Track2Realty: The Housing Sentiment Index (IIMB MB HIS) assessed by IIM Bangalore and Magicbricks forecasts that homebuyers across 8 of the 10 cities surveyed expect real estate prices to rise over the next six months. The aggregate Housing Sentiment Index (HSI) measured across 10 cities this quarter stood at 108. (An HSI score of 100 suggests the prices would remain static).
Track2Realty Exclusive: Noida has defied the conventional wisdom of economics of late, thanks to the new found interest of the multinational corporations (MNCs) and the NRIs. This is due to the fact that the investment pattern of these two demand drivers have so far been guided by the conventional wisdom of economics that suggests to put money in a relatively mature market, and that too when the macro economic outlook is bright and the sentiments bullish.
Track2Realty Exclusive: The Tamil Nadu Government must be commended for its focus on infrastructure development; it is a key determinant of the state’s economic progress. So long as the commitment to infrastructure remains, the prognosis for real estate will be good.
Track2Realty Exclusive: In the expanding boundaries of the National Capital Region (NCR) where Gurgaon has been the biggest beneficiary, it has been quite natural that locations like Manesar, Bhiwadi among other adjoining regions start attracting investment. However, what has actually bucked the trend of such an otherwise organic growth is the fact that these locations once seen as the alternative locations of Gurgaon for those who could not afford it in the main suburb are no more just secondary locations.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Statistics only tell half the story and this old adage is all the more relevant in the property market where the transactions and appreciation/depreciation may or may not have a direct co-relation. In Gujarat real estate market the prophets of doomsday had a field day in the last over a year time due to slow pace of growth. They cited the National Housing bank’s Residex that shows Ahmedabad witnessed only 6 per cent growth in property prices in last one year.
Track2Realty: Transactions in India’s real estate space might have slowed down over the last two quarters, but the sector has not been overwhelmed by the state of the wider economy. Despite the subdued pre-election economic scenario, in fact, the period observed an increase in private equity activity.
Track2Realty Exclusive: The current economic environment is indeed one of the most challenging in recent history. The headwinds of inflation, interest rates, construction costs, and subdued consumer demand have constrained real-estate growth in many micro-markets across the country. Economic volatility aside, I am optimistic about long-term real-estate sector prospects. My optimism is founded in irrefutable realities – the rapid urbanization of India, burgeoning segment of upwardly mobile Indians, limited availability of urban residential housing and unabated aspiration of home ownership.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Against all the prophecies of doomsday in the realty market, Delhi-NCR has not only grown in the last four-five years, but also has been among the best performing markets in the country. The growth has been slow but steady and analysts believe it is time the property market of Delhi-NCR needs a catalyst to put it on the fast forward mode of growth.
Track2Realty Exclusive: The real-estate category has taken the product-led path to brand building. Products occupy centre-stage in advertising campaigns; properties serve as brand emblems. Developers build properties, showcase them through advertisements, customers experience drives word-of-mouth, which in turn generates additional customers and on it goes. Through this iterative process, a brand is built. In other words, the brand identity is inherent in the developer’s real-estate footprint.
Track2Realty Exclusive: The Gujarat real estate has by and large reasons to feel satisfied with its better-than-national average performance during the year 2013. It would be safe to maintain that the property market in the state has weathered the slowdown blues better than many other matured property markets across the country and the developers are better off now than in 2009. As per rough estimates 50 per cent of top companies in the state have improved on their debt servicing while 30 per cent will see a fall in debt from next fiscal.