How to buy property in Jamaica as an overseas Jamaican

Buying from abroad is normal in Jamaica; the diaspora funds a large share of purchases. The risks are also normal: an agent who is not licensed, a title that is not the seller's to sell, a house built across a boundary, a deposit that disappears. Every one of those can be caught with the checks below, all of which are free or cheap and most of which you can do from your kitchen table.

1. The agent

The Real Estate (Dealers and Developers) Act makes it an offence to practise as a dealer without a licence, punishable on indictment by up to five years in prison. The Real Estate Board (REB) publishes a searchable public register of dealers, salesmen, developers and developments. Search by name, licence number or location. A dealer's record shows the licence number, Active or Inactive status, the current licence period running April to March, qualifying directors, areas of practice and the date the register was last updated. A salesman's record shows the dealer they are employed by. If the person you are messaging on WhatsApp is not Active on that register, stop.

2. Your own attorney

JIS, reporting NLA guidance, recommends that the vendor and purchaser each secure separate attorneys-at-law. The General Legal Council publishes the list of practising attorneys for 2026, those who hold a practising certificate for the current calendar year, searchable by name, and separate lists of suspended and disbarred attorneys. Ask for the attorney number and check it. Your attorney drafts or reviews the agreement for sale, runs the searches, holds or receives the deposit under the agreement and lodges the transfer.

3. The title

The NLA's guidance is in capitals for a reason: it is unsafe to rely on the duplicate certificate of title. A search of the register shows the names of the owners, the volume and folio, easements, mortgages, caveats and restrictive covenants. Through eLandJamaica the index searches are free and the title image costs J$500; at the Titles Office a title search is J$500. A search certificate, which the Registrar issues to confirm a registered proprietor can deal with the land, costs J$1,000 and is issued within 48 hours of payment. If the land is unregistered, read our titling guide before you go further, because you would be buying possession, not a title.

4. Survey and valuation

A commissioned land surveyor confirms the boundaries and that the buildings sit inside them; our surveyor guide explains how to check the Land Surveyors Board list. A valuation report is needed by any lender and by the NHT, whose checklist requires one not more than one year old. Both protect you even if you pay cash.

5. The agreement and the money

JIS reports that the deposit is usually 10 percent and that the NHT requires a sale agreement of at least 90 days' duration. Read the special conditions, the completion date, and what happens if either side defaults. Pay the deposit only to the attorney named in the agreement, never to the agent personally. For the balance, your bank will ask for source-of-funds documents; start that conversation early. Our bank account guide covers the paperwork.

6. Taxes and fees

Tax Administration Jamaica's notice of 3 April 2019 reduced transfer tax from 5 percent to 2 percent of market value for documents dated on or after 1 April 2019, and TAJ states that transfer tax is borne by the vendor. Stamp duty is payable on the transfer documents within 30 days of execution; JIS, quoting an NLA official in 2022, reports that vendor and purchaser share a stamp duty of J$5,000 and the NLA registration fee of 0.5 percent of the consideration. Add your attorney's fee, the valuation, the survey and, for a strata unit, a search against the strata plan. Our closing costs guide sets these out with the sources.

7. After completion

JIS reports that the purchaser is added to the title within about five working days of lodgement. Your attorney collects the new duplicate certificate; store it safely, and consider whether you need anyone in Jamaica to hold a power of attorney for the property.

What JaRanks cannot do

JaRanks cannot verify a specific title, confirm an agent's conduct, value a property or guarantee that a transaction will complete. Register checks above reflect the REB and GLC lists on the review date; run them again on the day you sign. This is not legal advice; your attorney's advice is.