Buying off-plan in Tulum: what to check

Step 1: Who is selling: the company behind the project

Ask for the developer’s full legal name and registration number, not only the brand, and look the company up in the official register. The company that signs your contract should be the one that holds the land or the approvals.

In our data

5 of 13 projects we track in Tulum name the developer by its legal company.

Examples

• Zamajal: developer named as Grupo Malica, S.A. de C.V.
• Tulum Country Club, Apartamento Hélices: developer named as BP Promotions S.A. de C.V., Grupo Piñero
• Nativa Tulum: developer named as Nativa Tulum SA de CV, project of Grupo Avica and Canteras Peninsulares

Step 2: The land and what you will own

Find out exactly what you are buying: freehold, leasehold or a right of use, who holds the title today and what charges sit on it. Ask for the official registry extract, not a copy prepared by the seller.

What the rules and registers say

• Within 50 km of the coast (the restricted zone, which takes in the coast at Tulum), a foreigner acquires residential property through a bank trust (fideicomiso) that needs a permit from the Foreign Affairs ministry (SRE); the trust lasts up to 50 years and can be extended.Ley de Inversión Extranjera, Articles 2 (VI), 11 and 13 (text in force, last amended DOF 27 May 2024) (read 13 November 2026)
• Ask a notary for a certificate of no liens (certificado de libertad de gravamen) from the state property registry (RPP).Kolaboro register guide: Mexico (opened 13 November 2026)

In our data

5 of 13 projects we track in Tulum publish an address or location precise enough for a map pin.

Step 3: Permits and approvals

Ask for the permit number and date and confirm them with the authority that issued them. A company licence or a sales registration is not a building permit.

What the rules and registers say

• Ask for the municipal construction licence and, where required, the environmental impact authorisation (federal SEMARNAT or state), and confirm the numbers with the issuing office.Kolaboro register guide: Mexico (opened 13 November 2026)

In our data

0 of 13 projects we track in Tulum publish a permit or licence number.

Step 4: Where your money goes

Before each payment, know which account it goes to and what protects it if the project stops. Pay only into the account named in your contract, never into a personal account or a broker’s.

In our data

1 of 13 projects we track in Tulum state how buyer payments are protected (escrow, bank guarantee or insurance).

Examples

• Soul Tulum: deposit protection stated in the sources we read

Step 5: Recording your purchase and the contract

Check how your purchase is recorded before completion and what the contract says about delays, changes and refunds. Have an independent local lawyer or notary read it before you sign.

What the rules and registers say

• Since 18 September 2022, sellers of homes must follow NOM-247-SE-2021 and register their contract with PROFECO; contracts that do not meet the standard are not valid.Secretaría de Economía: NOM-247-SE-2021 (published DOF 22 Mar 2022) (read 13 November 2026)
• Search PROFECO’s contract register by the seller’s business name and compare the registered model with the contract you are asked to sign: a registration number can belong to another business.PROFECO contract register (RPCA) (read 13 November 2026)

Step 6: Handover dates and progress on site

Compare the handover date you are promised with the record: earlier dates for this project and how the developer’s other projects went. Then check progress on site before each staged payment.

In our data

1 of 13 projects we track in Tulum have a handover date on record that has passed; 0 had the date moved later.

Examples

• Bodhi Tulum: handover date on record has passed; months since: 23
• Hunab-Ku Sanctuary: handover date on record Q4 2026, no change so far