Updated
GL-L-07
01 / In 30 seconds
The short answer
- What it is
- The state register of rights to real estate
- What it holds
- Information on properties, owners, encumbrances and transactions
- The main principle
- Ownership arises on registration, not on signing the contract
- What it gives you
- An official extract — the only reliable proof of title
- Where you encounter it
- It exists in every country under its own name: cadastre, land registry, register
02 / In plain words
What Land registry means
A land registry (cadastre) is the state register of rights to real estate. It holds information on properties, their owners, encumbrances and completed transactions. Every country calls it something different, but the meaning is the same: it is the official source of truth about who owns a property.
The key principle of most systems is that ownership arises on registration. The contract records the parties’ agreement and the money confirms payment, but you become the owner when the entry is made in the register. That is why payment and registration are always linked to each other rather than spread out in time “on trust”.
The practical tool for the buyer is the official extract. It shows the current owner, the characteristics of the property and any encumbrances: mortgages, seizures, restrictions. It is ordered before the deal, not after, and it is the extract you rely on — not copies of documents sent by the seller.
A case from practice
Several weeks passed between the first check of a property and the day of the deal. A second extract showed a new encumbrance. That is exactly why a fresh extract is taken immediately before signing rather than relying on one from a month ago.
When you turn to the register
- Checking a property before purchase
- Registering title after the deal
- Evidencing ownership to a bank
- Registering a property for a programme
- Inheriting real estate
- Resolving a dispute over rights
03 / What it covers
What an extract contains
Property
- Cadastral number
- Area and use
- Address and boundaries
Owner
- Who owns it
- The share of ownership
- Basis of title
Encumbrances
- Mortgages and charges
- Seizures and restrictions
- Easements
History
- Previous transactions
- Date of registration
- Changes to the data
04 / How it works
How it works in a deal
Ordering an extract before the deal
Checking the data and encumbrances
Signing and settlement
Registering the transfer of title
A new extract in your name
05 / Key facts
What you need to know
01
The right arises on entry in the register
02
An extract outweighs any copies from the seller
03
In most countries access to the data is public
04
Encumbrances are visible in the register itself
05
Registration and payment are linked
Common mistakes
- Treating the contract as sufficient proof of title
- Working with copies of documents instead of a fresh extract
- Paying the full amount before the transfer of title is registered
- Not checking that the extract is current on the date of the deal
- Ignoring discrepancies between the register and reality
06 / Expert advice
How to prepare in advance
A fresh extract is ordered twice: before negotiations begin and immediately before the deal — new encumbrances may appear in the meantime. The payment arrangement is built so that the money and the registration are linked: through escrow, a notary or another mechanism accepted in the country. A gap between payment and registration is the main risk of the deal.
What we do for you. We structure the deal so that payment and registration of title are linked and the register extract is fresh on the day of signing. It is standard practice for protecting the buyer, and we do not cut corners on it.
Igor VentsHead of real estate, Title Deed and property checks
07 / Questions
Frequently asked questions
The state register of rights to real estate: properties, owners, encumbrances and transactions. Different countries call it by different names.
In most systems — on registration of title in the register, not on signing the contract or paying.
The current owner, the characteristics of the property, the basis of title and any encumbrances: mortgages, seizures, restrictions.
In many countries registers are public or available on request. The procedure and cost depend on the jurisdiction.
New encumbrances may appear between the check and the deal. A fresh extract on the day of signing removes this risk.
Through the mechanisms accepted in the country: escrow, payment through a notary, staged payments. A gap between the money and the registration is the main risk.
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