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Deal check · 3 filters

Check a real estate deal abroad in three filters

Before you fly, before a down payment and before a lawyer: 18 questions that show whether the deal passes, needs checking or fails, right from your desk at home. This is the method Attorney Ilan Leibovitch teaches the developers he advises.

0 of 18 questions
A

Economic feasibility

Do the numbers hold, even when something goes wrong?

  1. I have a conservative business plan with every expense: land, taxes, fees, notary, advisers, flights and management.Critical
  2. The sale price in the plan is based on similar deals that closed in the area, not on listings.Critical
  3. I have checked what happens to the plan if construction is delayed or prices fall.
  4. I know where all the capital for the stage before the permit will come from, without buyers' money.Critical
  5. A local bank has seen the plan and said in principle that it is willing to finance the construction.
  6. I have checked the taxation in both countries with a tax adviser, before the deal.
B

Planning and physical check

What may be built here, and who will build it?

  1. I have visited the land myself.Critical
  2. I have a planning certificate (certificat de urbanism) for the plot, and I have checked what may actually be built.Critical
  3. I know whether a detailed plan (PUZ or PUD) is needed, and I have built that time into the timeline.
  4. I have checked access and utilities: road, water, sewerage, electricity and gas.
  5. A local architect and engineer have checked the plot, including the soil and flood zones.
  6. I have received at least two contractor quotes, with a timeline.
C

Legal check

Who does the land really belong to, and what sits on it?

  1. I have seen an up-to-date land register extract: owners, charges and notes.Critical
  2. The land is registered in the cadastre, and the boundaries on the ground match the registration.
  3. I have checked that there are no restitution claims or lawsuits on the land.Critical
  4. I know whose name the land will be registered in: mine or a Romanian company's, and what that means for my passport.Critical
  5. If the land is agricultural and outside the built-up area, I have checked the pre-emption procedure and the conditions for buying.
  6. I have a local lawyer who works only for me, not for the seller.Critical

The method

Why three filters, and why in this order

Most mistakes in real estate deals abroad do not happen because of a bad deal. They happen because the right thing was checked too late: land was bought and only then did someone find out what may be built on it, a contract was signed and only then was a charge discovered, sales were planned and only then did it turn out that selling before the permit is not allowed.

Filter A: economic feasibility

A conservative business plan, with every expense, including the ones people forget. A sale price based on closed deals, not listings. And a delay scenario. If the numbers do not hold here, there is no reason to pay for any other checks.

Filter B: planning and physical check

A site visit, a planning certificate, utilities, a contractor. This is where you learn what may actually be built, how long it will take, and who will build it. In Romania, the new Planning and Construction Code (Law 169/2026) has been in force since 25 August 2026, so an old checklist may check against a repealed law. The permit path, step by step.

Filter C: legal check

An up-to-date extract, registration, claims, and whose name the land will be registered in. And a lawyer who works only for you. The full land due diligence checklist.

A deal that fails the first filter does not cost you a plane ticket. That is the whole idea.

FAQ

Questions about the check

How do you check a real estate deal abroad?

You put it through three filters, in order: economic feasibility (a conservative plan with every expense and a sale price based on closed deals), a planning and physical check (what may be built, utilities, contractor) and a legal check (extract, registration, claims and a lawyer of your own). A deal that fails one of them is ruled out from home.

Does the tool also work for buying a home, not just for development?

Most of the legal questions fit any purchase. The economic and planning questions were written for anyone buying land or a property to build on or renovate.

What do I do with a lot of "don't know" answers?

It is not a failure. It is what you have not checked yet. Every "don't know" is a question you need a written answer to before you commit.

Do you store my answers?

No. The answers stay in your browser. If you ask for the action plan, we keep only the email you left.

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This tool is for general information and an initial self-check only. It is not legal, tax or investment advice, and it does not replace a lawyer, a valuer and a tax adviser in the country of the deal.