How long does it take to sell an apartment in Georgia?
No one publishes the answer. Neither the analysts who track the market (Galt & Taggart, TBC Capital, Colliers) nor the listing sites report how many days flats stay on the market, so any precise figure you see is a guess. What the data do show is how deep each market is: Tbilisi registered 21,427 resales in 2025, about half of all flat sales in the city, while Batumi's resale market is around a third of that size and more seasonal. In both cities, a well-documented flat priced in line with recent sales in a district with many buyers sells far faster than an unusual flat, a flat with paperwork problems or one priced on hope.
This page sets out what the transaction data show about liquidity, which flats sell most easily, how resale prices compare with new ones, how the market behaved in past shocks, and what slows a sale down. The service side of selling is on our resale service page.
How deep is the resale market?
| Year | Newer buildings (permits from 2013) | Older buildings |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 10.1 | 14.5 |
| 2023 | 9.1 | 12.1 |
| 2024 | 9.6 | 10.6 |
Two trends stand out. Resales of flats in newer buildings held steady and rose 8.1% in 2024, while resales of older, mostly Soviet-era flats fell 12.5% that year and by about a quarter over two years. About 78% of Tbilisi's housing stock was built before 1991, according to Galt & Taggart's 2019 estimate, so the older segment is large in stock but thinner in buyers. In 2025 total Tbilisi resales recovered to 21,427, and in July 2026 monthly resales reached their highest level since 2022.
Across Georgia, TBC Capital counted about 78,500 property transactions in 2025, of which 49,200 were resales. Most activity is in the two main cities: the National Bank estimates that about 60% of residential market activity is in Tbilisi.
| Period | Figure |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 15,826 sales in total, 15% fewer resales than in 2022 |
| 2024 | 6,587 resales, 3.1% fewer than in 2023 |
| 2025 | 17,478 sales in total, 15% more than in 2024 |
| April-June 2026 | 2,200 resales, 13.4% more than a year earlier |
Which flats sell most easily
- Medium flats. Flats of 51 to 80 m² made up 53.0% of Tbilisi sales in 2025, against 25.5% for flats of 35 to 50 m² and 19.6% for 81 to 150 m². Galt & Taggart attributes the preference to affordability and ease of renting.
- The middle of the price range. In 2025, 56.6% of Tbilisi flats sold for less than $1,100 per m² and 37.7% for $1,101 to $2,000; above $3,000 per m² the share was 1.2%. The more expensive the flat, the fewer buyers there are at any time.
- Busy districts. Didi Dighomi, Saburtalo and Samgori each recorded more than 6,000 sales in 2025; Vake, Chugureti, Mtatsminda and Vashlijvari each fewer than 1,400. Our district ranking shows the shares.
- Finished, registered flats. When political uncertainty rose at the end of 2024, Galt & Taggart saw buyers shift toward finished flats rather than projects still under construction.
What resale flats sell for
| Market | New from developers | Resale, newer buildings | Resale, older buildings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tbilisi | 1,373 (white frame) | 1,316 | 1,238 |
| Batumi | 1,960 (turnkey) | 1,497 | 1,196 |
In Tbilisi a resale flat in a newer building sells close to the new-build price, even though new flats are quoted unfinished; in Batumi resales sell well below finished new flats. A seller competes with developers who offer instalment plans: Galt & Taggart found that 94% of flats in Tbilisi projects completed in 2025 were sold, mostly on developers' own instalment schemes. How far below the asking price flats actually sell is not measured; one Tbilisi agency says its own deals close about 5% below the asking price, which is one firm's experience, not market data.
How buyers pay
A resale is easier when the buyer can borrow. Galt & Taggart estimated in 2019 that about 40% of Tbilisi sales were financed by mortgages; by December 2024 mortgages made up 21.0% of the value of sales, because most buyers of new flats used developers' instalment plans. For resales, which developers do not finance, a buyer's ability to get a mortgage matters more. National Bank rules allow up to 90% of the value for lari mortgages and 70% for foreign-currency ones, and a bank will usually lend only against a flat that is registered and in a commissioned building.
How liquidity held up in past shocks
- Pandemic, 2020. Tbilisi sales fell 92.7% in April and 74.3% in May 2020 on a year earlier, during the lockdown, and the fall narrowed to 21.0% in June.
- Mortgage rules, 2019. Sales jumped 33.4% in 2018 as buyers bought ahead of stricter lending rules from January 2019, then cooled in 2019.
- Political uncertainty, 2024-2025. In January 2025 sales of flats in older buildings were 29.2% lower than a year earlier. Developers' sales fell 4.1% in the first four months of 2025, then rose 42.0% over the next eight, and resales ended 2025 up 3.5%.
The pattern is that volumes fall fast in a shock and recover within months to a few quarters when conditions normalise; in the 2024-2025 episode the resale market took roughly two to three quarters to return to growth, by our reading of the figures. A seller who has to sell in the middle of a shock pays for that with a lower price or a longer wait.
