No end to the global housing market downturn is in sight, except probably in the US, according to a survey of global house price trends by the Global Property Guide Asia is weakening, and house price falls in the worst-hit European crisis countries are dramatically accelerating.
In Q2 2012, the retail landscape in India was characterized by subdued demand coupled with restrained supply of mall space and largely stable rentals, says a DTZ report. While continued high inflation levels have restrained consumer spending and delayed purchase decisions, the slowdown in economic growth and weak consumer sentiments have resulted in a sense of uncertainity amongst retailers thereby putting expansion plans on hold.
In Q2 2012, the retail landscape in India was characterized by subdued demand coupled with restrained supply of mall space and largely stable rentals, says a DTZ report. While continued high inflation levels have restrained consumer spending and delayed purchase decisions, the slowdown in economic growth and weak consumer sentiments have resulted in a sense of uncertainity amongst retailers thereby putting expansion plans on hold.
Need for a revolution that will see the poor get access to housing is more eminent than ever before, and that, in such a revolution lies a great business potential for the realty sector. This was one of the strong messages that emerged from the South India Real Estate Conference, 2012, inaugurated in Bangalore on Friday, July 3.
An estimated 17500 residential units were launched by organised developers in the second quarter of 2012 in major cities across the country, registering a decline of nearly 44% over the previous quarter, says a report by global real estate consultancy, Cushman & Wakefield (C&W). This decline in launches can be attributed to a number of factors such as delay in approvals, significant inventory in certain locations as well as postponement of project to coincide new launches with the festival season.
Terming the Government’s efforts to form consensus on FDI in multi-brand retail without consulting traders as ‘highly undemocratic’, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) today said foreign investments by MNCs will hijack the country’s retail trade which would lead to closure of majority of small businesses and job losses for lakhs of people engaged in the sector.
Beyond what is happening in the strategic board room meetings of realty companies, market is cautiously optimistic that with the inventories piling up, developers will sooner or later be forced to blink. A look at the recent developments in the sector does indicate that prices can come down, but it all depends on the builders holding power.
More than 30% of retail mall space against the projected supply for the first half of the year were deferred, says Cushman & Wakefield report on the retail real estate market. A fresh mall supply for H1 2012 stood at 2.27 million sq. ft. (msf). Approximately one million sq.ft. of expected mall supply was deferred to second half of the year or next year. The overall vacancy rate for the major cities as of H1 2012 stood at 19.6% marginally higher than the previous quarter.
Till the ‘90s and even early years of the last decade, commercial real estate was being built as just another asset class to be leased out to entrepreneurs who would start or expand business as and when required. Most office buildings were largely built in the central business districts of various cities, functioning primarily as the central node where most of the commercial activity of the city took place.
The Indian strategy in the hospitality segment seems to be borne out of the demand-supply market dynamics. An industry survey estimates that the three major Indian metropolitan areas—Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi—command some of the highest hotel rentals in the world.