How do you judge a developer before booking a flat in Bengaluru?

Every developer looks solid in a sales gallery. The question is how they behaved when things got hard: a slow market, a delayed approval, a defect after handover. That history is mostly public if you know where to look. Here is a method you can run in an evening.

Step 1: List the developer's projects on RERA

Search the developer's name on the Karnataka RERA portal. Note every project, including ones under other company names that the group uses. For each project, record:

• Registration date
• Original proposed completion date
• Any extension granted, and the new date
• Current status: ongoing, completed, lapsed
• Number of units and units booked

Our RERA step by step guide shows where each field sits. We looked at delivery against RERA dates for East Bengaluru in do East Bengaluru projects deliver on their RERA date.

Step 2: Compare promised and actual dates

For completed projects, find when the OC came. You can often see it on the RERA page or ask residents. Work out the gap from the original date.

How to read it:

One delay doesn't condemn a developer. Repeated long delays should weigh heavily. See what an expired RERA registration means.

Step 3: Read complaints and orders

The Karnataka RERA portal lists complaints and orders. Search by developer and project. Look at:

• How many complaints, relative to the size of the developer
• What they're about: delay, refund, quality, title
• Whether orders were complied with

Consumer commission cases can also show up. Our guide on consumer court vs RERA vs civil court explains the forums.

Step 4: Search court records

On eCourts, search by the company's name and the names of key directors or partners. You're looking for:

• Land title disputes on current projects
• Disputes with landowners in joint developments
• Recovery suits from lenders or suppliers
• Insolvency proceedings

Insolvency is the most serious. If a developer goes into insolvency, buyers become financial creditors under the IBC, which comes with a long process. See builder insolvency and homebuyer rights.

Step 5: Look at the company itself

Company and LLP filings are on the Ministry of Corporate Affairs portal. You can view basic master data free: incorporation date, status, directors and registered charges. Charges show secured loans. Several large charges on project assets aren't wrong in themselves, but they tell you the project is funded by debt.

Also check:

• How long the company has existed
• Whether directors run other companies that failed
• Whether the company named in your agreement is the same one on RERA

Step 6: Visit a finished project

This is the step people skip, and it tells you the most. Go to a project the developer completed three to five years ago. Look at:

• Paint, waterproofing and seepage on common walls
• Lifts and their maintenance records
• STP, water supply and power backup
• Whether the association took over smoothly

Talk to two or three residents. Ask what was promised, what was delivered, and how quickly defects were fixed. Our site visit checklist helps you structure the visit.

Step 7: Read the current project's paperwork

A good past doesn't make a current project safe. Check title, approvals, and the agreement for sale. See check a builder sale agreement before signing.

What signals should make you cautious?

• Several projects with long extensions
• Complaints that orders weren't complied with
• Land disputes on the project you're buying in
• New company names for each project with no clear group history
• Pressure to pay more than 10% before the agreement
• Reluctance to share approvals

What about online reviews?

Online reviews can help, but they are uneven. Some are paid, some are angry outliers. Weigh them against records. Our guide 20 questions before trusting online property reviews covers how to read them.

How do you check the land behind the project?

A developer's record matters, but so does the land. Many Bengaluru projects sit on land owned by others and developed under a joint development agreement. In that case the landowner's title and the agreement between landowner and developer both matter. Ask for:

• The title deed and the chain of earlier deeds
• Encumbrance certificates covering a long period
• The joint development agreement and any power of attorney
• Conversion order if the land was once agricultural
• Khata and tax receipts

A lawyer reads these and tells you if anything is missing. Our guide on joint development flats explains what to look for in that arrangement.

How do you read the quarterly updates on RERA?

Under section 11 of the RERA Act, promoters must update the project page with quarterly progress. Open the project's RERA page and look at the updates over time. Signals worth noting:

• Updates filed regularly versus long gaps
• Construction progress that moves steadily quarter on quarter
• Units booked rising, which shows sales are happening
• Changes in approvals or plans without explanation

If updates stopped a year ago, ask the developer why. A quiet page is not proof of trouble, but it deserves a question.

Questions to ask the developer directly

Ask in writing and keep the answers:

1. Which of your past projects can I visit, and when was each handed over?
2. Has any project needed a RERA extension, and why?
3. Are there any pending cases on this project's land?
4. Which bank has funded the project, if any?
5. Who will maintain the building until the association takes over?

Clear, quick answers are a good sign. Vague ones are information too.

Buyer checklist: developer screening

• [ ] All group projects listed from RERA
• [ ] Original and actual completion dates compared
• [ ] Extensions and lapsed registrations noted
• [ ] RERA complaints and orders read
• [ ] eCourts searched for company and directors
• [ ] MCA master data and charges checked
• [ ] Company on agreement matches RERA promoter
• [ ] A finished project visited, residents spoken to
• [ ] Current project title and approvals checked
• [ ] Lawyer has read the agreement

Related reading

• Assess a builder's track record in Bangalore
• RERA project review: approvals, timeline and filings
• How to compare two apartments side by side
• Phase-wise RERA registration
• Bank approved project: what it checks

Lawyer note: Developer background, court records and insolvency on this page are general information, not legal advice. A property lawyer should review the project's title, approvals and your agreement before you pay.

Sources

Checked 29 Oct 2026. The MCA portal returned 403 to our automated check but is the official source.

1. Karnataka RERA, project search: https://rera.karnataka.gov.in/viewAllProjects?language=en
2. Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016: https://rera.karnataka.gov.in/resources/staticpage/Real_Estate_Act.pdf
3. eCourts services: https://ecourts.gov.in/ecourts_home/
4. Ministry of Corporate Affairs, company master data: https://www.mca.gov.in/