Realty sector on recovery path, HNIs pouring money: Report

The Indian real estate market is on a recovery path and is witnessing investments by High Networth Individuals (HNIs) with further improvement in the sector likely in 2020, said a report by IKON Marketing Consultants. The key sector, which has been sluggish in the last few years, will get a boost in 2020, while demand will grow in the luxury segment after 2020, it said. "The Indian real estate market, which was at its lowest level in the past four to five years, has witnessed a recovery in 2018 with more transparency and greater consolidation," said the report released today. The report is based on a pan-India study conducted by the Ahmedabad-based marketing consulting firm. The study revealed HNIs have already started investing in the realty sector at current prices, expecting returns of 20 per cent to 30 per cent within the next two years. More foreign investments are likely due to the government's decision to allow 100 per cent FDI (foreign direct investment) in the sector, the report said. However, the residential sector can become more about space than size going forward, the firm said. "Home buyers in leading 10 cities like Ahmedabad, Surat, Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Chennai, Patna, Vijaywada, Kanpur and Jamshedpur are now looking for more livable space than overall area," it said. "In the commercial and hospitality segments, no major changes can be expected in the near future, but demand may pick up gradually for ready to move properties from 2020." The report said tough sectoral reforms such as demonetisation, RERA (Real Estate Regulatory Authority) and GST have already been factored in and the market will see their positive impact in the coming years. Azaz Motiwala, founder and CMD, IKON Marketing, said, "2020 will be the year of boom for the real estate market in India and (the trend) it is likely to stay for the next three to four years. "FDI flow and demand from actual buyers may increase at the beginning of the coming decade." Today, buyers have become very choosy and real estate companies will have to change their approach to attract them, Motiwala added.