The Georgia real-estate glossary.

The Georgian government body that registers all property ownership. Every sale is recorded here and the buyer receives a registered title — typically within one to two business days, one of the fastest registries in the region. There is no foreign-buyer transfer tax on a standard apartment purchase.

Outright ownership of both the property and the land it sits on. Georgia grants 100% freehold ownership of apartments and buildings to any nationality, on the same legal footing as a Georgian citizen, with no residency requirement to buy. The only restriction is agricultural land, which foreign individuals cannot own directly; city and coastal apartments are unaffected.

The binding contract between buyer and seller. The SPA sets out price, payment schedule, handover date, and penalties for delay. Its terms — payment milestones, completion dates, and cancellation clauses — govern the entire deal.

The official ownership document for your property, registered with the National Agency of Public Registry after a sale or handover. This is the definitive proof you own the asset — registered in your own name (or your company's).

A letter from the developer confirming they have no objection to a sale or transfer, with all charges settled. An NOC is typically required for a resale before handover, with a short turnaround.

The right to occupy and use a property for a fixed term without owning the land outright. It is rare in Georgia, where foreign buyers can own apartments outright. Every project Palmera works with is Freehold.

A property bought before or during construction, directly from the developer. Off-plan prices typically run 15–30% below ready stock, with staged payment plans during construction and a Down Payment to reserve, often plus a Post-Handover component.

How a Georgian apartment is handed over. A white-frame (white-box) unit is delivered as a finished shell — plastered walls, screed floor, utilities to the door — leaving the buyer to fit out the interior. A turnkey unit is delivered fully finished and often furnished, ready to occupy or let. White-frame costs less up front; turnkey is move-in or rent-ready from day one.

A finished unit, available for immediate occupancy or rental. Ready property costs more than off-plan but carries no construction risk. Handover is the moment the developer delivers the keys — usually after a Snagging inspection.

A detailed inspection of a new unit before you accept handover — checking finishes, fixtures, plumbing, and electrics. A professional Snagging Inspector flags defects for the developer to fix before you take the keys.

A warranty window after handover during which the developer must fix defects at no cost, as defined in the SPA — typically covering the building fabric and core systems for a set period after delivery.

A developer that plans and builds an entire scheme to a single standard. In Georgia, branded-residence builders attach international hospitality operators (Radisson Blu, Wyndham, Swissotel) to their coastal and city towers and deliver them turnkey on interest-free plans.

Yearly fees for maintaining shared facilities (lobby, pool, gym, gardens, security), charged per square metre of your unit and set by the building owners' association — covering the upkeep that keeps a managed residence running.

The initial payment to reserve an off-plan unit — usually 5–10% of the price. It locks in your unit and price, with the SPA typically signed within 7 days of the booking.

A construction-linked plan with no interest charged. A representative Georgian structure is a 10–20% deposit on signing, interest-free instalments spread across the build, and the largest share of the price due at handover — with runways from under a year up to about five years depending on the project.

Georgia is a light-tax jurisdiction for property owners. Residential rental income earned by an individual is taxed at a flat 5% with no deductions (20% if let to a company). Capital gains are exempt after two years of ownership, and taxed at 5% on the gain if sold sooner. There is no annual property tax for owners below the statutory household-income threshold; above it, municipalities levy a small annual charge of roughly 0.05–1% of value. Confirm current rates with a Georgian tax adviser.

A renewable residence permit available through a qualifying real-estate purchase. Since 1 March 2026 the minimum investment is USD 150,000 in non-agricultural property (raised from USD 100,000), assessed on an accredited valuation, with a spouse and minor children able to qualify under the same investment. A larger route from around USD 300,000 leads to a longer permit and a faster path to permanent residence. This is a residence permit, not citizenship. We handle the application end to end.

The total return on an off-plan purchase, combining capital appreciation between launch and handover and the rental yield once the unit is let. Gross yields in Georgia run around 7% — higher for managed short-let in peak season. We benchmark every projection against real comparable transactions.