On a pre-launch project with no registration and no price — the position at Purva Hennur — an expression of interest is the only sensible way to hold a position. It is also the document buyers sign most casually. Six things it should say, and three it must not.
Key takeaways
- An EOI reserves a queue position. It is not a booking and allots nothing.
- The amount must be refundable, and the word must appear in writing.
- It should state what triggers a refund, how long it takes and who signs off.
- It must not allot a specific unit at a specific price pre-registration.
- Pay by traceable means to the company account, never cash, never to a person.
Where this applies: Purva Hennur — no published price and no RERA number we could find, which is exactly the situation an EOI exists for. Our position is on the listing page.
What an expression of interest actually is
Before a project is registered and launched, a developer wants to gauge demand and buyers want first pick of inventory. An expression of interest is the mechanism that serves both without a sale taking place.
You pay a modest, refundable amount. In return you get a position in a queue that will determine your order of selection when the project launches.
Nothing is allotted. No unit is reserved, no price is fixed, and no agreement to sell is signed. That is the whole point — a sale would require registration, and registration is what has not happened yet.
Handled properly, this is a reasonable arrangement that costs you the time value of a modest sum and nothing else.
Handled badly, it becomes a booking in everything but name, which is where buyers get into difficulty — see what you give up buying before registration exists.
The six things it should say
Read the document rather than the covering email, and check each of these appears.
- That the amount is refundable — the word itself, not “adjustable”.
- What triggers a refund: your withdrawal, non-launch, or failure to register.
- How long a refund takes, in days, and who authorises it.
- That no unit is allotted and no price is fixed by this document.
- What the queue position actually confers — order of selection, nothing more.
- The project identity — name, location, survey numbers if available.
Point one is the whole document. “Adjustable against the booking amount” is not the same as refundable, and the difference is everything: adjustable means you get the value only if you proceed.
Point six matters more than it looks on a project that may be renamed before launch. Tying the document to survey numbers rather than only a marketing name protects you if the name changes — see when a project changes its name.
The three things it must not do
If any of these appears, you are not looking at an expression of interest.
| Red flag | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Allots a specific unit at a specific price | That is a sale, which needs registration |
| Describes the amount as non-refundable | You are carrying risk on an unregistered project |
| Requires a large percentage of the price | An EOI is a modest sum, not a down payment |
The third is the one that varies most in practice. A token amount is normal; a sum running to a meaningful share of the purchase price is not, and it converts a low-risk position into a real exposure.
If you are asked for a large amount, the reasonable response is to ask what it is for, and to decline until registration exists. A developer genuinely gauging demand does not need a substantial payment to do it.
And if the document allots a unit at a price, ask directly whether the project is registered. If it is, you should be signing an agreement to sell with the protections that carries. If it is not, the document is doing something it should not.
How to pay, which matters as much as what you sign
Four rules, and they are not negotiable from your side.
To the company account, named on the document, never to an individual and never to a channel partner’s account.
By traceable means — bank transfer or cheque. Never cash, in any amount, for any reason.
With a receipt that describes what the payment is, referencing the EOI and the project.
Keep everything: the document, the receipt, the bank record and every email describing the arrangement.
That last point sounds obvious and is the one people fail at. If a refund becomes necessary two years later, the correspondence describing what was agreed is what resolves it quickly.
Take a dated copy of whatever the developer published about the project at the time too. Marketing changes, and a record of what you were shown is worth having.
When to convert, and when to walk
An EOI is an option. The decision comes later, and it should be made against documents rather than against momentum.
Convert when: registration exists and you have read the filing, the declared completion date works for you, the carpet area and price for your unit are in writing, and the all-in cost including statutory charges is within budget.
Walk when: the price at launch differs materially from what was indicated, the declared date is well beyond what you were told, the configuration you wanted does not exist, or registration simply does not arrive.
The last of those is worth watching for. An EOI with no time limit on an unregistered project can drift for years, and your money sits there earning nothing.
So ask at the outset what happens if the project is not registered within a stated period, and whether your amount is returned automatically or on request.
Structured that way, a pre-launch position costs you very little and preserves the choice. That is the whole value of the instrument, and it is lost the moment the amount stops being refundable.
One practical note on the queue itself. Ask how positions are numbered and whether yours is confirmed in writing, because a queue you cannot verify your place in confers nothing.
And ask what happens at launch if the configuration you wanted is not offered. A good arrangement lets you withdraw with a refund; a poor one leaves you choosing between something else and a forfeited amount.
Common questions
What is an expression of interest in property?
A pre-launch mechanism where you pay a modest refundable amount to hold a position in a queue that determines your order of selection at launch. No unit is allotted, no price is fixed and no agreement to sell is signed.
Is an EOI amount refundable?
It should be, and the word refundable must appear in writing. “Adjustable against the booking amount” is not the same thing, because adjustable means you get the value only if you proceed with the purchase.
What should an expression of interest document contain?
That the amount is refundable, what triggers a refund and how long it takes, that no unit is allotted and no price fixed, what the queue position confers, and the project identity including survey numbers where available.
What are the warning signs in an EOI?
A document that allots a specific unit at a specific price, describes the amount as non-refundable, or requires a large percentage of the purchase price. Any of those means you are not looking at an expression of interest.
How should I pay an EOI amount?
By bank transfer or cheque to the company account named on the document, never cash and never to an individual or a channel partner account, with a receipt describing what the payment is, and keep every record.
Been asked to sign an EOI?
Send us the document before you sign it and we will check the refund terms, whether it allots anything it should not, and what happens if registration never arrives. No charge.
Related reading
This is general information on how expressions of interest are commonly structured, not legal advice on any specific document. Have your own lawyer read anything you are asked to sign. Figures above are drawn from published project information and are indicative. Verify any registration yourself on the Karnataka RERA portal before paying a booking amount.
