Real Estate Agents & Channel Partners
Advertising & QR Code Compliance Audit
Review support for real estate advertisements and required project or agent identifiers, subject to current requirements.
What this service involves
Section 12 and the state rules make the information in advertisements and prospectuses part of the promoter’s responsibility, and projects covered by registration are expected to display certain identifiers in advertising. Agents who repost project material can be exposed to the same concerns.
An audit reads a sample of advertising against the project’s registered details and the display requirements and lists differences. Current requirements are verified against the state authority’s orders at the time.
Which identifiers and layout rules are checked?
Section 11(2) requires the promoter’s advertisements or prospectus to prominently mention the Authority website and project registration number. Maharashtra Rule 14(2), as recited in Order 46C/2025, concerns quotation of agent and project registration numbers in agent advertisements. The audit should identify the advertiser, exact registered phase and medium before applying the checklist.
Order 46C/2025 requires the registration number and website address to be at least as large as the specified contact-detail and address font comparison, placed in the top-right quadrant in a visible colour. It also requires a readable, detectable QR code maintaining its aspect ratio in that quadrant. The actual artwork must be tested; inserting a tiny code somewhere in a footer is not enough.
How are claims and digital variations reviewed?
Compare completion dates, approvals, area descriptions, amenities and location statements with the current project record and supporting documents. Section 12 addresses loss caused by false statements in advertisements or prospectuses in the specified circumstances. A design can satisfy identifier placement yet still contain misleading substantive claims. Registration should not be described as government assurance of title, returns or completion.
Check the final output for each format, including mobile crops, social-media cards, videos, landing pages and printed material. A QR code that scans in a large design file may fail after compression or cropping. Record the version, date, target URL and test conditions. Agent-created adaptations and channel-partner reposts should be included if they fall within the agreed scope.
What does the audit report and correction workflow include?
The report should show each asset, requirement, observed issue and corrective action with the applicable source. Separate a factual claim requiring evidence from a layout defect that the designer can correct immediately. Have the promoter or advertiser approve project facts and have the final corrected artwork checked before release. An approval of one version should not be reused for materially changed copy.
Keep an asset register and remove outdated material when registration status, approvals or project particulars change. If a notice has already been issued, obtain advice on the response and remediation rather than assuming a corrected advertisement erases the earlier event. This review does not promise absence of enforcement action. Current orders and amendments should be checked when the campaign is published.
Practical decision points
A compliant desktop artwork may become non-compliant when a mobile advertisement crops the top-right quadrant or compresses the QR code. Test the final output at the size and format in which the public sees it. Record whether the code scans to the intended official project information and whether identifiers remain readable against the actual background.
If the same campaign covers several phases, assess how the registration information is presented for each offered component. A code or number for one phase should not create the impression that all advertised inventory shares that registration. The factual review should also check the advertised completion and approval statements.
The corrective-action report should identify the exact asset and version, required change, responsible person and evidence of the corrected release. Keep the earlier version where needed for a notice response rather than erase the audit trail. A design approval should state its scope and date, because later copy changes or project-status changes may require another check. No audit can promise that a future Authority assessment will find no contravention.
Who needs it
Agents, developers and marketing teams who publish project advertising.
Documents usually required
- Brochures, hoardings and online ads
- Project MahaRERA registration details
- Current display requirements issued by the authority
- Social media posts and listings
Step-by-step process
- Collect the advertising material
- Check against registered details
- Check display requirements
- List corrections
- Support revision of material
- Recommend a review routine
Typical timeline
Time depends on the volume of material. Timing depends on the matter, document readiness and the relevant authority process; confirm the scope and timeline before engagement.
Delivered by
Advocate, Chartered Accountant. The disciplines involved in a particular engagement are confirmed in the proposal.
The scope and responsible professional are identified in the engagement. Professional certificates are signed in the relevant professional or firm's own name. NXS48 is not an examination or certifying body.
Statutory and official references
- RERA Act, 2016, Section 12 (obligations regarding veracity of advertisement)
- RERA Act, 2016, Section 10 (functions of real estate agents)
- Maharashtra Registration, Agent, Interest and Disclosure Rules, 2017: project/agent provisions and Rule 18 interest benchmark (read with amendments)
Last reviewed 2026-10-24. Owner-approved for publication. Section references and rates should be verified against the current Act, rules and circulars before reliance. This page is informational, not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Does an advertising error carry consequences?
The Act and rules provide for consequences; see Section 12 and the applicable provisions.
Does this cover all platforms?
It covers the material supplied.
Related services
Who this serves
- Real estate agents
- Developers
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