Can you negotiate the price of a flat in Georgia?
Usually, yes. Asking prices on resale flats are a starting point, developers adjust the price for the way you pay, and almost every deal has terms besides the headline figure that can be traded: what stays in the flat, who pays the costs, when the money moves and in which currency. How much room there is depends on the market at the moment you buy, and in 2026 the figures point to a market where buyers have more choice than a few years ago. Price growth in Tbilisi slowed in 2025, Batumi developers were holding more unsold flats, and new supply in the capital remains large.
This guide explains what the market data say about your leverage, what to research before you make an offer, how negotiation differs with a developer and with a private seller, and how to put the agreed terms into writing so that they hold.
What the market says about your leverage
| Signal | Figure | What it suggests |
|---|---|---|
| Tbilisi new-build price growth | +4.0% in 2025, after +11.6% in 2024 | Price rises have slowed |
| Tbilisi resale price per m² | $1,316, +7.9% in 2025 | Resale prices still rising, so sellers expect more |
| Tbilisi apartments under construction | About 87,000 | Plenty of choice in new builds |
| Batumi unsold units in surveyed projects | About 12,400, +14% in a year | Developers have stock to move |
| Batumi price outlook | Growth moderating to 4-6% a year | Less urgency to buy before the next rise |
None of these figures tells you the discount on a particular flat. They tell you that in many buildings the seller needs a buyer as much as you need a flat, and that time is less often on the seller's side than it was in 2023 and 2024.
Research before the first offer
- Price per square metre, not total price. Compare flats in the same district and, ideally, the same building, on price per m² of the registered area.
- How long the flat has been listed. Portals show listing dates; a flat advertised for months, or re-listed at a lower price, has a seller who knows the market.
- The registry extract. An encumbrance, a mortgage to be cleared or a difference between the advertised and registered area is both a risk and a negotiating point.
- The condition. Repairs you will have to make, priced roughly, give you a concrete reason for a lower offer.
- Your own position. Ready money, a quick completion and no conditions are worth something to a seller; know which of these you can offer.
A developer and a private seller negotiate differently
| Item | With a developer | With a private seller |
|---|---|---|
| Headline price | Often fixed per m², with discounts for payment terms | Usually open |
| Payment terms | Full payment upfront versus an instalment plan priced differently | Deposit size and the date the balance is paid |
| Floor, view, unit | Price steps by floor and view; ask for the unit you want at the step below | Not applicable |
| Extras | Parking, storage, furniture package, handover condition | Furniture, appliances, air conditioning |
| Costs | Who pays registration and notary | Who pays registration and notary |
| Timing | Delivery date and penalty for delay | Date of handover and keys |
With developers, the price list is rarely the end of the conversation. A buyer who pays in full may be offered a better price per m² than one who pays over years, and the gap between those two prices is itself a figure worth asking for. Our guide to developer instalment plans shows how to compare them.
A worked example: a resale flat
A 65 m² flat in a Tbilisi residential district is listed at $95,000, which is about $1,460 per m². Comparable flats in the same area are listed at around $1,320 to $1,380 per m², and the bathroom and windows need replacing, which a builder prices at about $5,000. An offer of $85,000, explained by the comparables and the repair quote, is a reasoned starting point; a counter-offer around $90,000 with the furniture included would be a common outcome. The figures are illustrative; your own comparables and quotes are what make an offer credible.
A worked example: a developer's unit
A developer lists a unit at $1,400 per m² on a 36-month instalment plan. Asking for the price for payment in full, and for a lower floor with the same view, may produce a figure closer to $1,300 per m², or the same price with a parking space included. With developers, the useful questions are about what changes the price: payment method, floor, view, timing of the reservation and extras. The answers, in writing, are the negotiation.
Negotiating from abroad
Buyers who negotiate from another country do best in writing. Make offers by email or message with the reasons attached, so that the seller or developer has something concrete to answer and you have a record. A lawyer or adviser on the spot can present the offer, check the extract and see the flat again before you commit. Our guide to buying remotely explains how the rest of the purchase works without you in Georgia.
