NovProperty purchase risk register for Cambodia
This is not a list of scary scenarios but a working decision tool. For each risk: what can go wrong, which signs are visible before payment, what reduces the risk and what residual risk remains after checks. The filter below lets you view risks by category.
Checks reduce risk but do not remove it. We do not publish numerical probabilities — no reliable source supports them.
Risk Register
Showing all 8 risks
Unclear title route, floor or quota
The buyer signs documents for a unit where the title route, eligible floor or foreign quota is unclear.
No specific unit reference, unclear strata-title timing, answers like "we'll register it later".
Request the title route, floor and quota confirmation, cadastral unit references and a lawyer review.
Off-plan buyers still depend on developer performance until registration.
"What is the title route and when will I receive an individual or strata title? Confirm the eligible floor and quota."
Brand is not the legal seller
The marketing brand differs from the legal seller, landowner or payment recipient.
Invoices from a different company, different names across invoice, brochure and SPA.
Cross-check brand, seller, land rights, signatory authority, permits and invoices.
Public online verification can be limited, so document-led verification remains.
"Who is the legal seller and payment recipient? Show the land rights and permits."
Imbalanced obligations in the SPA
Buyer default is described in detail, while developer delay, defects, area changes or refund deadlines are vague.
"Standard contract", refusal to share a draft SPA before payment.
Review SPA clauses before a non-refundable payment: delay, defects, area, refund, assignment, termination.
Negotiation power and enforcement depend on the project and counterparty.
"Provide the draft SPA. Where are delay, defects, area change and refund set out?"
Cannot fund future payments
The buyer can pay the deposit but not future installments or the handover balance.
No cash-flow plan, the final payment is underestimated.
Stress-test income drop, USD exposure, bank charges, the final payment and a reserve.
Exchange rates and personal cash flow can change.
"Show the full payment schedule and the size of the handover balance."
Completion slips past the timeline
Completion moves beyond the marketing timeline.
No long-stop date, grace period or clear refund remedy.
Fix the target date, grace period, long-stop date and suspension/termination/refund terms.
No Cambodia-wide automatic penalty or refund rule was verified.
"What are the target date, grace period and long-stop date? What happens on delay?"
Clean acceptance before logging defects
The buyer signs a clean acceptance before defects are recorded.
No inspection right, no photo defect list, no rectification deadline.
Secure the inspection right, representative authority, a photo defect list and a rectification process.
Warranty duration and procedure remain contract-specific.
"Is there an inspection right before signing acceptance, and a clear rectification process?"
Brochure yield taken as a fact
The buyer treats a brochure yield as a market fact.
"Guaranteed return" without a payer, calculation base, definition of "net" and default remedy.
Identify the obligated entity, calculation base, start date, taxes, definition of "net" and default remedies.
The counterparty may not perform, and market rent may be lower than expected.
"Who guarantees the GRR, how is net calculated and what happens on the guarantor's default?"
Exit depends on a quick resale
The exit depends on a quick resale to another foreign investor.
Short holding horizon, reliance on appreciation, no next-buyer profile.
Define the likely next buyer, competing supply, developer discounts and resale friction.
Phnom Penh's secondary market can be thinner than mature markets.
"Who is the likely next buyer and what competing supply is on the market?"
Want to break a specific project down by risk? Send the SPA, price list and project documents — we will help build a practical risk register for your decision.
Contact usor on Telegramor take the quiz →FAQ
Does a risk register remove purchase risk?
No. The register helps you see the scenario, early signs, mitigations and residual risk. Checks reduce risk but do not remove it entirely.
Why are there no numerical probabilities?
No reliable source for per-risk numerical probabilities was verified. The register uses qualitative descriptions, without invented percentages.
Who should review the SPA and title route?
Final review of the SPA, title route, seller authority, payments, delays, defects and remedies should be done by a qualified lawyer or transaction adviser in Cambodia.
Sources
NovAsia research on registry and title route, investment and the SPA, delay and cancellation, defects and handover, and reading the brochure and price list · checked July 7, 2026. Numerical probabilities for buyer risks were not verified. This information is for general orientation and is not legal advice.