Can you buy property at auction in Georgia?
Yes. Georgian property is sold at auction in several ways, almost all of them online, and a foreigner can register and bid like anyone else, except for agricultural land. The most common are forced sales of debtors' property by the National Bureau of Enforcement, sales of mortgaged property agreed between a bank and an owner, privatisation of state property, and municipal sales such as those of Tbilisi City Hall. Prices can start well below market value, but the buyer takes the property as it is, with whatever rights and occupants the rules leave attached to it.
This explainer sets out how each kind of auction works, what the rules say about deposits, payment and title, and what to check before placing a bid.
Which kinds of property auction exist?
| Auction | Who runs it | Where it is held | Typical property |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enforcement auction | National Bureau of Enforcement | eauction.ge and nbe.gov.ge | Debtors' flats, houses, commercial units |
| Mortgage sale by a specialist | An auction company agreed by the bank and the owner | Often eauction.ge, with notices in the Legislative Herald | Mortgaged flats |
| State privatisation | National Agency of State Property | eauction.ge | State buildings and land |
| Municipal sale | Tbilisi City Hall's property agency | auction.tbilisi.gov.ge | City-owned plots and premises |
| Private seller | Individuals and companies through the state agency's service | eauction.ge | Any property the owner chooses to sell |
How does an enforcement auction work?
When a court decision or another enforceable document is not paid, the creditor may ask for the debtor's real estate to be sold. The enforcement bureau fixes the market value from an inventory or a valuation, and either party may submit an expert valuation made within the previous six months. Since an order of 3 July 2026, the valuation also takes into account registered rights that will survive the sale.
- First auction: the starting price is 75% of the market value.
- First repeat auction: announced straight after a failed first one, starting at 50%.
- Second repeat auction: starting at 10% of the market value, a level set in July 2026 after the Constitutional Court struck down the earlier 5% rule.
- Duration: each auction runs for at least 7 and at most 10 days.
- Deposit: 5% of the market value, paid before bidding.
- Bid step: 1% of the market value.
- Payment: the winner pays the full price within 10 calendar days of the end of the auction.
If the winner does not pay, the deposit is forfeited, the result is cancelled and a new auction is announced within three days. Losing bidders get their deposits back within five banking days, to the account they paid from. Once an auction has been announced, it can no longer be stopped or postponed; before that, the debtor can stop it by paying the debt and the costs.
To be added by the team: the partner lawyer to confirm the starting prices, the deposit and the duration against the current consolidated text of the Minister of Justice order on forced auctions.
A worked example
Take a flat with a market value of GEL 200,000. At the first auction bidding starts at GEL 150,000; you pay a deposit of GEL 10,000, and each bid raises the price by GEL 2,000. If nobody bids, the first repeat auction starts at GEL 100,000, and a second repeat auction at GEL 20,000. If you win at GEL 160,000, you pay the remaining GEL 150,000 within 10 calendar days. The figures illustrate the rules only; they say nothing about the price a particular lot will reach, which depends on how many people bid for it.
What do you receive, and what stays attached?
After full payment, the bureau issues an order of title to the property bought at auction, which is the basis of your ownership, and the previous owner loses all rights to it. What happens to the rights registered on the property depends on who forced the sale:
- When an unsecured creditor forces the sale, rights registered on the property remain, including obligations from an earlier privatisation.
- When a mortgage holder forces the sale, rights registered after that mortgage are extinguished, while rights registered before it remain. Tax liens survive unless the mortgage holder is a bank, a microfinance organisation or another listed institution.
Read the lot description and order a fresh extract to see which rights are registered and in what order. Then register your ownership at the Public Registry, for GEL 150 in four working days, GEL 270 in one or GEL 350 the same day.
What if someone lives in the property?
The buyer takes the place of the previous owner in any arrangement for possession or use, so an existing lease carries over to you. The enforcement bureau evicts people only on the basis of an enforceable decision ordering eviction, after a written warning of 10 calendar days, and with police help if needed; the title order alone does not empty the flat. Before bidding, find out who lives in the property and on what basis, and budget time, and possibly a court case, if the occupants will not leave.
Can the sale be challenged?
The parties may appeal an enforcement officer's act to the head of the bureau within 15 calendar days, or to a court within one month, and an appeal does not automatically suspend the act. A dispute over the market value cannot cancel the result of an auction, unless the starting price at the first auction was above the market value. Third parties whose rights were harmed by the sale can claim against the debtor, not against the buyer, who keeps the property.
