Buying a Home Remotely: What's Preventing Ukrainians from Investing in Real Estate from Abroad

Millions of Ukrainians are currently living abroad or serving in the Armed Forces. Some of them are ready to buy a home in Ukraine, but it is still not possible to complete the entire process—from choosing an apartment to registering ownership—entirely remotely.

Olena Ryzhova, Commercial Director of “Intergal-Bud,” discussed the need to digitize such agreements in a column for Novyny.LIVE.

In-person shopping remains a barrier for customers

The Ukrainian market has already learned to work with clients remotely at many stages: you can choose an apartment online, get advice via video call, and make a payment through a bank. The problem arises when the law requires in-person presence and notarization of documents.

This barrier became particularly acute after the outbreak of full-scale war. A significant number of potential buyers are physically located outside Ukraine, and military personnel are not always able to travel to the country to finalize a transaction.

As a result, the decision to buy is postponed, and with it, the market loses funds that could otherwise be circulating in the economy. The sale of an apartment supports a much broader chain of businesses—from construction companies and building material manufacturers to banks, logistics firms, and contractors.

The problem doesn't end once the building is put into use. For buyers who are abroad, difficulties may also arise during the process of registering ownership.

How a fully remote arrangement might work

Technically, most of the necessary tools already exist in Ukraine. The government has electronic identification, qualified electronic signatures, digital banking services, and government registries.

A complete digital customer journey might look like this:

1. The buyer selects an apartment remotely;
2. The bank conducts the necessary reviews and, if necessary, approves the financing;
3. the individual undergoes digital identification;
4. A notary certifies the agreement using a secure video connection;
5. The parties sign the documents using their digital signatures;
6. Ownership rights are registered in the State Register of Real Rights.

For the buyer, the entire process effectively becomes a single remote service. At the national level, this requires coordinated efforts among banks, notaries, and government registries.

Ukrainian developers are already implementing their own digital solutions

While a fully digital system for purchasing and registering housing at the national level has not yet been established, developers are seeking and implementing their own solutions.

In particular, Avalon has introduced an online apartment purchasing system that uses government digital services. The buyer undergoes verification through Diya and signs the necessary documents using Diya.Sign. However, as their lawyers note, everything depends on the legal and financial structure of the sale.

For more details on how to buy a home online through Avalon, click the link.‍

Remote agreements are already in use in other countries

One example is Kazakhstan, where the government has launched the “Digital Mortgage” project. The mortgage application process is handled remotely: banks, notaries, and government information systems operate as part of a single process.

The buyer undergoes remote identity verification, electronically signs the documents, and then the property rights are registered with the government.

For Ukraine, establishing such a mechanism does not require digitizing the market from scratch. Much of the necessary infrastructure is already in place. The main changes relate to legislation, notarial procedures, and the integration of existing digital systems.

Digitalization must take risks into account

Moving real estate transactions online requires additional security measures. This primarily involves reliable identification of the parties to the transaction, verification of electronic signatures, secure video conferencing, and cybersecurity for government registries.

In the real estate market, where large sums of money and property rights are at stake, the speed of the process cannot come at the expense of its security. Therefore, legislative changes must simultaneously establish a mechanism for remote transaction verification and safeguards against fraud.

What the market will get

A fully functional online home-buying platform would open up the Ukrainian primary real estate market to buyers regardless of their location. This is particularly important given that a significant number of Ukrainians live abroad but maintain ties with Ukraine and are considering purchasing real estate here.

For developers, this means a broader pool of potential buyers; for banks, it offers the opportunity to develop remote mortgage products; and for the government, it brings additional investment, tax revenue, and economic activity.

Ukraine has already digitized a significant portion of its government services. The next practical step for the housing market could be the ability to complete the entire transaction—from buyer identification to state registration of ownership—without the need to physically travel to sign the documents.