The deal

Registry vs society transfer: how ownership moves in Lahore

By Adil Builders · Updated 25 September 2026

Many buyers assume every property in Lahore changes hands the same way: registry, then done. In practice, how ownership moves depends on what you are buying.

Revenue land: registry, then mutation

For land in the revenue record, a typical route is:

1. The sale deed is prepared and signed.
2. It is registered before the Sub-Registrar (the registry). PLRA's process involves the registration request, fee checks, the parties and witnesses appearing, statements recorded, and the registered document issued.
3. The ownership change is entered and attested in the land record (the mutation or intiqal).
4. You get an updated Fard showing you as owner.

Society plots: the society's own transfer

If you buy in a housing society, the society may run its own transfer process and keep its own member records. PLRA also runs a Property Transfer System for participating societies, covering seller and buyer details, transfer details, government dues and fees, documents and membership numbers.

So a society plot may move through the society's transfer process and its records, alongside the relevant government record, rather than through a Sub-Registrar alone.

Why this matters to you

Before you sign anything, find out:

Signed is not completed

These are separate milestones, and "done" means all the ones that apply:

• Agreement signed.
• Payment made.
• Deed signed.
• Deed registered.
• Mutation recorded.
• Society transfer completed.
• Possession handed over.

PLRA offers online verification of Fard and mutation, and access to older e-registries. Use them after completion.

From Chapter 7, From "I Want It" to "It’s Mine" of Understanding Property in Lahore, built from PLRA, LDA and FBR sources.