Thematic alert · Real-estate sales
Real-estate transactions: every sale published, price included
In Geneva the law requires every acquisition of real property to be published in the Official Gazette (FAO), with the parcel, the parties and, as a rule, the price. Publicus reads every edition and sends you the transactions in your canton.
In short
- Geneva publishes every property acquisition in the FAO and on the land registry website (art. 157 para. 1 LaCC).
- The notice states, among other things, the parcel, its area, the parties, the cause of acquisition and the consideration in Swiss francs (art. 157 para. 2 LaCC).
- The price is not published for certain family transfers: between spouses, registered partners or direct-line relatives, estate partitions, advances on inheritance, marriage contracts or the winding-up of a marital regime (art. 157 para. 3 LaCC).
- Publicus' "Real-estate sales" alert delivers these notices for CHF 5/month; it is included in the Cabinet plan.
What does an art. 157 LaCC notice contain?
Article 157 of Geneva's Civil Code Implementing Act (LaCC) lists the information published for each acquisition of real property:
- the property number, its area, type and location, and the type of buildings listed in the property description;
- the names and domicile or registered office of the sellers and of the buyers;
- the date on which the seller had acquired the property;
- co-ownership and condominium shares;
- the cause of acquisition (sale, gift, inheritance…);
- the consideration stated in francs in the deed; ancillary or in-kind consideration is flagged without detail.
When is the transaction published?
The law requires publication "within an appropriate period", without a fixed number of days. In practice it follows the land registry's processing of the deed: it reports completed transactions, not properties for sale.
The FAO is published continuously Monday to Friday, except public holidays (art. 2 RFAO). Publicus collects every new notice and sends it in your daily digest or, with Pro and Cabinet, as a fast alert.
What are these notices used for?
- Brokers and agencies: track actual prices by neighbourhood and spot new owners.
- Developers and investors: detect acquisitions of parcels next to a project.
- Notaries, lawyers, fiduciaries: check that a transfer involving a client has been registered.
- Residents: find out who is buying the plot next door.
What about other cantons?
Publishing real-estate transactions is a matter of cantonal law. When ownership transfers or property auctions appear in the gazette of a covered canton, Publicus files them under the same "Real-estate sales" category. The level of detail, including whether a price is shown, depends on each canton.
How Publicus delivers them
- "Real-estate sales" thematic alert: every transaction published in your cantons, CHF 5/month.
- Keywords: follow an address, a parcel number, a name or a company to receive only what concerns you.
- Every alert links to the official FAO notice, which prevails.
Frequently asked questions
Is the sale price always published?
No. Art. 157 para. 3 LaCC excludes the consideration for transfers between spouses, registered partners or direct-line relatives, and for estate partitions, advances on inheritance, marriage contracts or the winding-up of a marital regime.
Can I follow just one municipality or street?
Yes: set an address or parcel number as a keyword. The thematic alert, by contrast, covers every transaction in your cantons.
Does Publicus replace the FAO?
No. Publicus is not the official source within the meaning of the law. Every alert links to the text published in the FAO, which prevails.
Official sources
Receive every transaction in your canton
Activate the "Real-estate sales" alert for CHF 5/month, or try Publicus first with the free 7-day Starter trial.
Related reading
Informational content, not legal advice. Publicus is not the official source within the meaning of the law: the text published by the authority prevails, and deadlines run from the official publication.