Track2Realty-Agencies: News Corp has acquired a major stake in an Indian digital real estate company, continuing the company’s aggressive expansion into attractive early stage markets around the world.
Track2Realty: The completion of several large transactions—including a couple of deals worth overUS$ 500 million each—pushed up the total real estate investment volume in the Asia Pacific region in the June–September period to US$ 35 billion, a quarter-on-quarter increase of about 40% (as per the CBRE APAC Capital Markets MarketView Q3 2014 report).
Track2Realty: Positive market sentiments and a gradual global as well as domestic macro-economic recovery may finally be signaling the beginning of a revival in India’s corporate real estate segment. Various corporate firms, who had put their office space consolidation and expansion plans on hold over the previous couple of fiscals, finally began their transaction processes; and many concluded the same during the penultimate quarter of 2014.
Track2Realty: Despite the significant residential unit inventory and fresh housing supply, most of the urban housing projects across major Indian cities are unaffordable for our economically weaker sections (EWS). This is primarily because developers are by-and-large focused on launching luxury, high-end and mid-end housing projects that are considered ‘safe’ from the perspective of risks and returns in the capital market.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Navratra is all about nine days of festivities with 10th day being celebrated as Dussehra, which means end of 10 evils. In terms of its significance for real estate market which has weathered many challenges borne out of bearish macro-economic sentiments leading to slow sales, squeezed funding and inventory hangover, this Navratra seems to be the turnaround time.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Residential market may be the demand driver of the property segment across the country, but experience suggests only the markets where commercial property does well succeeds in keeping the momentum up for long. The conventional wisdom of property market is as relevant in the end-user driven markets like Coimbatore as in the speculative markets of metro cities.
Track2Realty: The logistics and warehousing market in India attracted steady transaction activity, with large sized transactions of around 100,000–250,000 sq. ft. reported during the first half of 2014. The Delhi National Capital Region (NCR), Chennai and Mumbai accounted for the bulk of leasing activity during H1 2014. The automotive, FMCG, commerce, and third party logistics sectors were the principle drivers of demand for warehousing space in the country during the first half of the year, according to the CBRE report, India Logistics MarketView – H1 2014.
Track2Realty Exclusive: The commercial property is looking forward to sunny days with the forecast of capital values across the commercial segment expected to rise in the next few quarters. The rental market has already started showing the renewed interest level of the occupiers. The widespread economic recovery and the stable government at centre with some of the positive announcements has revived the sentiments across the property market and the commercial property is the first to pick up in the Indian market before other segments also join the rally.
Track2Realty: Demand for housing across leading cities remained subdued in the first half of 2014. Owing to high pricing and lending rates, buyer preference remained focused on secondary and emerging markets of leading cities; while developers began to offer discounts to boost sales ahead of the festive season. This general slackness in housing sales has been primarily triggered off by the Affordability Index going down in certain cities; although home buyers have been investing in markets that they perceive to be offering value for the product, as well as the preferred location.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Tapping NRI money is a wish that kept the developers driving throughout the year with the depreciation in Indian rupee. However, any wishful thought of fall in the currency would be suicidal for the sector in the year ahead as this rupee depreciation would not benefit them as much with NRIs investment as it would affect the foreign private equity (PE) funds which have been the project rider for many of the developers.