CERSAI, encumbrance certificate, RERA — the three trust signals every Indian property has
Before you buy any property in India, three lookups can save you lakhs in nasty surprises. Here's what each one tells you.
Three public registries in India each tell you something different about a property's trust profile. Most buyers check one. Smart buyers check all three.
CERSAI — the lien registry
CERSAI (Central Registry of Securitisation Asset Reconstruction and Security Interest of India) is where banks register every active home loan + security interest. If a property has a CERSAI lien, it's still mortgaged to a bank. Doesn't mean you can't buy it — but the seller must produce a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the lending bank, and the bank gets paid out directly from your purchase consideration. CERSAI lookup costs ₹50 and takes 30 seconds at cersai.org.in.
Encumbrance certificate (EC) — the historical title trail
The EC is a 30-year (or longer) record of every transaction registered against the property — sales, gifts, mortgages, releases. It is issued by the state Sub-Registrar's office for ~₹100. A "clean EC" means no skipped links in the chain of title. If there's a gap, the seller must produce an indemnity bond + the missing intermediate deed.
RERA — the regulator's side
RERA (Real Estate Regulatory Authority) registration is mandatory for any project where the developer sold > 8 units OR built area > 500 sq m. Each state runs its own RERA portal. RERA registration means the developer has submitted layout plans, sanctions, and a project timeline that is publicly auditable. Resale properties don't need fresh RERA registration if the original project was registered.
Proprify's scorecard pulls all three
On every listing on Proprify, the trust strip below the price shows: 🛡 RERA (when reraNumber is set), ✓ Title clear (when our legal team has signed off), and CERSAI liens count (red when > 0). One-glance trust signal, so you don't have to leave the page to check each registry.