Agree the currency, and the rate
Since July 2017, an entrepreneur offering property for sale in Georgia must state the price in lari. Many buyers still think and pay in dollars. The lari has moved a long way: from 1.74 to the dollar at the end of 2013, to a record low of 3.48 in March 2020, and back to about 2.62 in August 2026. A price agreed in lari and paid from dollars, or the reverse, can change by thousands between offer and payment. Write down which currency the price is in, and, if a conversion is needed, which rate and which date apply.
To be added by the team: the partner lawyer to confirm whether a contract between two private individuals may state the price in a foreign currency, and how the 2017 pricing rule applies to developers' contracts.
From first offer to signed terms
Make a reasoned first offer
Base it on price per m² of comparable flats and the work the flat needs, and say so.
Trade terms, not only price
If the seller will not move on the figure, ask for the furniture, the costs or a faster handover.
Set conditions before paying anything
The offer should depend on a clean extract and, for a new build, the developer's documents.
Fix the agreement in writing
Price, currency, what stays, who pays which costs and the dates go into a reservation or preliminary agreement.
Pay a deposit only against the written terms
Under the Civil Code, earnest money is kept by the seller if you walk away, and returned double if the seller does.
Signs that the price really is firm
- Several similar flats in the same building have sold recently at the asking level.
- The flat is newly listed, in a sought-after building, and the seller is in no hurry.
- The developer's remaining units are few and on the floors buyers want most.
- The seller has already lowered the price once and says so openly.
In those cases, negotiate on terms rather than price: the costs, the furniture, the date.
What weakens your position
- Telling the seller or the agent that you love the flat, or that you have a deadline.
- Negotiating through an agent paid by the seller without knowing that the agent is paid by the seller.
- Paying a deposit before the price and terms are written down.
- Negotiating on a total price without checking the registered area.
Risks and exceptions
- Currency moves between offer and payment. Fix the currency and the rate in writing.
- Concessions lost in conversation. Anything not in the agreement is not agreed.
- A low price that hides a problem. Read the extract before you celebrate a discount.
- Earnest money paid too early. It is forfeited if you change your mind.
Frequently asked questions
How much discount can I expect?
There is no published average. It depends on the building, the seller and the market at the time; use price per m² of comparable flats as your guide.
Do developers negotiate?
Usually on terms more than on the list price: payment method, the unit, extras and costs.
Should I negotiate in dollars or lari?
Either can work, but write down the currency of the price and, if needed, the conversion rate and date.
Is it rude to make a low offer?
Not if it is reasoned. A figure based on comparable prices and the work needed is normal practice.
Should I mention that I am a foreign buyer?
It rarely helps the price. Present yourself as a buyer with clear terms and a timetable; where you come from matters less than how ready you are.
Can my agent negotiate for me?
Yes, if the agent works for you. If the seller pays the agent, the agent's interest is a quick sale at a good price for the seller.
When should I pay a deposit?
Only after the extract is checked and the agreed terms are written into a reservation or preliminary agreement.
Sources
- Galt & Taggart predicts single-digit growth in apartment prices in Tbilisi in 2026, GBC, 22 January 2026 (accessed 13 October 2026)
- Sector snapshot: Batumi residential real estate, Investor.ge, 20 April 2026 (accessed 13 October 2026)
- There are currently 87,000 apartments under construction in Tbilisi, CBW, citing Colliers Georgia (accessed 13 October 2026)
- Law can't buy me love to the national currency, ISET Policy Institute, 25 February 2017 (accessed 13 October 2026)
- Lari strengthens in July too, GBC (accessed 13 October 2026)
- Civil Code of Georgia (Articles 421-423, earnest money), Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 13 October 2026)
Change log
- - Guide published from Galt & Taggart, Colliers Georgia, the 2017 pricing rule and the Civil Code on earnest money.