How to analyze a property deed with AI before signing

You're going to your notary next week to sign the deed for your apartment or house. The notary sends you the draft deed as a PDF. 80 pages. You flip through it quickly, understand very little, and tell yourself the notary must have checked everything. True — but not in defense of your personal interests. Here's what to verify.

What a property deed contains

An authenticated sale deed includes:

• Property description: address, description, cadastral references, floor area
• Party identification: seller, buyer, complete civil status
• Price and payment terms: sale price, financing, escrow
• Conditions precedent (from the preliminary contract, carried forward)
• Mortgage situation: mortgages, privileges, easements
• Technical diagnostics attached
• Seller declarations: known defects, ongoing disputes
• Charges and conditions: co-ownership charges, taxes, allocation
• Warranties: warranty against eviction, hidden defects warranty
• Possession date: when you take over

Critical points to absolutely verify

1. The exact floor area

If the actual area is more than 5% less than stated in the deed, you can request a price reduction within a year.

Ask the AI: "What floor area is mentioned in the deed?"

2. Easements

An easement is a real right on your property in favor of a third party (right of way, view easement, utility lines...). It's attached to the property and doesn't disappear at sale.

"List all easements mentioned in the deed. Are they active or extinguished?"

3. The mortgage situation

If the seller has a mortgage, it must be paid off at the time of sale (the bank is repaid from the sale price). Verify there are no unexpected mortgages that could encumber the property.

"Are there any mortgages or privileges on this property? Are they planned to be discharged at sale?"

4. Seller declarations on the property's condition

The seller must declare known defects. These declarations bind their liability. Find the "seller declarations" section and ask:

"What problems or past incidents does the seller declare in the deed?"

5. Allocation of charges and taxes

Property tax and co-ownership charges are traditionally split pro-rata between seller and buyer. Verify the split is clearly specified.

"How are the property tax and co-ownership charges split between seller and buyer?"

6. Approved works in co-owned buildings

If works were voted before the sale but haven't been called for payment yet, the allocation must be specified in the deed. Without an explicit clause, you might end up paying for works decided before your purchase.

"Does the deed mention approved works in the co-ownership whose funds haven't been called yet?"

7. The possession date

The possession date (when you take over the property) isn't always the day of signing. It may be deferred.

"What is the planned possession date in the deed?"

How to analyze the deed with AI

Upload the draft deed to PDFFocus and ask:

• "Summarize the key points of this sale deed in 10 bullets"
• "Are there any unusual clauses or points of attention?"
• "Compare what's in the preliminary contract vs this deed — are there differences?"
• "List all appendices mentioned in the deed"

What the notary checks (and what they don't check for you)

The notary verifies:

• The legal validity of the sale
• The identity of the parties
• The mortgage situation
• The seller's ownership rights

The notary does NOT verify:

• Whether the price is fair for you
• Whether the easements suit you
• Whether co-ownership works benefit or disadvantage you
• Whether the seller's declarations seem sufficient

It's up to you (and possibly your lawyer) to defend your interests on these points.

In summary

You don't need to become a legal expert to sign a deed. But you do need to understand the critical points that can have major financial consequences after signing. AI lets you do this in 15 minutes rather than 3 hours.