Also known as Unit hold, soft block
A block is a promise to the buyer and a constraint on the rest of the sales team, so it needs clear rules: who can block (closing managers, CPs, or only the sales head), how long the hold lasts, whether money is collected, and what happens when it expires. Without an automatic expiry, blocked units pile up and genuine buyers are told the unit is taken.
A block is not a booking. The booking normally comes with the booking amount, a signed application form and, for RERA-registered projects, an agreement for sale within the period the law sets for the amount collected. If a builder takes money to hold a unit, the terms of refund should be written down.
Example
A 48-hour hold (illustrative)
A Noida buyer likes unit C-1204 at ₹1.35 Cr but needs two days to arrange the 10% booking amount. The sales head blocks the unit for 48 hours. Another CP who wants it for his buyer sees “on hold until Thursday 6 pm”. On Thursday at 4 pm the first buyer pays and the unit turns to booked; had he not, the hold would have lapsed.
Figures are illustrative, not market rates.
Questions about Unit blocking
Is a unit block legally binding?
A block is usually an internal reservation, not a contract of sale. Whether any amount paid is refundable depends on the written terms. For RERA projects, the registered agreement for sale is the binding document, and Section 13 caps what the promoter may take before it at 10% of the cost.
How long should a unit be blocked?
Long enough for a genuine buyer to arrange funds, short enough not to freeze inventory — many builders use 24 to 72 hours. The right length depends on demand: during a busy launch, shorter holds; for slow-moving inventory, longer ones with a refundable amount.
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