RERA rules for advertising a property on WhatsApp
What the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 actually says about how a property gets advertised — plainly, with sources, and not as legal advice.
This is not legal advice. RERA is implemented separately by each state authority, and the specifics of your registration status, project, or transaction can change which rules apply. When in doubt, check with your state's RERA authority or a lawyer — this page exists to explain the Act in plain language, not to substitute for either.
Photo: Its Kiran / Pexels
Does RERA apply to a WhatsApp message, or just hoardings and print ads?
Section 3 of the Act bars a promoter from advertising a project "in any manner" before it's registered — and that wording isn't limited to print, hoardings, or brochures. A WhatsApp message soliciting a booking reads as an advertisement under that definition the same way a newspaper ad would, even though enforcement in practice has focused on the more visible formats. The safer assumption is to treat a WhatsApp listing with the same care as a printed one, not less.
What actually has to be in the ad?
Section 11(1)(a) requires the promoter to include the project's RERA registration number in every advertisement, along with the regulatory authority's website where a buyer can verify it. This kicks in once a project is registered — generally required for projects over 500 square metres or more than eight apartments. An ad without the registration number is exactly the kind of thing state RERA authorities have issued public notices calling out.
What's the rule about "guaranteed returns" or "assured appreciation"?
Section 12 makes a promoter liable to compensate or refund a buyer if a booking amount was taken on the basis of a false or misleading advertisement. Assured-return, guaranteed-appreciation, and buyback language is the kind of claim regulators and legal commentary specifically flag as misleading under this section. It isn't that the phrase is on some banned-words list — it's that a claim like that, if it turns out untrue or undeliverable, becomes the buyer's legal basis for a refund with interest.
Does any of this apply to agents, or only to builders?
Agents carry their own separate obligations. Section 9 requires a real estate agent to register with the state RERA authority before facilitating the sale or purchase of a unit in a registered project. Section 10 then bars a registered agent from facilitating a transaction in an unregistered project, from making false statements, and from unfair trade practices — including misrepresenting an affiliation or approval they don't actually have. This sits alongside the promoter's own advertisement duties, not instead of them.
What NovaKit's RERA check does — and doesn't — cover
- It checks the wording it generates against known misleading patterns — no assured-return or guaranteed-appreciation language, and your RERA number included where your profile has one on file.
- It doesn't verify that the project itself is actually registered, and it doesn't register you as an agent under Section 9 — those are your own obligations, separate from anything a copywriting tool can confirm.
- It doesn't give legal advice on whether a specific listing is compliant in your state. The check catches wording risk; it isn't a substitute for knowing your own registration status.
Sources
See how the check itself runs in practice in how NovaKit writes a listing.