Track2Realty Exclusive: Funding, or rather lack of it, has been one of the key concerns of the real estate developers throughout 2013, yet if some of the key policy decisions that have been taken in the year it seems 2014 is all set to get big ticket funding. The money is poised to be invested in the sector and if not as private equity, the biggies will put in money through Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT).
Track2Realty: With economy witnessing a downturn, interest rates and inflation reaching all-time highs, 2013 has been one of the most eventful years for Real Estate in India. While introduction of Real Estate Regulatory Bill and Land Acquisitions Bills in the Parliament was positive for the real estate industry, end users sitting on the fence expecting a fall in prices lead to a contraction of demand in the past few quarters.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Real estate gains are not always short-term but often long-term from investment point of view. The same can be said about 2013 where despite of an outside view dismissing the year 2013 for low sales velocity, piling inventory, liquidity crunch and policy ambiguity, added to the country moving to the General Elections in 2014, the sector has managed to pave the way for long term reforms.
Track2Realty: 2013 was one of much economic turbulence. High retail inflation, high interest rates and a continuous fall in the rupee value, have been slowing the overall growth and have continuously hindered the investment sentiment in the market during the entire 2013.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Gurgaon, Mumbai, Pune…wait India has just discovered yet another claimant as the ‘Luxury Capital’. The City of Ahmedabad known more for its cost conscious living and affordable housing has been witness to the city’s slow but steady rise to the luxury living with developers’ focus shifting on luxury projects, buyers’ looking up to scale their living and luxury brands flocking to the city.
Track2Realty: Emerging markets are offering interesting investment opportunities in terms of shopping center development, according to the latest Asia Pacific Retail Trends and Retail Hotspots reports released by CBRE. The Asia Pacific market in particular continued to see a steady flow of new retailer openings in 2013, amid steady economic growth and generally positive consumer sentiment.
Track2Realty Exclusive: A property analyst new in the Gujarat market wondered, “If Ahmedabad is not about satellite living, how come Bopal is a property hotspot?” Well, the curiosity is not without valid reason. Bopal is a classic case of a satellite town in which defies the conventional concept of satellite townships. Bopal has been witness to a massive growth in infrastructure the last 5 to 7 years, and that makes it look like the extension of another property hotspot in Ahmedabad itself.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Brand managers of the companies who have been into strategising at the bottom of the pyramid wish it is high time credible bodies initiate measures on this front in the public domain. On the other hand, private equity funds in their due diligence reports (privately) do accord importance to this aspect.
Track2Realty Exclusive: It is relatively easier to plan a real estate project’s brand positioning in the high-end category where overboard advertising creates the top-of-the-mind recall value. Though many carry home the perception that branding is about ATL (Above the Line) activities for premium projects; fact of the matter is that branding at the bottom of the pyramid is even more challenging.
Track2Realty-Agencies: Lodha Group has acquired the Canadian embassy building in London’s Mayfair district for $530 million (Rs 3,300 crore) in its biggest move overseas. Lodha Group, which claims to be India’s largest real estate developer, has exchanged contracts to acquire the landmark MacDonald House in central London from.