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Before you sign

# Property Sale Agreements in Rwanda

A clean title doesn't protect you if the sale agreement itself is written entirely in the seller's favour. Here's what we check before you sign anything.

- Title verified
- Escrow-friendly process
- Virtual viewings
- Power of attorney supported

A sale agreement is where a fair-sounding verbal deal either becomes real protection or turns out to be worth very little. Reviewing it before you sign is one of the highest-value, lowest-cost steps in the entire buying process.

## What a fair sale agreement should include

- Full identification of the parties — legal names matching ID documents, not nicknames or informal names
- Exact property description — matching the UPI number and title, not a vague address
- Agreed price, in the currency of transaction, with any deposit and payment schedule specified precisely
- Payment milestones tied to specific, verifiable steps — not a single unconditional lump sum
- Conditions precedent — what must be true (clean title confirmed, no disputes) before the agreement becomes binding
- Remedies for breach — what happens if either side doesn't follow through, including refund and penalty terms
- Timeline for registered transfer — a specific window, not an open-ended "in due course"

## Red flags in a sale agreement

Red flag | Why it matters
--- | ---
Full payment required before any conditions are met | Removes your leverage if a problem surfaces afterward
No mention of title verification or due diligence | Suggests the agreement was drafted assuming no one would check
Vague property description | Can create ambiguity about exactly what you're buying
No specified remedy if the seller breaches | Leaves you with limited recourse if things go wrong
Pressure to sign quickly without review time | A legitimate seller has no reason to rush a properly documented transaction

## How our review works

We read the agreement clause by clause against the standard above, and give you a plain-language summary of what's missing or unfavourable, with suggested amendments where relevant — before you sign, not after. If you're buying through us as part of our buy property service, this is built into the process; as a standalone request, contact us with the draft agreement.

## Sale agreements and title verification work together

A well-drafted sale agreement and a verified title are two different protections, and you generally need both — a perfect contract doesn't help if the underlying title is disputed, and a clean title doesn't protect you if the contract terms are unfair. See our title verification page for the other half, or the full due diligence overview for how the two fit together.

## Buying from abroad and signing remotely

If you're not in Rwanda to sign in person, this review happens before your power-of-attorney holder signs on your behalf — see buy property from abroad for how that process is structured.

Have a draft agreement you'd like reviewed? Request a review before you sign.

FAQ

## Frequently Asked Questions

Is a verbal agreement to buy property legally binding in Rwanda?

Property transactions should always be documented in a written sale agreement and ultimately registered through a notary. Relying on a verbal agreement leaves you with essentially no enforceable protection if the other party changes their mind or their terms.

What's the difference between a sale agreement and the registered title transfer?

The sale agreement is the contract setting out price, payment terms and conditions between buyer and seller. Registered title transfer is the subsequent legal step, typically involving a notary, that actually changes the recorded owner in the land registry. You need both, in the right order — never pay in full before understanding how the transfer step will actually happen.

What payment terms should a fair sale agreement include?

Payment tied to specific, verifiable milestones — such as confirmed due diligence, signed agreement, and registered transfer — rather than a single lump sum paid upfront with no conditions attached.

What happens if the seller breaches the agreement after I've paid a deposit?

This depends entirely on what the agreement itself specifies as a remedy — which is exactly why the remedy clauses matter as much as the price clause. A well-drafted agreement specifies what happens (refund, penalty, specific performance) if either party doesn't follow through.

Can you help even if I already signed an agreement?

We can review a signed agreement and tell you honestly what protection it does or doesn't offer, though we'd always rather review before signing when that's still possible.

## About to sign a sale agreement?

Send it to us before you sign — we'll review it and flag anything that doesn't protect you fairly.

Request a Review