Real transaction · both parties abroad · clients anonymized at their request Case Study 04 · Double Power of Attorney · Remote Sale

A Seller Abroad. A Buyer Abroad. A Sale Completed in Tbilisi Without Either of Them.

A foreign owner wanted to sell a Tbilisi apartment without coming back for it. A foreign buyer wanted to buy it without flying in. Each gave a power of attorney to Tbilisi Home's founders, Jeff and Nino. The agreement was signed at the notary, the price moved directly between the two of them, and the title was registered in the buyer's name, with both principals watching from abroad.

Buy or Sell Without Flying Here Download as PDF
2
Principals abroad, in two different countries, for the whole transaction
2
Powers of attorney, one per side, each limited to this real estate matter
0
Flights taken by either party to sign, pay or register
$0
Of the purchase price passed through Tbilisi Home's accounts
1
Title, registered at the Public Registry in the buyer's own name

The property's address, the price, the parties' nationalities and the dates are withheld at the clients' request. The powers of attorney followed the wording published on our power of attorney page.

At a Glance

Two people who never met, one apartment, one registry

A power of attorney lets one person act for another. Two of them, on opposite sides of the same sale, let a transaction happen in a city where neither party is present. That takes more care than a normal sale, not less.

The seller

A foreign owner of a Tbilisi apartment, living abroad, who did not want to travel to sell it. Anonymized.

The buyer

A foreign buyer, in a different country, who wanted the apartment and did not want to travel to buy it. Anonymized.

The instrument

Two powers of attorney, one from each principal to Tbilisi Home's founders, each limited to real estate matters in Georgia and valid for one year.

What we did

Checked both powers before the originals were couriered, had them translated and notarized in Tbilisi, drafted the sale agreement, put it to both principals in writing, signed at the notary, and registered the title.

The money

The buyer paid the seller directly, bank to bank. Tbilisi Home held no funds at any point. The power of attorney moves paperwork, never money.

Our fee

Our commission on the sale was at our standard rate. Each principal paid their own notary and apostille costs in their own country, and the translation and notarization of their document in Tbilisi.

The Mechanism

Who signed what, and where the money went

The structure is simple to draw and exacting to run. Every arrow below is a document or a transfer that had to be right the first time.

Abroad · Country A

The seller

Owner of record at the Public Registry. Never came to Georgia for the sale.

  • Signed: a power of attorney at a local notary, apostilled
  • Approved in writing: the price, the terms, the draft agreement
  • Received: the purchase price, direct from the buyer
Tbilisi · Under two powers of attorney

Tbilisi Home

Acted for each principal under that principal's own power. Held no money. Signed nothing either side had not approved in writing.

  • Checked both scans before the originals were sent
  • Translated and notarized both documents in Tbilisi
  • Drafted the sale agreement and sent it to both sides
  • Signed at the notary, with a certified translator present
  • Registered the title at the Public Registry
  • Transferred the utilities into the buyer's name
Abroad · Country B

The buyer

New owner of record. Never came to Georgia for the purchase.

  • Signed: a power of attorney at a local notary, apostilled
  • Approved in writing: the price, the terms, the draft agreement
  • Paid: the purchase price, direct to the seller's account
The rule that makes this safe: the purchase money never passes through the attorney. The buyer transfers the price from their own bank account to the seller's. The power of attorney moves paperwork, not money. Anyone who offers to do it the other way should be refused.
How It Happened

The transaction, in order

The steps below are the steps that happened. The dates and the price are withheld.

  1. StartTwo briefs

    A seller who would not return, a buyer who would not come

    The owner, living abroad, asked us to sell. The buyer, in another country, had decided on the apartment and asked us to buy. Neither wanted to travel. Both were told the same thing: it can be done, on one condition. Nothing is signed that you have not approved in writing, and no money ever comes to us.

  2. PowersSigned abroad

    Two powers of attorney, checked before they were sent

    Each principal signed a power of attorney at a notary in their own country, using our published wording, and had it apostilled. We checked the scan of each document before the original was couriered, so that a mistake in a name or a missing stamp never cost a second apostille. In Tbilisi each document was translated into Georgian and the translation notarized.

    The most common failure at this step is a name spelled one way on the passport and another on the power. It is caught on the scan, not at the notary.
  3. AgreementApproved twice

    One draft, two written approvals

    The sale agreement was drafted in Georgian and English, with the price, the payment terms and the handover date. It went to the seller and to the buyer. Both approved it in writing before anyone went near a notary.

  4. PaymentDirect

    The price moved from the buyer's bank to the seller's

    The buyer transferred the purchase price directly to the seller's account, in the currency and on the terms the agreement set. Tbilisi Home saw the confirmation, and never the money.

