E-Registration of Properties from Builders' Offices Gains Momentum in Maharashtra
Pune: State property registration officials announced on Tuesday that the online process to register first-sale properties from the offices of builders has been gaining significant traction since its introduction two years ago. This initiative has helped reduce the pressure on sub-registrar offices, with nearly 700 developers now using the system.
Since 2023, over 11,000 property documents have been registered online from developers' offices, and the number stands at 3,974 in the current financial year up to September, according to the department's data. DIG (IT) Abhay Mohite stated that online registration numbers are expected to rise further during the festive season. 'The user experience has been positive, and developers' bodies are creating awareness about the facility,' he said. 'We expect the number of participating developers to touch 1,000 by the end of the year.'
Industry associations such as the Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Associations of India (CREDAI) and the National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO) have been urging their members to use e-registration to ease congestion at government offices. 'Many have already made the switch. We have told developers to register new projects from their own offices during the festive season,' said a CREDAI member.
CREDAI's national governing council member, Shantilal Kataria, noted that early teething issues had been resolved. 'The registration department has been supportive, and developers are now comfortable with the process. Many more builders will start to register properties from their offices by the year-end,' he told TOI.
NAREDCO (Pune) vice-president Abhay Kele highlighted that the initiative has been steadily picking up year after year. 'We need more awareness regarding e-registration across the state. The process is simple, hassle-free, and saves time for both developers and homebuyers,' he said. Officials noted that Maharashtra is among the first states to roll out e-registration of property sales through developers' offices, a model now being studied by other states.
The online process has reduced congestion at sub-registrar offices and is convenient for buyers. Citizens have also reported that the process is easy, as developers' offices have the necessary technical support.
Additionally, the registration department has announced faster clearance of online leave and license agreements. Starting next week, these agreements can be processed by any sub-registrar office in a district, rather than being limited to a few taluka-level offices. 'It will reduce pendency and speed up the tenant registration system,' said a senior official after a departmental review.
DIG (IT) Abhay Mohite mentioned that the upgraded Leave and License 2.0 system has been running smoothly. 'No major issues have been reported. The new process, including an Iris-based Aadhaar verification, has simplified registration—especially for senior citizens who lease out flats and for younger tenants who face Aadhaar update delays,' he added. Moving away from OTP-based Aadhaar verification has improved reliability. Since February, 1,64,439 leave and license documents have been registered in Pune rural, Mumbai city, and Mumbai suburban areas using the new software.
