Track2Realty Exclusive: In realty business, brand is an additional value the consumer is prepared to pay compared with an ordinary product yet fulfilling the same purpose. If a brand is not able to offer the consumer better advantage that the competitors, it will turn into a commodity.
Track2Realty Exclusive: In the beginning of the year 2013 when the property market in Ahmedabad was softening a bit in select pockets, the prophets of doomsday had a free run. Many of them were prophetic to write off the city’s real estate market as simply unaffordable and unsustainable, notwithstanding the fact that the correction in the city real estate prices has been relatively moderate as compared to other cities with similar trends in property market when the sentiments were at peak.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Some of the developers believe that being a responsible corporate entity CSR forms a very important aspect of their day to day functioning. For example, Kamal Khetan, CMD, Sunteck Realty says they have formed Sunteck Foundation that is a dedicated entity which under its umbrella supports various initiatives that lead to social betterment.
Track2Realty Exclusive: As the country faces problems over land acquisition, events around the issue have been tarnishing the image of India’s built environment. Across sectors — real estate, infrastructure and construction events have not been conducive enough to create a good environment for investments. In addition, fragmentation and irregularities within the market, instances of fly-by-night-operators duping the consumers, an absence of regulation over transactions and developers have given a bad name to the environment.
Track2Realty Exclusive: When Purushottam Sharma, a government officer was posted in Bhiwadi seven years back, it was like a punishment posting. He sulked, the family resented yet with no infrastructure living in Gurgaon and travelling daily to Bhiwadi was something that was not feasible.
Track2Realty Exclusive: In general branding in smaller towns is more focused on project. However, an equal emphasis on corporate branding should remain the strategy. It is very important to stress upon the brand to make the consumer aware of the strength of the company and assure them of the safety of their investment. This is where brand positioning is important in the initial stage. However, once the credibility is established, project branding assumes centre stage.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Romesh Singh, a resident of Bhiwadi is quite confused with the city that is fast evolving. After having spent around seven years in Bhiwadi, the city is no more the same that he can relate with. The shopping complexes, malls and the emerging lifestyle is something that he thought is meant for metro cities. But the retail revolution in this till only recently sleeping city has changed everything, adding to the lifestyle choices and hence confusion among people like Romesh.
Track2Realty Exclusive: When we moved out of the comfort zone of metro city, the first question people asked us was how can we meet up with the challenge of leveraging our brand positioning in other geographical markets? Real estate, after all, is a micro market business and branding the realty has by and large presumed to be a metro phenomenon.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Bhiwadi in Alwar district may be seen as a gateway to Rajasthan by many, its emergence as a property hotspot has more to do with the thriving economic activity in the neighbouring state of Haryana. Of course, Rajasthan Industrial Development and Investment Corporation (RIICO) is also aggressively pushing to make the place a destination magnet.
Track2Realty Exclusive: More holistic approach is required while conducting a research on any real estate entity. The scientific research should undertake a detailed analysis on the accounting policy, business model, geographical presence, sales & execution strategy, project portfolio of the company. It should also take into consideration the company’s initiatives to monitor its operations for timely delivery of the project without cost overruns & sustaining margins.