The Maharashtra Real Estate Appellate Tribunal (MREAT) has set aside the order passed by Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority (MahaRERA) with regards to property portals registration as realty agents and has directed the authority to hear the matter afresh.
The real estate authority, in October 2019, had asked the web portals to register as real estate agents. The web portals had challenged this order stating that they were not facilitating any sale, but merely were providing information via advertisements to the public.
Property portals had also claimed that they suggest people visiting their websites to check details of a project from other authorities which even included MahaRERA before finalising their decision.
In July 2018, consumers’ body the Mumbai Grahak Panchayat (MGP) had filed a complaint with MahaRERA stating that the web portals need to be registered as real estate agents with the authority.