RERA Advertising Rules: What Every Property Ad in Assam Must Show

Every real estate advertisement for a registered project in India must follow two core rules in the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016. Under Section 3, a promoter can’t advertise, market, book or sell units in a real estate project before registering it with the state Real Estate Regulatory Authority. Under Section 11(2), every advertisement must prominently show the project’s registration number and the authority’s website address. State authorities treat social media posts, boosted ads, SMS, email and WhatsApp promotions as advertisements too. This guide explains what that means for builders and marketers in Assam.

Important: this is a plain-language summary for marketing planning, not legal advice. Check the current orders of the Assam Real Estate Regulatory Authority and have campaigns reviewed by your legal adviser.

Rule 1: Register before you advertise (Section 3)

Section 3(1) of the RERA Act says no promoter shall advertise, market, book, sell or offer for sale, or invite people to purchase, any plot, apartment or building in a real estate project without first registering the project with the state authority (Section 3 explained, IBC Laws).

A few points often catch developers out:

• “Pre-launch” and “expression of interest” campaigns that collect bookings or deposits before registration fall within the same prohibition, because the section covers marketing and booking as well as selling.
• Each phase is a separate project. If a project is developed in phases, each phase needs its own registration before it’s advertised.
• Small projects. The Act exempts projects where the land doesn’t exceed 500 square metres or the number of apartments doesn’t exceed eight, but state rules can lower these thresholds (TaxGuru explainer). Don’t assume an exemption applies without checking.

Rule 2: Show the registration number and authority website (Section 11(2))

Section 11(2) requires every advertisement or prospectus issued by the promoter to mention prominently the website address of the authority, where the project’s registered details can be found, along with the registration number obtained from the authority (Haryana RERA directions citing Section 11(2), PDF).

For projects registered in Assam, the authority’s website is rera.assam.gov.in (Assam RERA overview). A compliant disclosure block looks something like this:

RERA Registration No.: [project’s registration number] · Details at: rera.assam.gov.in

Rule 3: Social media, WhatsApp, SMS and email count too

State authorities have made clear that digital promotion is advertising. Haryana RERA’s directions describe the definition of advertisement as extensive, covering promotional activity across social media, SMS and email (Haryana RERA directions, PDF), and Odisha RERA’s operational guidelines name platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn as places where the registration number and portal must appear prominently (Odisha RERA guidelines, IBC Laws).

So the disclosure should appear on:

• Facebook and Instagram image and video ads, and in the ad text
• organic social media posts, reels and stories about the project
• YouTube videos, both on screen and in the description
• WhatsApp brochures and broadcast messages
• SMS and email campaigns
• project landing pages and websites
• property portal listings
• print ads, hoardings and brochures

Rule 4: Follow your state authority’s format rules

Several state authorities have added specific format requirements on top of the Act:

• Haryana RERA has specified placement and legibility, including bold letters and an audible mention in audio and audio-visual ads (Haryana RERA directions, PDF).
• Gujarat RERA has required a scannable QR code along with the registration number and website on project advertisements from 15 June 2025 (Real Estate Law Journal).
• Maharashtra RERA requires a QR code alongside the registration number and website address (MahaRERA circular, PDF).

We couldn’t find Assam-specific advertisement format orders in public sources when this guide was written. Check the Assam RERA website for current orders before designing creatives. Until then, a clear, legible block with the registration number and website at the top of each creative follows the Act’s “prominently” requirement.

Rule 5: Make only claims you can support

Beyond RERA, the ASCI code requires advertising claims to be truthful and substantiated (The ASCI Code). In real estate that means:

• Label renders as “artist’s impression” and don’t present them as photographs.
• State travel times honestly, with how they were measured, rather than “5 minutes from everything”.
• List amenities that are actually planned and registered, not aspirations.
• Use possession dates consistent with the registered project details.
• Avoid “assured returns” or guaranteed rental income claims, which carry legal risk.
• Don’t invent scarcity (“last 2 units left”) unless your inventory shows it on that day.

How to apply this in digital campaigns

Meta ads

Put the disclosure block in the creative itself, where it’s legible on a phone, and in the primary text. Carousel and video ads need it on the frames where the project is shown. If you use instant forms, include the registration number and website on the form’s intro screen too.

Google search ads

Search ads have tight character limits. Include the registration number in the ad text or an ad asset where possible, and make sure it’s prominent on the landing page the ad links to. Ask your legal adviser how your state authority treats search ads.

Landing pages and websites

Show the registration number and authority website at the top of each project page, not only in the footer. Each phase with its own registration needs its own number shown next to that phase’s details.

WhatsApp and brochures

Add the disclosure to every brochure page, digital flyer and broadcast message, including forwarded material given to channel partners.

A checklist for every property advertisement

• Project or phase registered with the state RERA before any advertising, marketing or booking
• Registration number shown prominently and legibly
• Authority website shown (rera.assam.gov.in for Assam projects)
• Any state format rules followed (placement, size, QR code, audio mention)
• Renders labelled as artist’s impressions
• Travel times, amenities and possession dates accurate and consistent with registration
• No assured-return or guaranteed-rental claims
• Channel partners given compliant creatives and told not to alter them
• Campaign reviewed by the developer’s legal adviser

For more on marketing real estate projects in Assam within these rules, see our approach to digital marketing for real estate and construction and how we build project landing pages and websites.

Sources

• Section 3 of the RERA Act: prior registration (IBC Laws)
• Can a promoter advertise or sell before RERA registration? (TaxGuru)
• Haryana RERA: directions to builders on advertisements (PDF)
• Odisha RERA operational guidelines for advertisements (IBC Laws)
• Gujarat RERA makes QR code and registration display mandatory (Real Estate Law Journal)
• MahaRERA circular on QR codes (PDF)
• RERA Assam overview (Square Yards)
• The ASCI Code