What slows a sale down
- Paperwork. A flat in a building without a commissioning act cannot be registered as a separate unit, which rules out most mortgage buyers.
- Off-plan contracts. Selling a contract for a flat that is not finished usually needs the developer's consent to transfer your obligations, and the buyer takes on the developer risk.
- A mortgage on the flat. The bank has to be paid off or agree to the sale, which adds a step at closing.
- Co-owners and heirs. All owners must sign; a missing co-owner or an unfinished inheritance stops the sale.
- A tenant in place. The lease survives a sale, which suits investor buyers but not those who want to move in.
- The season. In Batumi, investor buyers are most active when they visit, mostly in the warm months.
- The price. A flat priced above recent sales of similar flats waits, whatever the market.
The cost and paperwork of selling
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Registering the change of owner | From GEL 150 for the standard four-day service to GEL 350 for registration on the day |
| Registry extract for the buyer | GEL 13 to 75, depending on speed and channel |
| Agency commission | Around 3% of the price at the agencies we checked (some 3% to 5%), usually paid by the seller and negotiable; not set by law |
| Income tax on the gain | None on a home owned more than two years; otherwise 5% of the gain |
The registry fees are explained in our guide to Public Registry fees. Once buyer and seller agree, registration itself takes days, not weeks; the time is spent finding the buyer.
Resorts and other cities
Outside Tbilisi and Batumi the markets are thin. Bakuriani recorded 352 flat sales and Gudauri 64 in the third quarter of 2024, the latest resort figures published, and no current figures exist for Kutaisi or Rustavi; one estimate attributed to TBC Capital puts all other cities together at about 8% of transactions. In thin markets a flat can take much longer to sell, and the price depends on the few buyers looking at the time.
How to make a flat easier to sell
- Buy with the exit in mind. A medium-sized flat in a busy district, in a commissioned and registered building.
- Keep the file complete. Extract, contract, permits, commissioning, receipts and any renovation invoices.
- Price from registered sales. Compare with sales of similar flats nearby, not with asking prices.
- Plan around tenants and seasons. Time a sale to the end of a lease, and in Batumi to the months buyers visit.
- Clear the obstacles early. Agree with the bank on a mortgage payoff and with co-owners before listing.
Risks and exceptions
- No time-to-sell data. Any figure for days on market is an estimate.
- Thin segments. Large, expensive or older flats have fewer buyers.
- New-build competition. Developers sell on instalments that resellers cannot offer.
- Shocks. Volumes can fall sharply for months.
- Paperwork. Missing documents rule out mortgage buyers.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average time to sell a flat in Tbilisi?
No source publishes it; registry data show volumes and prices, not days on market.
How many resales are there in Tbilisi?
21,427 in 2025, according to Galt & Taggart.
Do resale flats sell for less than new ones?
In Tbilisi slightly ($1,316 against $1,373 per m² in December 2025); in Batumi much more.
Which flats sell fastest?
Medium-sized flats of 51 to 80 m² in busy districts, with complete documents.
How much is the agency commission?
Around 3% at the agencies we checked, usually paid by the seller and negotiable.
How long does registration take?
4 working days at the standard fee of GEL 150, or the same day for GEL 350.
Is the gain on a sale taxed?
Not if you owned the home for more than two years; otherwise at 5%.
What happened to sales in the pandemic?
They fell 92.7% in April 2020 and recovered within months.
Sources
- Tbilisi Residential Real Estate, 2024 Full Year Overview, Galt & Taggart (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Tbilisi Residential Real Estate, 2025 Full Year Overview, Galt & Taggart (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Tbilisi Real Estate Market Outlook, December 2019, Galt & Taggart (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Georgia's real estate market grows 6% in 2025 (TBC Capital data), Georgia Today, 12 February 2026 (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Tbilisi and Batumi apartment sales surpass $4.3 billion in 2025 (Colliers data), Georgia Today, 17 February 2026 (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Batumi sales fell 9% in 2023 (Colliers data), Homesoverseas, 18 January 2024 (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Batumi real estate market slowed in 2024 (Galt & Taggart data), GBC, 4 March 2025 (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Batumi residential market grows 15% in 2025 (Galt & Taggart data), GBC, March 2026 (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Batumi Residential Real Estate, 2Q26 Overview, Galt & Taggart (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Sell property in Tbilisi (agency page), Tbilisi Home (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Agency services (commission), Top Broker (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Overview of the Tbilisi real estate market for Q2 2020 (Galt & Taggart data), Georgia Wealth (accessed 19 October 2026)
- January 2025 Tbilisi residential transactions down 7.5%, GBC, 14 February 2025 (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Financial Stability Report 2025, National Bank of Georgia (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Immovable property registration fees, National Agency of Public Registry (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Resort apartment sales, third quarter of 2024 (Galt & Taggart data), Georgia Today, 15 November 2024 (accessed 19 October 2026)
Change log
- - Data page published from Galt & Taggart registry data, Colliers, TBC Capital, the National Bank, Public Registry fees and agency price lists.