Quintana Roo Urges Homebuyers to Verify Property Records Before Buying

Chetumal, Quintana Roo — Buying a home without checking its legal status can put a buyer’s savings at risk, so Quintana Roo’s Public Registry of Property and Commerce is urging residents to review a property’s records before signing any sale.

María González Plegó Castillo, the registry’s director general, said the state’s Real Estate System lets users look up ownership information and confirm whether a property carries registered liens or outstanding loans, giving buyers greater legal certainty.

The checks can be done through the registry’s digital platforms, which have logged more than 416,000 consultations and 17,674 users since they went live on March 14, 2025, she said.

Online procedures and response times

The public portal has processed 16,841 online procedures, with an average response time of under 10 days, though the turnaround varies depending on the type of request.

Among the available services is the issuance of certificates of non-ownership, documents used in housing programs and property regularization schemes.

Notaries public have also moved onto the system. González Plegó Castillo said the portal reserved for these professionals has recorded around 142,000 consultations, and more than 95 percent of its procedures are completed with an electronic signature.

Security features

To reinforce the integrity of the process, the system uses QR codes, time-and-place stamps and advanced electronic signatures that allow users to confirm a document’s authenticity and track registrations.

The registry is also working with the state Notaries Council to verify the validity of credentials held by notaries from other states who use the platform. In coordination with Sedetu, the state urban development department, it is also training real estate agents in the use of the registry’s tools.

Officials stressed that confirming who legally owns a property and finding out whether it carries guaranteed debts or registered liens are essential steps to reduce risk before committing savings to a home.