One missing number on an Instagram ad can land a builder in trouble with RERA. The rule is simple, the penalties are calculated on the whole project, and most mistakes happen in the channels nobody checks: reels, WhatsApp forwards and portal listings.
Under Section 11(2) of the RERA Act, 2016, every advertisement or prospectus for a registered project must prominently show the project's RERA registration number and the website address of the state's Real Estate Regulatory Authority. Before registration, Section 3 bars any advertising at all. Penalties can reach 10% of the project's estimated cost for advertising without registration and 5% for other contraventions, and buyers misled by an ad can claim compensation.
- Section 11(2): every ad must prominently carry the project's registration number and the state RERA website address.
- Section 3: no advertising, marketing or booking of any kind before the project is registered.
- Penalties: up to 10% of estimated project cost for advertising an unregistered project; up to 5% for other contraventions.
- TG RERA: phases can be advertised only once registered, and agents can't advertise unregistered projects.
- Build the details into every template and control what channel partners share.
What does RERA Section 11(2) require?
Section 11(2) of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 says any advertisement or prospectus issued or published by a promoter must mention prominently two things (RERA Act, 2016):
- The website address of the state's Real Estate Regulatory Authority, where all the details of the registered project are available.
- The project's registration number obtained from the Authority.
The Act defines "advertisement" broadly, as any document described or issued as an advertisement through any medium. State authorities spell the duty out plainly. Andhra Pradesh RERA's advertisement guidelines note that it is compulsory to mention the registration number on the website as well as on any advertisement (AP RERA). Telangana RERA's FAQs say every advertisement must carry the TS RERA registration number, citing Section 11(2) (TG RERA FAQs). Tripura RERA's June 2025 notification restates the same duty for all advertisements and prospectuses (Tripura RERA).
You can't advertise before registration at all
Section 11(2) applies to registered projects. Before that, Section 3(1) is stricter: a promoter can't advertise, market, book, sell or offer for sale, or invite people to buy, in any manner, until the project is registered (RERA Act, 2016).
Telangana RERA's FAQs make three practical points for Hyderabad developers (TG RERA FAQs):
- The project must be registered before any form of advertising starts.
- In a multi-phase project, a phase can be advertised only once that phase is registered, and amenities that belong to an unregistered later phase can't be advertised or promised.
- Real estate agents don't need their ad content approved, but they must not advertise a project unless the promoter has registered it, and they're liable for false or misleading representations.
What's at stake
The penalties are calculated on the project, not the ad. Under the Act (RERA Act, 2016):
What getting it wrong can cost under the RERA Act
Section 12 adds a buyer remedy: if someone pays an advance or deposit based on information in an advertisement or prospectus that turns out to be incorrect or false, and suffers a loss, the promoter must compensate them. Getting an ad wrong isn't a design issue. It's a financial one.
Which ads does it cover?
Every format that promotes a project, including:
| Format | Common slip | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Newspaper and magazine ads | Registration number in tiny print | Fixed, readable panel on every layout |
| Hoardings and outdoor | Details too small to read from the road | Size the panel for viewing distance |
| Brochures and leaflets | Old brochures reprinted before registration or with outdated details | Version control; destroy old stock |
| Website and landing pages | RERA website address missing | Footer and enquiry form on every project page |
| Instagram and Facebook ads, reels | Details left off a "clean" creative | Approved templates with the panel built in |
| WhatsApp, SMS and email | Sales team and channel partner forwards drop the details | Approved message texts and creatives only |
| Property portal listings | Registration field left blank or wrong | Check every listing before it goes live |
Can state rules go further?
Yes. State authorities can issue their own requirements on how and where the details appear, such as placement, font size or QR codes, and some have issued directions on advertising through agents and portals. If your projects are in Telangana, Karnataka or any other state, check the latest circulars on that state's RERA website. This is general guidance, not legal advice.
A simple compliance routine
- Build it into every template. The registration number and RERA website address in a fixed, readable spot on every creative, sized for the medium.
- Control what partners send. Give channel partners and sales teams approved creatives and message texts, so nobody makes their own.
- Check before anything goes live. One named person signs off on RERA details for every ad, listing and brochure.
- Match the phase. Make sure every creative only promotes the registered phase, and doesn't promise amenities from a later phase.
- Keep a log. A simple record of approved ads by project, date and channel, so you can show what ran.
- Re-check after any change. New phase, extended registration or corrected details? Update every template the same day.
A developer launches a new tower with a reel that runs on Instagram and is forwarded by 40 channel partners on WhatsApp. The reel looks great, but the registration number appears for one second in a corner, and some partners crop it out when they resize it for Status.
The fix: a fixed end card with the registration number and RERA website on every video, a locked vertical version for WhatsApp Status, and a rule that partners only share files from the approved folder. Every creative now carries the details, in every format.
Compliant ads can still sell
The two details take up a small panel. The rest of the ad is yours: location, plans, amenities, construction progress, real photos and walkthrough videos. And because property buyers take months to decide, the developers who win aren't the ones with the loudest launch ads. They're the ones who stay visible and trusted for the whole journey. Read Myth: brand building is a waste for small businesses and, on the cost of ads, Paid media takes 30.6% of budgets and buys less every year.
Two details, every ad, every channel. Build them into the template and you'll never miss them.
How Ad Asthra helps developers
We build real estate marketing systems where compliance is part of the template, not an afterthought.
Frequently asked questions
What does RERA Section 11(2) say about advertisements?
Every advertisement or prospectus issued by a promoter must prominently mention the website address of the state's Real Estate Regulatory Authority, where the project's details are available, and include the project's registration number.
Can a builder advertise before RERA registration?
No. Section 3 of the RERA Act bars promoters from advertising, marketing, booking, selling or inviting people to buy in any manner before the project is registered.
Does the RERA number need to be on Instagram and WhatsApp ads?
Yes. The Act defines advertisement as any document issued as an advertisement through any medium, so social media posts, reels, WhatsApp messages and portal listings all need the registration number and RERA website.
What is the penalty for advertising without RERA registration?
Under Section 59, a penalty of up to 10% of the estimated cost of the project. Telangana RERA's FAQs note continued violation can lead to imprisonment of up to three years, a further fine of up to 10%, or both.
What is the penalty for other RERA advertising violations?
Section 61 provides a penalty of up to 5% of the project's estimated cost for contravening other provisions of the Act. Section 12 also lets buyers misled by incorrect ad information claim compensation.
Are real estate agents responsible for RERA compliance in ads?
Yes. Telangana RERA's FAQs say agents must not advertise a project unless it's registered and are liable for false or misleading representations.
Can I advertise future phases of a project?
Only once each phase is registered. Telangana RERA's FAQs also say amenities belonging to an unregistered later phase can't be advertised or promised.
How does Ad Asthra help real estate developers?
We build launch campaigns, project content and a CRM-tracked site-visit funnel, with RERA details built into every template and partner creative, and train an in-house team to run it.
Sources
- The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 (Act No. 16 of 2016), Government of India (India Code), 2016
- FAQs on RERA - TS, Telangana Real Estate Regulatory Authority, 7 July 2023
- Advertisement guidelines under the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, Andhra Pradesh Real Estate Regulatory Authority
- Notification regarding RERA provisions, 24 June 2025, Tripura Real Estate Regulatory Authority, 24 June 2025
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