Sell an apartment in Batumi remotely: power of attorney, viewings and payment without travelling

You can sell an apartment in Batumi remotely from start to finish: viewings, documents, signing the contract and registration are handled by a representative under a power of attorney, and the money comes straight into your account. You do not have to travel for any stage. But a remote sale needs more preparation: the power of attorney has to be drawn up early and correctly, and the payment scheme thought through before the first viewing.

Selling an apartment in Batumi remotely: what can be done without travelling

Everything can be done without you except one thing: the decision. We agree the price, the deposit terms and the choice of buyer with you in writing, and handle the rest on the spot: preparing the apartment, viewings, negotiations, the deal and registration. You see every step through reports, photos and video, and all documents sit in one shared folder you can access at any time.

The result of a remote sale is hardly different from an ordinary one. The difference is in timing: allow one to three weeks for a power of attorney from abroad, the apostille, the translation and the courier, and it is better to start these before going to market rather than when a buyer is already waiting.

The power of attorney: text, notary and apostille

We agree the text of the power of attorney in advance. It grants the right to sign the preliminary and main contracts, collect documents at the Public Registry, transfer the electricity, water and gas accounts, and hand over the keys. It does not include the right to receive money on your behalf: that is safer.

The power of attorney can be certified by a notary in the country where you live, then apostilled if the country is party to the Hague Convention, and translated into Georgian. Since 20 October 2023 a deal under a power of attorney from abroad is registered only in notarial form, so a Georgian notary and a translation are part of the sale budget. More on our page about a deal by power of attorney.

Viewings without you

We keep the keys to the apartment. Before the first viewing we air the apartment, check the lights, water and air conditioners and arrange cleaning if needed. We run the viewings ourselves and show the apartment by video call to buyers from other countries.

After each viewing we send a short report: who viewed, what they liked, what put them off, what price was discussed. If the apartment is let, we agree viewings with the guests or tenant, and the report shows how that affects buyers' interest. Key viewings, such as a buyer's second visit, we can hold together with you by video call.

Money: to your account or a notary's deposit

It is safer to receive the buyer's money directly into your account, in Georgia or abroad, rather than through the representative. We agree the payment scheme and bank details before the deal and write into the contract when and where payment goes. If the buyer pays from abroad, their bank may hold the transfer for a few days, and we allow for this in the timing too.

If the parties do not want to take risks, the money goes into a Georgian notary's deposit, and the notary passes it to you after the buyer's title is registered. How this works is explained on our page about escrow and safe payments. We hand the keys to the buyer only once you have confirmed receipt of the money.

The deal and registration

The representative signs the contract at the notary, and the documents go to the Public Registry: at the standard rate 150 lari and up to 4 working days, 270 lari for 1 day, 350 lari for the same day. We send you a fresh extract in the buyer's name straight after registration. How registration works is explained on our page about the Public Registry.

The notary checks the representative's authority under the power of attorney and the buyer's identity. So we check its text and translation with a Georgian notary in advance, so that on the day of the deal no stray word or missing power comes to light.

After the deal: bills, the act and tax

We hand over the keys against an act and record the meter readings in it. The electricity, water and gas accounts are transferred to the buyer so that new bills do not come to you. If your belongings stay in the apartment and the buyer does not want them, we agree in advance what to do with them: remove them, pass them to friends or put them into storage.

If there is tax on the sale, it is declared and paid in Georgia within a short period after the deal, and missing that deadline costs a fine. When tax arises and how to calculate it is covered on our page about taxes on selling.

How much a remote sale costs

A representative under a power of attorney at the deal, with signing, filing with the registry and handing over the keys, costs from 720 ₾. Arranging the power of attorney, apostille and translations starts from 390 ₾, a payment scheme with support for the money transfer from 390 ₾, arranging a notary's deposit from 420 ₾. If we also find the buyer, the commission is 4–6 % of the sale price.

The final price is set after we review your situation and agree the scope of work. Notary charges, the apostille, translation, courier, the registry fee and tax are paid separately.