Track2Realty Exclusive: Bhiwadi in Alwar district may be seen as a gateway to Rajasthan by many, its emergence as a property hotspot has more to do with the thriving economic activity in the neighbouring state of Haryana. Of course, Rajasthan Industrial Development and Investment Corporation (RIICO) is also aggressively pushing to make the place a destination magnet.
Track2Realty: Cushman & Wakefield have estimated that the share of luxury retail space in India will be a modest 1.44% by 2015 as against the current 1% even as total retail malls stock is set to increase by 27% by 2015.
Track2Realty: Kolte-Patil Developers (KDPL) has launched four new luxury projects- Tuscan Estate Signature Meadows, Downtown, 24K Glamore and 3rd Avenue at Life Republic in Pune to develop a total of 1.8 million sq.ft. for these new projects.
Track2Realty: Top eight major cities witnessed a total mall supply of 2.94 million square feet (msf) (3 malls) during the first half of 2013 with over 64% (13 malls) of the total expected supply deferred, says a report by Cushman & Wakefield.
Track2Realty Exclusive: In one of the classic example, one of the advertising agency recently came out with a creative idea of suggesting the name of the project as 1947. The spacious luxury flat’s advertising was suggested to be played around the concept of freedom—from space crunch, parking mess, traffic snarls etc. with the tag line “when every lips had one word freedom this apartment was conceptualised”. Result: the agency was asked to get out of the hangover of being ‘creative’ or leave.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Subvention schemes have gained popularity with developers in the North India, particularly after the economic slowdown. The scheme conceived by developers in conjunction with banks, allows the home loan applicant to defer EMIs and interest payments, on a property under construction, for the first two years of the loan period.
Track2Realty-Agencies: With real estate in East Africa fast emerging as a big opportunity, Reliance Industries, in a joint venture with Delta Corp, has purchased land worth Rs 200 crore in Kenya for development of housing and office properties and is already making good profits.
Track2Realty Exclusive: The TINA factor also poses the biggest risk for investors in real estate at current level. The fact that real estate prices are all time high at a time when the economy is faltering with GDP growth coming off from a 8.4 per cent in 2010-11 to level of 6.5 per cent and below forecast ahead should ring a warning bell for investors.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Some of the companies are using online media for generating sales lead; while others are focused on customer relations. With the medium new and realty more or less reluctant in the initial stages, there are very few who are actually understanding the medium and adapting themselves to what others think as a necessary evil. Tata Housing believes in using the medium for engaging with the customers more than just generating sales leads. Brotin Banerjee, MD & CEO of Tata Housing shares with Track2Realty how they strategise their social media usage. Excerpts of the interview:
Track2Realty Exclusive: There are analysts who believe the retail investors need to be exposed to this asset class through an institutionalized vehicle, which would be regulated. REITS is the ideal solution.