Godrej Properties has strengthened its brand leadership for the 2nd consecutive year. The 9th edition of Track2Realty BrandXReport 2020-21 finds that the K-shaped recovery in the Indian real estate has helped most of the organized developers with corporate governance, at the cost of the large universe of the companies operating like personal fiefdoms.
Residential markets such as Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Delhi and more have witnessed price corrections ranging from 1%-2.3% during the quarter, suggesting the solidity of the housing sector even in difficult times. However, with this price increase, you will still come across certain real estate brands offering discounts and continuing to sell at the previous cost of construction. In such a scenario, how does one choose the real estate player who is honest and fair in his dealings? My simple answer would be go with a genuine brand but how does one identify what is genuine.
Berkshire Hathway HomeServices, the real estate brokerage arm of global investor Warren Buffet has entered into the Indian market through its tie-up with Orenda India. Sanya Aeren, its Chief Advisor-Marketing & Communication, says the global best practices of Berkshire and the huge untapped opportunities in the Indian market would position this alliance into the top league. In an Exclusive Interview with Ravi Sinha, she spells out her plans to organize the property brokerage, penetrate deep into the market and also give a new experience to the investors. Excerpts of the interview:
Much before the outbreak of pandemic Coronavirus, the Indian real estate sector battling with the consistent slowdown was looking up to the turnaround catalyst. While the success of REIT had given it a glimmer of hope, the fund managers had their eyes set on a segment that has the potential to not just spread across the country but give a piggy ride to other segments as well, most notably to the housing. Track2Realty finds the warehousing & logistics to emerge as the mainstream real estate in the last few years.
With home loan interest rates below 7 per cent, an impression has gained ground that this is the best time to buy a house. Track2Realty takes a closer look at the economic fundamentals that suggest the interest rates are one of the sales catalysts and there are many variables to consider.
Apart from the top cities, Tier 2 & 3 cities are also on the radar of many PE funds which see these cities actively driving retail going forward. At least 36% (nearly USD 1 bn) retail-focused funds went to cities like Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bhubaneshwar, Chandigarh, Nagpur and Mohali. In 2019, ANAROCK Capital was instrumental in Virtuous Retail South Asia (a JV between Singapore’s PE firm Xander Group and Dutch institutional investor APG) concluding a USD 100 mn deal with TRIL for two retail malls – one each in Nagpur and Amritsar.
For the real estate, it seems the government message is that if you wish to revive than learn to survive on your own. Unfortunately, in a market loaded with housing inventory, added with the liquidity crunch, the over-supply could only be absorbed with the revival in demand. There has been no announcement as to how the government would ease the stuck up projects after its initial stressed funds.
Balvinder Kumar, member of the UP RERA is no stranger to the functioning of the real estate and the government agencies. As a former bureaucrat, he has seen it as an insider with many key positions, including his stint with the high profile Delhi Development Authority (DDA). In an exclusive interview with Ravi Sinha, he shares his roadmap for making RERA an ideal platform for due diligence as well.
According to the World Bank, India ranks at 63rd among 190 countries, and the ranking is anticipated to improve further in the coming years backed by progressive government policies. Meanwhile, the real estate sector has shown remarkable resilience despite the bearish phase of the economy. Below is a lowdown of how the real estate story unfolded in 2019:
Track2Realty picks up Investment Magnet Cities of India through a comprehensive pan-India survey. The idea is to identify the top real estate destinations for the home buyers in the country.