Real estate sector backs Draft Registration Bill 2025 as path to transparent property market

The Draft Registration Bill 2025, which is aimed at replacing the 117-year-old Registration Act of 1908, met with positive reactions from the real estate sector in India. Real estate experts and market observers said that the bill is a landmark reform that will modernise property registration, enhance transparency, and significantly improve the ease of doing business.

The real estate developers’ bodies like Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India (CREDAI) and National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO) said that the move reflects a serious intent to simplify procedures, bring in transparency, and reduce the administrative burden on homebuyers, investors, and developers alike.

Department of Land Resources under Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India has drafted the “The Registration Bill 2025” proposing online property registration for the evolution of real estate and transaction methods.

What the draft bill says?

According to a government statement, once enacted “The Registration Bill 2025” will replace the 117-year-old pre-constitution Registration Act 1908. Under the Registration Act, documents related to immovable property, like sale deeds, gift deeds, mortgage deeds, and leases, are required to be registered. Wills, powers of attorney, and other court decrees and orders related to property rights are also subject to registration.

The new draft bill seeks to enable online registration of land documents and other transactions and also provisions alternate verification mechanism for those who do not have or do not wish to use their Aadhaar. The draft bill introduces provisions to support electronic presentation and admission of documents, issuance of electronic registration certificates, and digital maintenance of records.

The draft bill has been placed for public feedback. The bill also enables electronic integration with other record-keeping systems.

How will it streamline real estate sector?

The real estate sector voiced that by mandating digital registration of key documents, including agreements to sell, powers of attorney, and sale certificates, the draft bill will not only address long-standing procedural gaps that often-caused ambiguity and delays but also reduce frauds.

Shekhar G Patel, President, CREDAI, said that the central government’s proposal to enable fully online registration of immovable property marks a landmark reform and a long-overdue modernisation of India’s real estate ecosystem.

“This will significantly enhance transparency, reduce fraud, and improve ease of doing business for developers while providing greater legal assurance to homebuyers. These measures pave the way for government-certified property titles, essential for introducing title insurance and demat-style ownership transfer, where property transactions become as seamless as stock trading,” he said.

Patel added that linking registration systems with other official databases will ensure the real-time validation of ownership and encumbrances, thereby reducing litigation and enhancing buyer confidence.

G Hari Babu, National President, NAREDCO, said that the draft Registration Bill, 2025 is a much-needed and timely step toward overhauling India’s property registration system. It reflects a serious intent to simplify procedures, bring in transparency, and reduce the administrative burden on homebuyers, investors, and developers alike.

“This reform carries significant potential for the future of urban development, especially in the growing Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, where demand for organised and legally secure real estate is increasing. A streamlined and tech-driven registration process will not only enhance ease of doing business but also boost confidence among stakeholders,” he said.

Babu added that the new bill can serve as a catalyst for a more efficient, transparent, and growth-oriented real estate ecosystem.