Track2Realty: The Housing Sentiment Index (IIMB MB HIS) assessed by IIM Bangalore and Magicbricks forecasts that homebuyers across 8 of the 10 cities surveyed expect real estate prices to rise over the next six months. The aggregate Housing Sentiment Index (HSI) measured across 10 cities this quarter stood at 108. (An HSI score of 100 suggests the prices would remain static).
The median age of the country is likely to gradually increase from about 29 to 38 by 2050. Similarly, the proportion of aged people (above 60 years) is likely to increase from about 11% in 2024 to 21% in 2050. At the global level, over the next three decades (by 2050), of the 2.1 billion people above 60 years, India would account for a 17% share indicating a significant demand growth for senior care including housing in the country.
With global corporates increasingly seeking to optimize resources, maximize savings, and drive growth, India offers a compelling proposition. During Q1 2024, India continued to witness traction in GCC leasing activity. A significant 5 million square feet (msf) of leasing activity by GCCs, represented 37% of total office leasing across the top six cities. Looking ahead, GCCs are projected to lease between 45-50 msf of office space in the next two years, constituting around 40% of total demand.
Absorption of office spaces increased to 13.40 Mn sq ft in Q1 2024 from 11.85 Mn sq ft in Q1 2023, showcasing a 13% increase Y-O-Y, says a Vestian report. However, the absorption declined by 31% this quarter after peaking in Q4 2023. Southern cities (Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad) accounted for 61% of the Pan-India absorption in Q1 2024 its share increased from 54% a year earlier.
Institutional investments in Indian real estate sector touched USD 1.0 billion in the first quarter of 2024, signalling a steady and positive start to the year. While this was a 40% drop compared to the same period last year, India’s real estate investments showed improvement on a sequential basis registering 21% QoQ rise. Foreign investments retained their dominance, forming 55% of the total inflows during the quarter. Domestic investments too witnessed a notable rise at 15% YoY in Q1 2024. The share of domestic inflows in overall institutional investments continued to rise to 45% in Q1 2024, compared to 24% in Q1 2023.
2024 is anticipated to be a more dynamic year for the both the Asia Pacific real estate markets as well as capital in the region remaining the dominant investor in global real estate. The ability to act quickly, dig deeply into markets and sectors to identify value, and forge productive partnerships will be key to making the most of the region’s diversity and increased opportunity, claims a report by Colliers.
Ram Kirpal is a construction worker in Noida. However, this daily wage earner is not a regular employee or even contractual worker with any real estate company or contractor. He goes back to his native place, Purnea in Bihar, on each harvest season and agriculture continues to be his main occupation. He works on construction sites in Noida only when there is no agricultural work back home. He is part of the bigger problem that the Indian real estate faces – labour shortage! A Track2Realty report.
At the beginning of 2024, as the Indian real estate stakeholders (self-styled industry experts within the realty media landscape) are yet again influence peddling their bullish narrative, the reality check by Track2Realty clearly finds that the sales growth post-Covid has neither been broad based nor democratic. Real estate is yet again emerging as a parking lot of big money post the pandemic, as visible with the off-take of luxury & super luxury despite the stagnant job growth and wage growth.
The input cost escalation has indeed brought the catch 22 situation for the real estate developers in this part of the world. As per the industry estimates, the input cost of various construction raw materials has surged from 20-35 per cent in the last 12-18 months. The property prices in the proportional ratio have not increased and in most of the micro markets across India the prices during the said period are at a standstill.
Within the built environment of the Indian real estate there is still denial about too many parallels between the Indian and the Chinese real estate. Many even believe that the Indian economy is not that real estate dependent as the Chinese economy. Even when admitting the crisis in Indian real estate, it is diplomatically wrapped in the developer’s justification of not learning any lessons on part of the Indian developers.