Why Developer Evaluation Matters
In a plotted development, you're buying infrastructure promises — roads, drainage, electricity, water provision, boundary walls. The developer delivers all of this after your payment, not before.
The quality of that delivery depends entirely on the developer's financial strength, project management capability, and integrity track record. The 10-point framework below evaluates all three.
The 10-Point Framework
**1. Years in business:** Developers with 5+ years of completed projects in Tamil Nadu have the regulatory knowledge, contractor relationships, and financial discipline that new entrants lack. Ask for the year of incorporation.
**2. Completed projects:** How many layouts has this developer completed? Completed means: all plots sold, all infrastructure delivered, all government approvals received. Request a list of completed projects and visit one.
**3. Customer references:** Ask for 5 buyer contacts from a previous completed project. Call them. Ask specifically: were roads built to spec? Was drainage working? Were there title transfer issues? Did the developer respond to complaints?
**4. TNRERA registration (if applicable):** For projects above the threshold, TNRERA registration is mandatory. Registered projects have quarterly progress updates on tnrera.tn.gov.in. Check the project status.
**5. DTCP approval completeness:** Is the DTCP approval for the specific layout you're buying, or for a phase that doesn't include your plot? Insist on seeing the actual approval for your exact plot number.
**6. Financial strength signals:** Do they own the land outright (Patta in developer's name)? Or is it a joint venture with the landowner? Joint ventures create additional risk — if the developer and landowner dispute, your purchase gets caught in the middle.
**7. Clear sale agreement terms:** A credible developer provides a sale agreement that specifies: infrastructure deliverables, timelines, penalty clauses for delay, and the exact plot dimensions. Vague agreements protect the developer, not the buyer.
**8. Legal clearance for the project:** Has an independent lawyer reviewed the developer's title? Reputed developers typically have a lawyer-cleared title certificate available.
**9. No pending DTCP enforcement actions:** Ask at the DTCP district office if the developer or their associated entity has any pending enforcement actions (unapproved construction, violation notices).
**10. Media and reputation check:** Search the developer's name + "fraud" + "complaint" + "TNRERA" in Google. TNRERA's adjudication orders are public — check if the developer has appeared as a respondent in any order.