Land litigation is the single biggest risk in Ghanaian real estate, and it's almost always preventable. Nearly every dispute we've seen traces back to one thing: a buyer who paid before verifying who actually had the right to sell. Here's the process we run on every parcel before we ever present it to a client.
1. Get the plot's coordinates or registration number
Before you can search anything, you need the land's exact coordinates or a registration/parcel number from the seller. If a seller can't produce this, or is vague about it, treat that as your first warning sign — a legitimate owner has this information readily available.
2. Confirm the seller is the registered owner
Take the coordinates to the Client Service and Access Unit (CSAU) at your regional Lands Commission office — in Greater Accra, the main office is in Cantonments. Request a search to confirm who is actually registered as the owner. This single step catches the most common form of land fraud in Ghana: a plot sold to multiple buyers by someone with partial, disputed, or no real authority to sell it. Courts have documented single plots registered to over a dozen different "sellers."
3. Request the search report and cross-check every document
A proper verification should leave you with:
- A Lands Commission search report confirming the registered owner and any encumbrances on record.
- The indenture or deed of assignment — the legal document proving how ownership passed to the current holder.
- An approved, stamped site plan showing plot dimensions, boundaries, beacon numbers, and adjoining owners — and this must match the indenture description exactly.
If the seller is acting on behalf of a family, a stool, or a company, ask for a certified Power of Attorney or board resolution specifically authorizing that sale. A verbal claim of authority is not enough.
4. Walk the land and check for physical disputes
Visit the site in person. Look for "Keep Off" or "Land Not for Sale" markings, and confirm the site plan's coordinates actually match the physical pillars on the ground. It's also worth speaking to neighbors — unregistered family claims and stool land disputes don't always show up in official records, but the people living nearby usually know about them.
5. Don't let anyone rush you
If a seller is pushing you to pay before your Lands Commission verification is complete, or the price seems unusually low for the area, slow down. Genuine sellers with clean documentation have no reason to rush a buyer who's doing standard due diligence.
A Lands Commission search typically takes days to a few weeks depending on the region and how digitized its records are. Full registration of a deed, once your documents are complete, is set at up to 90 days under the Land Act, 2020 (Act 1036). Budget for this timeline rather than treating it as an obstacle to route around.
Why we do this on every plot before we bring it to a client
This is the exact process behind our "litigation-free" guarantee — every parcel Envisage presents has already been through title and ownership verification. If you're evaluating land on your own and want a second opinion before you commit, we're happy to review what you have.
Considering a specific plot?
Send us the location and what documentation you've been given — we'll tell you what's still missing.
Talk to our real estate teamThis guide is general information based on publicly available Lands Commission and Land Act, 2020 (Act 1036) guidance, not legal advice. Land verification requirements can vary by region and case. We recommend engaging a qualified property lawyer and licensed surveyor alongside your own Lands Commission search.