Track2Realty: The real estate sector has been hoping against hope that the rates will be marginally cut in order to keep the sentiments bullish. Reports of foreign funds warming up and the substantial contribution of the sector, 6 plus to the Indian GDP was also being seen as an indication of why the policies would be eased.
Track2Realty Exclusive: The multiplier effect of real estate sector and its capacity for generating employment is well recognized. It is estimated that the sector contributes close to 6 per cent to the gross domestic product (GDP) of India and is estimated to be growing at 20 per cent per annum.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Realtors are also increasingly smarting to deal with the criticism as digital media is proving to be a deadly two-way weapon. Ravi Saund, COO of CHD Developers asserts it has not deterred them in any way; it has only helped in getting closer to the customer base and understand their needs and expectations from a developer in today’s market.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Data for the past few years show that real estate has been a rewarding asset class. For example, in 2011, one of the worst years for equities when the Sensex fell nearly 25 per cent, prices of homes in most Indian cities remained firm despite the overall economic uncertainty, both in global and domestic markets.
Track2Realty-Agencies: The real estate regulatory bill that seeks to bring transparency and accountability in the realty sector will be introduced in the monsoon session of Parliament, a top government official said on Saturday, July 6.
Track2Realty Exclusive: On a closer look there are big and serious questions on the authenticity and prima facie it appears as if the categories have been customised to fit in the highest bidder.
Track2Realty: New Delhi witnessed the entry of 13 prominent global retailers in 2012 as compared to 27 in Singapore and 51 in Hong Kong, according to CBRE’s new Retail Hotspots in Asia Pacific report. Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore top the list of cities for new retailer entries across Asia Pacific.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Asking for industry status, the sector doesn’t want elements of accountability that comes with the package. Quite opposed to the very idea of regulation, even after self-regulatory attempts didn’t work out, realty doesn’t evoke confidence at the policy level and often ends up being at loggerheads with the government. Track2Realty finds that though policy advocacy is very much desirable in the sector, it is yet so debatable that the stakeholders have failed to evolve a consensus over its issues and agenda.
Track2Realty Exclusive: The redevelopment of a city depends on many local factors and cannot be replicated ad hoc. Mumbai has its own character and flavour and has to be developed according to local needs and infrastructure availability. The government in consultation with developers should work in redeveloping the city of Mumbai by improvising on infrastructure.
Track2Realty: It has been a marginal rate cut that may not have any significant affect on the fortunes of the economy in general and real estate in particular. However, the sector believes it still goes a long way in improving the sentiments of the market by and large. On Friday, May 3, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) cut its policy interest rate by 25 basis points, for the third time since January as growth slows and inflation ebbs. RBI says there is little room to ease monetary policy further.