Tokyo is the world’s hottest city for new retailer expansion, attracting 63 new retail brands, according to the latest report by global property advisor CBRE, How Global is the Business of Retail?. Space in core areas of Tokyo remain highly sought after despite the mixed signals in the economy and an increase in sales tax of 8% introduced in April 2014.
During the boom, many developers dreamed of transforming the urban landscape with millions of square feet of homes, offices and malls and set off on an aggressive expansion financed with debt that at 6 percent interest was cheap by Indian standards.
A city with almost every household having one family member working in the Gulf, Kochi or Cochin’s resident population is waking up to new business avenues. This transition is also leading to a growing demand for commercial and residential property.
Hyderabad continues to be a favoured destination for investments due to its unique infrastructure, and real estate prospects are promising despite the Telangana agitation.
Equinox Realty,an arm of oli-to-steel conglomerate Essar Group,plans to sell a minority stake in its biggest commercial asset in Mumbai to raise between 7.5 billion rupees and 10 billion rupees, sources close to the development said.
In an effort to enhance professionalism in the industry, RICS has launched its Red Book of Valuation Standards and Global real estate agency and brokerage standards at the recently concluded real estate conference in Mumbai.
In India, investor interest is also seeing a slowdown on account of the lower absorption of new developments and the disparity between investment returns and capital values.
BPTP is buying back Merrill Lynch’s 49% stake in its Crest office building in Gurgaon for Rs.180 crore. The developer has its corporate office in the same building.
John Macomber, Senior Lecturer in real estate, Harvard Business School, says, “I am wary of market timing by residential investors. If you need a home and can afford it, buy a home and hold it.”
Growing eurozone crisis is all set to affect the Indian real estate. It may sound like drawing a parallel between Indian office space prices and what’s happening in North America and Europe.