  5. NotaryTbilisi

    Signed at the notary under both powers

    The agreement was signed at a Tbilisi notary, with a certified translator present and both powers of attorney on the table. The notary checked each power, each apostille and each translation before anyone signed.

  6. RegistryTitle

    Registered in the buyer's name

    The transfer was filed at the Public Registry and the title issued in the buyer's own name. The extract went to both principals the same day, one as proof of sale, one as proof of ownership.

  7. AfterHandover

    Keys, utilities, and the end of both powers

    Utilities were moved into the buyer's name and the keys handed over. Both powers of attorney had done their one job. Each principal can cancel theirs at any notary, at any time.

The Safeguards

Acting for both sides is allowed. It has conditions.

A double power of attorney puts the same firm on both sides of a sale. We accept that only when three things are true, and they were true here.

Condition 1 · Disclosure

Both principals know, and agree in writing

The seller knew we held the buyer's power. The buyer knew we held the seller's. Each agreed to it before either document was signed. There is no version of this that works with one side kept in the dark.

Condition 2 · Nothing unapproved

Every term set by the principals, not by us

The price was agreed between seller and buyer. The agreement went to both in writing. Our role under each power was to execute what each principal had already approved, not to negotiate one against the other.

Condition 3 · No money

The price never touches the attorney

The buyer paid the seller directly. This is the line that separates a power of attorney from a risk. It is written into our published template and it is not negotiable.

Why it is worth the care. A seller abroad who cannot sell without flying back tends to hold, or to sell cheaply to someone who will handle the hassle. A buyer abroad who cannot buy without flying in tends to lose the apartment to someone local. Two powers of attorney, run properly, put both of them on equal footing with a buyer and seller standing in the notary's office.
Honest Accounting

What was hard

Where remote sales go wrong

  • Apostille timing. Two documents in two countries means two legalisation offices with two timetables. The slower one sets the date.
  • Names. A middle name on the passport and not on the power, or a transliteration that differs, and the notary stops. We check scans for exactly this.
  • Bank compliance. A large international transfer between two private individuals can be held for questions. The sale agreement, the registry extract and the notary's confirmation are the answers, and they need to be ready.
  • Time zones. Two principals, two time zones, one notary appointment. Written approvals have to be collected before the day, not on it.

What made this one clean

  1. Scans first, originals second. Nothing was couriered until it had been checked.
  2. One agreement, two approvals, in writing. No verbal terms, no surprises at the notary.
  3. Payment before signing, direct. The seller had the money before the title moved. The buyer had the title the day it moved.
  4. Both principals copied on everything. Every document, every confirmation, every extract, to both.
The Part Most Case Studies Skip

What this page does not claim

The parties are anonymous

Nationalities, countries of residence, the address, the price and the dates are withheld. The mechanism is the useful part, and it is fully described.

A power of attorney is a serious document

Ours is limited to real estate matters in Georgia, valid for one year, and cancellable at any notary. Read it before you sign it. Do not sign a broader one for anyone.

Not every country is the same

Hague Convention countries use an apostille. A few use consular legalisation instead, which takes longer. Our power of attorney page has the route for each.

Banks decide their own timing

A cross-border transfer between individuals can be held for compliance checks. We prepare the documents that answer the questions, but we do not control the bank.

Not a valuation

This page says nothing about whether the price was good. The buyer and seller agreed it between themselves. For pricing, see our Private Investment Analysis.

Not advice

Nothing here is legal or tax advice. Powers of attorney, apostilles and cross-border payments are checked with the notary and, where needed, a lawyer before anyone signs.

Your Turn

Buying or selling in Tbilisi from abroad?

Tell us which side you are on and where you are. We reply with the right power of attorney edition for your country, the steps, and an honest timetable. Nino replies on WhatsApp.

I am
Where will you sign?
Contact

Your message goes directly to Nino on WhatsApp. Prefer email? Write to [email protected].

Buyer's Power of Attorney Seller's Power of Attorney All Case Studies
The Tbilisi Home Investor Platform
Downloads: This Case Study (PDF) · Buyer's Power of Attorney Template · Seller's Power of Attorney Template

About this page

This case study describes a real sale completed by Tbilisi Home under two powers of attorney, one from the seller and one from the buyer, with both principals outside Georgia throughout. The parties' identities, nationalities, countries of residence, the property's address, the price and the dates are withheld at the clients' request. The powers of attorney followed the wording published on our power of attorney pages.

Disclaimer

Past transactions do not guarantee future results. Not legal or tax advice. A power of attorney is a serious legal document; read it, limit it, and cancel it when its job is done.

Read this case study online at tbilisihome.ge/investors/case-studies/double-power-of-attorney/

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