Why Georgia stands apart
Foreign nationals can buy freehold property in Georgia with no special permits, approvals, or quotas.
No capital gains tax when you sell — as long as you owned the property for 2 or more years.
Entry-level prices significantly below European and Turkish comparable markets, with room to grow.
Rental yields in tourist-heavy Batumi and central Tbilisi consistently outperform regional averages.
Title registration at the Public Registry is completed within 1–3 business days. Fast, transparent, digital.
The 9-step buying process
Research the market honestly
Don't skip this step. Study real price data — not seller estimates. Use Kavlian's Market Insights to compare average prices by district, track trends over time, and understand where your budget actually positions you in Tbilisi or Batumi.
Get your Georgian Tax ID (TIN)
Visit any Public Service Hall (სახელმწიფო სერვისების განვითარების სააგენტო) with your passport. Your Tax Identification Number is issued free of charge, same day. You need it for every financial transaction in Georgia — open it before you do anything else.
Open a Georgian bank account
TBC Bank, Bank of Georgia, and Liberty Bank all serve foreign clients. Bring your passport, proof of address from your home country, and an initial deposit ($100–500 typically). The process takes 1–2 business days. A local account simplifies payments and avoids international wire fees.
Define your investment criteria
Before browsing, decide: Are you buying to live, rent short-term (Airbnb), or rent long-term? Your answer changes everything — the city, district, floor, condition, and price range. Use Kavlian's Buyer Journey tool to model different scenarios with real cost estimates.
Search and shortlist with Kavlian
Filter across 1,600+ aggregated listings from MyHome.ge, SS.ge, and Place.ge simultaneously. Narrow by city, district, price, rooms, and area. Save your shortlist. Visit properties in person if possible — photos rarely convey building quality, natural light, or neighbourhood feel.
Conduct thorough due diligence
Hire a Georgian lawyer ($300–800). They will verify: clean title with no outstanding debts or liens, correct building permits, full ownership chain history, and any communal arrears on the apartment. This is not optional. Georgia's Public Registry is reliable, but unrepresented buyers make avoidable mistakes.
Negotiate and sign a preliminary agreement
Make a formal offer. If accepted, sign a preliminary agreement (საწინასწარო ხელშეკრულება) and pay a deposit — typically 10–20% of the purchase price. This agreement binds both parties. Ensure it includes conditions: clean title confirmation, completion timeline, and what happens to the deposit if the deal falls through.
Notarize the sale agreement
Both buyer and seller appear before a licensed notary with their identification documents. The notary prepares and certifies the deed of sale. Notary fee: 0.1–0.4% of the property value. Full payment is made at or before this stage — typically via bank transfer. The notary submits the registration application on your behalf.
Receive ownership and manage your asset
The Public Registry updates title within 1–3 business days. You'll receive an official ownership extract. From here: register for utilities, pay annual property tax (1% of cadastral value, typically $100–400), and if renting, decide between self-management or a local property management company (8–12% of monthly rent).
Typical transaction costs
| Item | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Notary fee | 0.1–0.4% |
| Registration fee | ~$50 |
| Lawyer fee | $300–800 |
| Annual property tax | 1% |
| Property management | 8–12% |
Best areas for investment ROI
Mistakes that cost foreign buyers dearly
- Trusting verbal commitments — get everything in writing, signed.
- Skipping due diligence to save $300–800 on a $50,000+ purchase.
- Buying in a high-supply new development without checking rental competition.
- Not accounting for full transaction costs (notary + registration + lawyer) in your budget.
- Overestimating short-term rental income without checking local Airbnb occupancy rates.
- Using a personal bank transfer instead of an escrow-style notary process.
Ready to take the next step?
Use our interactive Buyer Journey to track your progress through the buying process — or browse listings to see what's available right now.