August 2020

What Changes we can see in Property Sales Amidst Coronavirus?

August 27, 2020 0 Coronavirus

Real estate is a big economic activity in India. In fact, real estate activity is a good measure of economic growth of any geography and therefore India being an economic growth engine, has a fast growing Real Estate sector. There have been a few years when Real Estate contributed to as high as 14-15% of India’s GDP. Though in last few years the industry has faced clear head-winds and is currently contributing only about 6-7% of GDP. Even at this level it is big and has an important place in life of many a people.

The Real Estate Industry has evolved in India over a period of a few years and with regulations like RERA in place, there is a method to how this business can be done. The sales efforts have been more transparent in recent years, which has made the selling more customer friendly. Also, entry of a few corporate and stock exchange listed players in the field has meant that a system driven approach to sales and marketing is being given preference to highly arbitrary practices earlier.  Also, the slowdown over last few years meant that there were fewer new launches and developers started selling products which were constructed and therefore customer could check these before buying. Also, the advent of newer technologies have meant that even when the customer is away from the construction site, he could understand how it would look like.

These changes had been coming at a slow pace, especially in smaller towns. However, with Covid-19, one could expect this to change very rapidly. On one hand, there will be concerns about repeated visits by a prospective customer to a construction site and hence, customer would like to short-list properties sitting at home. This would force companies to switch to latest available technologies of visualization. While earlier having a few videos of sample flat were considered to be par for course, it will change to developers developing interactive 3D models for buildings and units within this. The scale models, which were a very effective sales tool earlier, may lose the significance as customer is expected to visit a sales office only in the final stage. Also, the ability of a developer to be able to make a customer feel committed to buying, will depend less on sales talk and more on ability to convince him with specific details. This will happen because a customer surfing the internet about various projects will do a more thorough research as he will have the ability to keep flipping till he shortlists certain properties.

In summary, therefore, it is only fair to expect higher level of transparency in the sales calls and property related literature. The company website will be a very important tool to get customers connect and this will hopefully propel marketing teams to spend good time to inspect every single detail that is being put on website. The times of web-calls and effective objection handling on telesales are here as the time for site visits may be limited.

What Changes we can see in Property Sales Amidst Coronavirus?

August 21, 2020 0 Real Estate Industry

Real estate is a big economic activity in India. In fact, real estate activity is a good measure of economic growth of any geography and therefore India being an economic growth engine, has a fast growing Real Estate sector. There have been a few years when Real Estate contributed to as high as 14-15% of India’s GDP. Though in last few years the industry has faced clear head-winds and is currently contributing only about 6-7% of GDP. Even at this level it is big and has an important place in life of many a people.

The Real Estate Industry has evolved in India over a period of a few years and with regulations like RERA in place, there is a method to how this business can be done. The sales efforts have been more transparent in recent years, which has made the selling more customer friendly. Also, entry of a few corporate and stock exchange listed players in the field has meant that a system driven approach to sales and marketing is being given preference to highly arbitrary practices earlier.  Also, the slowdown over last few years meant that there were fewer new launches and developers started selling products which were constructed and therefore customer could check these before buying. Also, the advent of newer technologies have meant that even when the customer is away from the construction site, he could understand how it would look like.

property in lucknow,property in gomti nagar extension lucknow

These changes had been coming at a slow pace, especially in smaller towns. However, with Covid-19, one could expect this to change very rapidly. On one hand, there will be concerns about repeated visits by a prospective customer to a construction site and hence, customer would like to short-list properties sitting at home. This would force companies to switch to latest available technologies of visualization. While earlier having a few videos of sample flat were considered to be par for course, it will change to developers developing interactive 3D models for buildings and units within this. The scale models, which were a very effective sales tool earlier, may lose the significance as customer is expected to visit a sales office only in the final stage. Also, the ability of a developer to be able to make a customer feel committed to buying, will depend less on sales talk and more on ability to convince him with specific details. This will happen because a customer surfing the internet about various projects will do a more thorough research as he will have the ability to keep flipping till he shortlists certain properties.

In summary, therefore, it is only fair to expect higher level of transparency in the sales calls and property related literature. The company website will be a very important tool to get customers connect and this will hopefully propel marketing teams to spend good time to inspect every single detail that is being put on website. The times of web-calls and effective objection handling on telesales are here as the time for site visits may be limited.

Future of Real Estate Industry in Lucknow

August 20, 2020 0 Real Estate Industry

Lucknow has been one of the fastest growing towns in India. The real estate market which has struggled across India has been able to keep the momentum going in this city, especially in certain localities, due to various factors. A positive government, which is great at execution, a city that is known for being peaceful and the presence of excellent infrastructure created by successive governments, make this an ideal place to live and earn a living. There is no doubt that lower GDP growth affected the price appreciation here too. However, if there is one town which will start looking up quickly and it is Lucknow.

The reasons for this optimism are not hard to come by. For migratory laborers, who fled from large industrial towns in west and south during the early days of Covid-19, are closer to Lucknow than any other developed city. Therefore, the supply of labor will not be a constraint here. Similarly, the town also has huge investments coming in from rural areas of Eastern UP. The rural economy is doing well and the recession in the consumption of other items will result in people with a substantial agricultural income to have a higher surplus income. This will find its way into the Lucknow housing market as people will look for towns with good health infrastructure. Lucknow will be the first choice in this entire region for people.

