Track2Realty: The completion of several large transactions—including a couple of deals worth overUS$ 500 million each—pushed up the total real estate investment volume in the Asia Pacific region in the June–September period to US$ 35 billion, a quarter-on-quarter increase of about 40% (as per the CBRE APAC Capital Markets MarketView Q3 2014 report).
Track2Realty: With BJP controlling the Centre and the two biggest real estate markets in India – Mumbai and Gurgaon – the government has to focus on 3 I’s – Infrastructure, Interest reduction and Income generation. With the BJP’s remarkable show in Maharashtra, the state will give a new lease of life to its infrastructure projects across all sectors.
Track2Realty: The month of October saw the government easing Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) norms to boost India’s construction sector. The announcement is expected to widen the sector’s investor-base by allowing FDI in smaller projects of 20,000 sq. m. instead of 50,000 sq. m. from firms with capitalization of US$5 million instead of US$10 million.
Track2Realty: Knight Frank India in association with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) in its fourth set of findings of its flagship report – the Real Estate Sentiment Index for Q3 2014 (July – September) finds that sentiments are still riding high, though investors remain cautiously optimistic. The report captures the sentiments of the supply side stakeholders on the current real estate market conditions and gives a view into the near future.
Track2Realty: Cushman & Wakefield (C&W) has appointed Shouvik Purkayastha as the Executive Director of Capital Markets in India. Shouvik is a financial professional with over 15 years of experience with expertise Investment Banking and Corporate Banking.
Track2Realty: Despite the significant residential unit inventory and fresh housing supply, most of the urban housing projects across major Indian cities are unaffordable for our economically weaker sections (EWS). This is primarily because developers are by-and-large focused on launching luxury, high-end and mid-end housing projects that are considered ‘safe’ from the perspective of risks and returns in the capital market.
Track2Realty Exclusive: While in many other property markets across the country the developers are planning freebies & discounts to attract the buyers, in Gurgaon the demand and supply cycle of the property market is showing a different trend altogether. With very few inventory hangover of ready-to-move stocks available and the macro-economic outlook reviving, the buyers are back in the market and even though a price rise is on the cards the festive spirit is yet driving the home buyers to the market.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Navratra is all about nine days of festivities with 10th day being celebrated as Dussehra, which means end of 10 evils. In terms of its significance for real estate market which has weathered many challenges borne out of bearish macro-economic sentiments leading to slow sales, squeezed funding and inventory hangover, this Navratra seems to be the turnaround time.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Residential market may be the demand driver of the property segment across the country, but experience suggests only the markets where commercial property does well succeeds in keeping the momentum up for long. The conventional wisdom of property market is as relevant in the end-user driven markets like Coimbatore as in the speculative markets of metro cities.
Track2Realty: India’s economy grew 5.7% y-o-y in Q1 2014–15 (April–June) belying market forecasts of 5.3%, and showing signs of recovery following annual growth numbers of between 4.4% and 5.2% in each quarter between Q1 2012–13 and Q4 2013–14.