Sales of mortgaged property by a specialist
A bank and a property owner may agree in writing that a specialist auction company sells the mortgaged property, without enforcement proceedings; where they do not agree, a court orders the sale. Such auctions publish their own terms. One example in March 2026: a 98.44 m² flat in Isani, Tbilisi, with a starting price of GEL 120,711.64, a guarantee of 10% of the starting price and payment within 7 calendar days. Read each notice: deposits and payment deadlines differ from enforcement auctions.
Buying state property
Georgian and foreign citizens, and private companies, may buy state property at privatisation auctions, except agricultural land, which the state privatises only to Georgian citizens and Georgian-registered entities. Bidders lodge a deposit or a bank guarantee set for each sale, which is forfeited if the winner fails to pay or sign. The agreement must be signed within 45 calendar days of the auction, and the agency sets a payment term of between 7 days and 2 years. Some lots carry investment obligations secured by a bank guarantee of at least 10% of the investment.
Can a foreigner register and bid?
Yes. Any natural or legal person may register on eauction.ge free of charge, and the platform has a non-resident user type; accounts are activated with an SMS code and an e-mail link. Deposits can be paid by bank card, bank transfer, e-wallet, electronic bank guarantee or in cash at the bank that services the platform; a transfer must arrive at least 28 hours before the auction ends. Bidders appear under numbers, not names, and a bid in the last two minutes extends the auction by two minutes. The rules on agricultural land apply at auctions as everywhere: our guide to land for foreigners explains them.
What does buying at auction cost?
The platform's service fees are charged to the seller. Flats, houses, land plots and property of private individuals are not subject to VAT when sold to cover a debt; other property sold in enforcement may be, with the authorised seller paying it. Your own costs are the deposit, the price, the Public Registry fee, any translation or legal help, and the cost of repairs or of removing occupants if the property needs it. Our guide to hidden costs lists the rest.
How to bid, step by step
Find the lot
On eauction.ge, nbe.gov.ge or the municipal platform, and save the full notice.
Order a fresh extract
Check the owner, the area, the land category and every registered right.
Inspect the property
The platform says anyone may inspect at the place stated in the lot; ask who lives there.
Set your maximum
Include repairs, fees and the risk of occupants, and stop at that figure.
Register and pay the deposit
Early enough for a transfer to arrive, from an account in your own name.
Bid and pay
If you win, pay the balance within the deadline in the notice.
Register your ownership
File the title order with the Public Registry and check the new extract.
Risks and exceptions
- Occupants. A lease carries over, and eviction needs a separate decision.
- Surviving rights. Earlier mortgages, liens or obligations may stay on the property.
- Limited viewing. You may not see inside before bidding.
- Short payment deadline. Ten days leaves no time to arrange a mortgage.
- Lost deposit. If you cannot pay in time, the deposit is forfeited.
Frequently asked questions
Can foreigners buy at auction in Georgia?
Yes, by registering on the platform; agricultural land remains closed to foreigners.
How low can the starting price go?
At enforcement auctions, 75% of market value, then 50%, then 10% at the second repeat auction.
How much is the deposit?
5% of market value at enforcement auctions; other auctions set their own amount.
How fast must I pay?
Within 10 calendar days of an enforcement auction; check each notice for other auctions.
Do the debts and mortgages disappear?
Not always: it depends on who forced the sale and on the order in which rights were registered.
Can I evict the people living there?
Only through an enforceable eviction decision; existing leases pass to you.
Can I use a mortgage to pay?
A 10-day deadline leaves little time for a bank to approve a loan, so plan to pay from your own funds.
Is there VAT on an auctioned flat?
No; flats, houses, land and private individuals' property sold for a debt are not subject to VAT.
Sources
- Law of Georgia on Enforcement Proceedings (Articles 18, 47, 63, 69-76, 84), Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 14 October 2026)
- Minister of Justice Order No 21 of 2011 on forced auctions, Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 14 October 2026)
- Minister of Justice Order No 1224 of 3 July 2026, Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 14 October 2026)
- Constitutional Court ruling of 26 March 2026 on the second repeat auction, Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 14 October 2026)
- Civil Code of Georgia (Articles 300-306), Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 14 October 2026)
- Law of Georgia on State Property (Articles 3, 3.1, 6, 20), Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 14 October 2026)
- Tax Code of Georgia (Article 161.1), Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 14 October 2026)
- Auction notice for a mortgaged flat in Isani, Tbilisi, Legislative Herald of Georgia, 24 February 2026 (accessed 14 October 2026)
- eauction.ge: purchase manual, National Agency of State Property (accessed 14 October 2026)
- Immovable property registration: fees and terms, National Agency of Public Registry (accessed 14 October 2026)
Change log
- - Explainer published from the Law on Enforcement Proceedings, the Minister of Justice orders on forced auctions, the Civil Code and the Law on State Property.