Track2Realty Exclusive: Come budget and the real estate in the last few years seems to have been repeating the rhetoric of industry status. As a result, year after year it has been a case of realty proposes and the Finance Minister disposes. However, the sector on the eve of 2013-14 makes a strategic shift to be more realistic with its causes and concerns.
Track2Realty Exclusive: The real estate clan in the NCR region has come a long way ahead particularly with the housing sector most likely to witness a notable recovery, by the second half of 2013. The rising prices and high interest rates of the RBI have caused a drastic slash in sales. Adverse market dynamics such as high debt, piled up inventory and depressed market conditions took the sector for a rather harsh toll.
Track2Realty Exclusive-Yearly Analysis: DLF is raising funds by selling non-core assets, Godrej Properties raised funds through a QIP and HDIL is generating funds by selling transfer of development rights (TDR) and floor space index (FSI) — all to lighten the debt burden. Earlier, companies were building land banks and were rewarded for it in the stock market. Now, they are conserving cash to payback creditors.
Track2Realty Exclusive-Yearly Analysis: In a market where the five largest firms saw 75 per cent erosion in their combined market capitalization, burdened with debt and struggling with poor growth, there are few lessons these realty companies have been forced to learn the hard way.
Track2Realty: India Ratings has revised its outlook for the Indian real estate sector to negative to stable for 2013, from negative in 2012. Demand remains subdued and EBITDA margins low, leading to weak credit metrics for companies in the sector. The agency however sees signs of improvement, in terms of stability of margins and the easing of liquidity pressures, with free cash flows turning positive since H2FY12.
Track2Realty: New real estate launches in 2012 declined by 30% in 2012, versus a 7% decline seen in 2011. Slowdown in bank credit to real estate amid economic slowdown was attributed to the stagnancy in new ventures, a Knight Frank report said.
Track2Realty Exclusive-Yearly Analysis:During the boom, many developers dreamt of transforming the urban landscape with millions of square feet of homes, offices and malls and set off on an aggressive expansion financed with debt that at 6 per cent interest was cheap by Indian standards. When the going was good, they went overboard with over ambitious big-ticket projects in various cities, many of which still remain stalled.
Track2Realty Exclusive-Yearly Analysis: Realty sector may appear to be bullish and project that downside is over with rosy forecast ahead, yet the decline in fortune is far from being over. As a matter of fact, the learning in the last four years has forced most of the leading players to restructure their project portfolio and shed the flab.
Track2Realty: Amidst a global economic slowdown as a consequence of the US fiscal cliff and Eurozone debt crisis, India’s growth forecasts too have been revised downward over the last three quarters of the year.
Track2Realty: The government is working on a proposal to allow Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) to participate in the country’s rental housing market.