Track2Realty Exclusive: It has often been argued that Indian realty needs to adopt best practices and improve brand image as the sector defends its rough ride on the learning curves. If adopting Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), retaining employees, inculcating brand loyalty and earning buyers’ trust are some of the best practices that can address the perception issues of Indian real estate, then the sector has to walk a long road ahead.
Track2Realty: A report in 2013 labelled Mumbai as the 16th most expensive city globally in terms of owning a residential space. The southern region of the island city is seen as the most prime, with locations such as Colaba, Cuffe Parade and Malabar hills topping the price charts. Owning a home in these and similar location of other cities can cost a buyer more than he or she would earn in two lifetimes.
Track2Realty: The Union Budget 2014-15 was presented in the parliament under economic circumstances that required tax revenues to keep pace with targets. Considering the state of government finances and the current situation – below-normal monsoons, Middle East tension leading oil price volatility, the weakness of the India rupee etc., there was not much room for populism.
Track2Realty: Real estate is a business that requires regular funding, be it at the acquisition or execution stage. To raise funds, developers in India opt for modes like joint venture, pre-sale and construction finance. Construction finance can work out cheaper but is difficult to obtain because of the strict guidelines laid down by the Reserve Bank of India.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Highly speculative markets are always highly susceptible to speculation as such markets are mostly sentiment driven. These are the markets where investors are by and large the project riders and hence the movements in the power corridors do affect the market to a great extent. Coimbatore real estate, on the contrary, is a market which has traditionally been neither susceptible to speculation nor the investors have been on prowl.
Track2Realty: In most metros such as Mumbai, redevelopment of old residential buildings is a normal and desirable occurrence. Without redevelopment, there would be no new supply in the fully developed city centres. Also, redevelopment is necessary because every building has an inbuilt shelf-life, after which it becomes unsafe, unattractive to the market and difficult to maintain.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Reeling under compelling economic circumstances that call for financial prudence and tough measures, the first Union Budget of the NDA Government is still reason enough for the real estate sector to exude optimism. It seems the euphoria of a stable government at the Centre is running so deep that despite of the government taking certain tough economic measures before the budget itself and the Reserve Bank of India also not cutting the repo rate down in its recent monetary policy review, the sector is expecting rosy days ahead with the budget being the first catalytic point.
Track2Realty: With the new government now firmly in charge of steering the country, the Indian economy is perched on the threshold of recovery and growth. The serious issues that have plagued the sector for so long may now be proactively addressed.
Track2Realty: Over fifty percent of real estate buyers decisions are influenced by Internet research. The phenomenon, of researching online for real estate information is not limited to metros but also extended to buyers in tier II cities, as per the study of Google India. The study was conducted to understand the influence of Internet on real estate purchase decisions in India.
Track2Realty: Cumulative commercial real estate loans have tripled to reach INR 1.428 billion in the last six years up to November 2013, whereas individual housing loans doubled to reach INR 5.185 billion during the same period.