Track2Realty: The estimated demand for office space across the top eight Indian cities in the period of 2013 – 2017 is expected to be 132 million square feet (msf), says a report by Cushman & Wakefield. Office space absorption in top eight cities is expected to be approximately 22.5 msf in 2013 which will be a decline of approximately 26% over 2012.
Track2Realty Survey: What has been a surprise finding of the survey is the fact that radio, a medium of the past that has reinvented itself in recent years, is a very powerful tool to capture the home buyers’ attention. 62 per cent of the home buyers’ even recall the radio jingle of the projects and that is too high a dividend for the top-of-the-mind recall value of the brand. However, the rate of this interest translating into buying decision depends on a number of other factors.
Track2Realty Exclusive: With realty being a micro market driven business and land a state subject, dealing with the government machinery has a different challenge in many of these cities.
Track2Realty: The prime office space segment across key cities in India witnessed a supply infusion of more than 20 million sqft in the first six months of 2013.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Commerce Ministry data fails to give a comprehensive picture where many grandiose plans have failed to tap the potential that actually existed. Several SEZ projects and the expansion plans, like the SEZs at Navi Mumbai, Jhajjar in Haryana, Adani’s Mundra, DLF’s Cyber City in Gurgaon, Mahindra World City in Chennai, K Raheja Universal and Flagship Infrastructure in Maharashtra are facing difficulties. The SEZs cumulatively have been losing ground over the past couple of years.
Track2Realty Exclusive: It is true that the property investment pattern of young professionals is changing as they are no longer demand drivers of metro property and want to invest in tier-II and III cities.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Awards have often been the source of sulking within the business community. However, when it comes to real estate, one has got absolutely no reasons to sulk as awards are not just rigged but customised for the companies at a cost. Track2Realty finds while some buy it for recognition, brand promotion or just notional value; others dismiss the offer being aware that m0re than they needing the award, such trophies need their brand value for establishing credibility.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Asking for industry status, the sector doesn’t want elements of accountability that comes with the package. Quite opposed to the very idea of regulation, even after self-regulatory attempts didn’t work out, realty doesn’t evoke confidence at the policy level and often ends up being at loggerheads with the government. Track2Realty finds that though policy advocacy is very much desirable in the sector, it is yet so debatable that the stakeholders have failed to evolve a consensus over its issues and agenda.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Developers have also been trying to get the government to introduce the concept of single window clearance. It is common knowledge that time taken to grant approvals directly affects property prices. It has been found that delays in approval processes alone increase sale value of houses by 40%.
Track2Realty Exclusive: While the concept is being touted as the next big thing for the realty industry, there are both pros and cons to be weighed with integrated townships. There, of course, is the flip side too. Long gestation periods for these projects to take off and reluctance on the part of people to move to an isolated location are challenging from the developers perspective.