 km and when they complete.
- Future supply pressure: development lots within 500 m.
- Everyday infrastructure: groceries, pharmacies, schools, transport.
How it is checked
- Direct presence: district checked in high season and off season.
- NAPR data on neighbouring lots — future construction permissions.
- Geostat tourism data for regional context.
- Galt & Taggart and Recov supply data for market-wide pressure context.
Why it matters
The district determines the type of demand the property serves. A tourist district with an STR plan works in high season and weakens off season. A residential district is usually steadier, but with a lower peak. A mismatch between goal and district means stuck capital or low yield, regardless of property quality.
When it fails
The buyer’s goal is passive LTR yield, but the property sits in a pure tourist corridor. Future supply pressure within 500 m includes 3 more high-rise projects under construction. Off-season shows the district lacks everyday infrastructure.
Realistic yield under plan, exit time.
What is checked
- Realistic yield under the buyer’s specific plan, not the city benchmark.
- Stress scenario: low-season vacancy, higher management cost, rental-rate change.
- Exit time from this type of property in this district.
- Liquidity floor: what happens if cash is needed in X years.
How it is checked
- Object-level cash-flow model: rent estimate × occupancy − vacancy − management − maintenance − tax.
- Stress scenario: low-season vacancy + management overhead.
- Days-on-market benchmark for exit horizon.
- Comparison with the Galt & Taggart city benchmark — context, not promise.
Why it matters
A yield indicator advertised as 10–13% net usually means a top-decile operator with active management, or arithmetic without low-season vacancy and operating cost. Galt & Taggart 2025 marks Batumi market yield at 7.4%, down from 8.8% in 2024. Object-level modelling is the only path to realistic expectation.
When it fails
Modelled yield under realistic operating assumptions falls below the buyer’s target ratio. Days-on-market in the district exceeds the exit horizon. Bear-case scenario shows negative cash flow in low season.
Contract, payment terms, rights on delay, taxes.
What is checked
- Contract from the first line to the last.
- Payment terms: instalments, preliminary-agreement registration, currency clauses.
- Buyer rights if developer delivery is delayed.
- Penalty clauses if the buyer exits the deal.
- Tax consequences of property classification and foreign-owner reporting requirements.
How it is checked
- Full contract reading; an independent lawyer is recommended for complex deals.
- Cross-checking tax classification against Ministry of Finance criteria.
- Verification of currency clauses, preliminary-agreement registration and payment terms.
- Verification of foreign-owner reporting requirements through rs.ge.
Why it matters
Most contract defaults are asymmetric toward the developer. A buyer without a lawyer often signs a penalty for late payment without a mirrored penalty for late delivery. A tax-classification mistake can cost a 15 percentage-point difference at exit: 5% residential vs 20% commercial capital gain.
When it fails
Contract penalty asymmetry: buyer penalty for delay is defined, developer delivery delay is not. Tax classification mismatches the real use plan. Currency clause is locked one-way against the buyer.
When the check ends with "no"
Not every property passes the key checks. Sometimes none of the properties a buyer was initially considering pass.
That is the outcome the checks exist for. A property that does not pass is not turned into a recommendation. Regardless of how the commission is structured, how the seller’s timeline pushes, how compelling the render looks.
Key checks do not guarantee a successful purchase. They guarantee that the decision is made with eyes open on the risks that would otherwise stay invisible.
If you are considering a specific property — Partner Estate can review your situation. The key checks apply to every property, regardless of segment.
Contact Partner EstateSources
- NAPR — National Agency of Public Registry · Current registry
- TCSA — Technical Construction Supervision Agency · Construction permits
- PSH — Public Service Hall · Legal entity registry
- Revenue Service of Georgia · Tax and reporting
- Ministry of Finance of Georgia — Public Decisions · 2026
- Galt & Taggart — Batumi Residential 2025 Review and 2026 Outlook · 2025
- Recov by Colliers Georgia · April 2026
- Geostat — Inbound Tourism Statistics 2025 · 2025