Track2Realty Exclusive: The digital medium, however, seems to be evolving fast and some of the realtors have adopted pro-active social media strategy to focus on consumer connect, feedback, consumer research to identify their needs and requirements.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Neeraj Bansal, Partner-Real Estate & Construction at KPMG India says although more and more developers are rooting for integrated township projects, the project execution has been disappointing owing to multiple factors. The primary among them is delays in obtaining approvals from various departments.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Kruti Jain, Director, Kumar Urban Development, believes any funding available in real estate is gap funding. It is not about only the gap which is there in funding for real estate because what happens for other industries is that they have this reserve capital which is not their land or raw material, but is the actual capital they put in to manufacture xyz product and then they replenish the funds with whatever returns are accrued.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Many urban planners maintain the genesis of the model integrated township in India lies in Jamshedpur, developed by the TATA Group. However, modern realty analysts maintain no one understands the grandeur of an integrated township better than Jaypee Group due to its locational vantage point and large tract of land bank. The infrastructure major has to its credit state-of-the-art township along the Yamuna Expressway.
Pranay Vakil: No but the same developer used to rent out commercial office space, but he won’t rent out the residence because of the return. So, according to Gaurav funding is the issue and according to Atul return on investment is the issue.
Gaurav Gupta: I think you will have to take into account the historical background of real estate industry. All of us know historically real estate was never a professional industry in the country before FDI came in 2005. The industry was really fragmented and the industry was with small developers and it was more like a family business.
Jhumur Ghosh: I am a little curious. In 2008, all the funds of the world were lining up for real estate and signing and today we are having this discussion, in just four years. How does that happen?
I would like to ask the developer friends here when they say there is an ambiguity as far as ECB is concerned. Which are the funding routes that you find without ambiguity—whether it is private equity, QIP, IPO or any other route to raise money?
Gaurav Gupta: I would say there are multiple challenges for the sector.
Atul Modak: The perception that you are talking about is true. On that we had a meeting with the members of MCHI-CREDAI and the focus was this poor perception that builder is chor (thief), not interested to give possession and he will take away your money. But that is not the case as in majority of the cases developers’ intention is good. They want to deliver project on time, but because of delays in approvals, added to the funding gap and he has nowhere to go once he has launched the project.
Track2Realty Exclusive: A festive spirit only adds to the buyers’ sentiments in the property market. It can not be catalyst to new sales if the sentiment in general is low, as has been evident in the property market of Mumbai in the last 3-4 years due to general slowdown and other macroeconomic subdued indicators. However, if the sentiments are bullish a festive season can turn out to be catalyst to market revival as well. That is very much expected in the Mumbai property market this time around, thanks to the change in the overall outlook.