One thing which is important to be kept in mind during this time is that it is foolhardy to assume that all the localities in Lucknow will see good appreciation. There will be areas that will be preferred over others. And the factors which will decide this are simple – Availability of apartments with world-class facilities, safe and well-sanitized areas, and social and medical infrastructure suitable to fight repeated outbreaks of pandemics. If one scans through Lucknow city a few areas stand out in this test. Areas in Gomti Nagar and Gomti Nagar Extension around Shaheed Path and near Airport can be expected to appreciate much faster than other residential areas. These areas are located near some of the best social and medical infrastructure. These localities also boast of some of the best housing developments with excellent amenities and are considered to be the safest and most hygienic parts of the town.

Real estate in lucknow,Real estate developer in lucknow

The growth of the housing market in Lucknow city is getting on track gradually and is certainly waiting for an opportunity to start its march up. It is of course difficult to precisely predict as to who will this start happening but for any keen eye, it is not difficult to find this opportunity. And this opportunity is being looked at by people across the state and nation, which makes the outlook even brighter. The current state government is ranked high on various parameters of governance and industry is showing a higher level of trust in the state than shown ever in the near past. These factors will weigh on what looks a logical flow of money and it is, therefore, easy to conclude that the future of the housing market in Lucknow is one of the brightest spots one can locate right now.

3 BHK v/s 2 BHK Apartment

August 19, 2020 0 Real Estate Industry

While buying the first house, a question which one faces all the time is as to whether one should buy a 2 BHK or a 3 BHK apartment. Needless to say that it depends on one’s needs and affordability, but it is not such a simple decision. It is important to understand that the decision being taken now will stick for a long time for one doesn’t change a home easily. The important considerations in this decision are – 1. Current and planned family needs, 2. Available budget and 3. Purpose (self-occupation or investment (renting).

Buying a home is a long term and an emotional decision. Therefore, the decision most of the time can’t be limited by the above 3 considerations very strictly. It is especially true for people buying their first home. There is a certain amount of pride involved in buying a first home on your own – you may have started earning a few years back and now look to invest the surplus money in a way that provides you long term security in the form of a home. First home buying is also an emotional moment in countries like India because of the association of this event with one’s status in society. Therefore, it is important to do consider all the aspects, while buying a home. Let us now look at each of the above-mentioned 3 aspects in detail.

The first thing one needs to do is to understand the family needs currently as well as planned requirements for the future. It is also important from the perspective that the family requirements change at various stages of life and one doesn’t want to keep moving house every time. It is important to consider points like how many kids are there in the household and if the grandparents are going to be staying in the same house. If there is a plan to start a home office for either of the spouses, it is important to put it down as part of the requirement. This needs a detailed thinking process and should not be hurried into.

Another important factor that needs consideration is the budget. One needs to make a personal financial plan to understand the money which can be taken out without affecting other functions of life adversely. Though, housing financing companies offering home loans at attractive rates and terms has helped people stretch beyond their current means. However, it is advisable to take help from a financial planner on this aspect. Housing finance companies also offer help in the form of guiding a prospective home buyer on calculating the loan eligibility and the resulting EMIs.

The purpose for which one is buying a house is also very important. While for self-occupation, it may be advisable to stretch the budget a bit and look for a bigger house, the investments have generally grown faster in the case of smaller units. It is also easy to find a renter or a buyer of a smaller house.

It is, therefore, important to consider all these factors in detail and strike a balance between needs and budget before deciding what size of the home is preferable.

Is Property Investment a Good Investment Right Now?

August 5, 2020 0 Real Estate

The world is passing through a phase of great uncertainty. There is a sense of fear in all classes of people and not knowing what is in the store is keeping everyone on edge. There are a few questions people, in general, are grappling with:

  1. How do I keep me and my family safe in Covid times? And –

  2. How do I ensure I remain economically stable during this period of great upheaval?

  3. What lies ahead?

It is really impossible for anyone to come out with a very sound logical reply to all these questions, but something which connects to all 3 questions is – Should I invest in property right now. And to answer the 3 questions, let us look at these questions and attempt to offer some answers basis the overarching question mentioned.

property in lucknow,invest in properties

It is important to understand the importance of prevention in current times. To ensure the prevention of the COVID outbreak, it is important to get immunity levels of everyone in the family high. Also, it is important to ensure that one stays in a neighborhood that is clean and has good sanitation facilities. It in other ways can be seen as a reason to be choosing the area of residence carefully and to select locality inhabited by educated classes. It is no secret that the areas with higher levels of education typically are better in hygiene and sanitation. So if one stays in an area that doesn’t meet these criteria, it is a good time to invest in a property in a better locality.

The second question about economic stability is important. India is a growing economy and Lucknow is a fast-growing town. Home to some of the best companies around the globe, it has a huge population of migratory white-collar workers. Needless to say, there is and will be a continuous demand for good and hygienic apartments by these people. In this context, an investment in a ready to move property can ensure a good and stable rental income. The advantage in this investment strategy is that while one earns a regular income now, he shall earn the benefit of appreciating prices in a couple of years when this pandemic induced threat will be over.

The third question is the toughest to answer. What lies there in the future, is anybody’s guess.  However, one thing is for certain that the uncertainties will be over in the next few months. The economies world over will get into expansion mode and a lot of support money will travel across the world to favorite destinations. India has been and will continue to be one such place that is liked by funds across the world and it is not unreasonable to expect the flow of money to the country in various forms. And once this happens, property prices is one of the first to start driving up. There have been various instances of the same and one who prepares for this situation would reap huge dividends.

It is therefore advisable to invest in properties during these days and reap huge benefits out of this in the years to come.