Red Flags to Watch for on the Day of Property Registration

By the time you reach registration day, most of your due diligence — documents, site visit, encumbrance check — should already be complete. Even so, a handful of things are still worth verifying right at the sub-registrar's office, since this is your last practical checkpoint before the transaction is legally finalized.

Confirm the document matches what was agreed

• ✦The sale deed's final wording matches what was negotiated — property description, sale value, and any specific conditions discussed
• ✦The schedule of property (survey number, boundaries, extent) in the deed matches the actual property, not a similar-sounding neighbouring parcel
• ✦Your own name and details are spelled and recorded correctly, since errors here can cause real complications later

Verify who's actually signing

If the seller is represented by a Power of Attorney holder rather than appearing in person, verify the POA is genuine, currently valid, and specifically covers this transaction — this is exactly the kind of situation our power of attorney guide covers in more depth, and it's worth extra scrutiny rather than accepting a POA at face value.

Confirm the guideline value and stamp duty calculation

Check that the stamp duty and registration charges being applied are calculated correctly against the current guideline value for that specific locality — a miscalculation, whether accidental or otherwise, is worth catching before the transaction is finalized rather than after.

Don't skip reading the full document

It's tempting to sign quickly in the moment, especially with people waiting, but take the time to actually read through the final document rather than relying entirely on an earlier draft review. If something doesn't match what was agreed, raise it before signing — corrections after registration are far more difficult than catching an issue in the room.