After three post-pandemic years of an upcycle, it was a mixed bag for the realty sector in 2025, with sales volumes in the residential real estate moderating across top cities, and commercial real estate and institutional investments emerging as standout performers. Residential: Volumes soften, value holds firm.
'The directives to enhance last-mile funding, consider revival funds, and systemic reforms across the sector are expected to revive stalled projects, improve accountability, and accelerate the delivery of affordable and mid-income housing.'
Capital gains exemption limit and a steep reduction in the highest surcharge will empower the masses with enhanced liquidity flow that can be invested in real estate, points out Dhaval Ajmera.
India's housing finance sector is riding a wave of post-pandemic revival, driven by policy support, digital innovation, and growing demand from younger homebuyers in emerging cities.
Interest in green living is rising, with clean air and open spaces becoming key selling points for residential projects, particularly as Indian cities struggle with deteriorating air quality.
Real-estate firms have welcomed the Goods and Services Tax Council's reforms, expecting better affordability for buyers, spurring demand. The council has reduced the rate on cement from 28 per cent to 18 per cent, while the rate on sand lime bricks or stone inlay work and granite blocks has been cut to 5 per cent from 12 per cent.
'While the concept was introduced globally over four decades ago, branded residences have taken off now in India.'
This is America's 15th funding lapse since 1981 and the first since the record 35-day shutdown of 2018-2019.
Lawful possession means having both actual control over a property and a valid legal right to keep it, usually based on a registered sale deed, lease agreement, or lawful allotment.
In a relief to homebuyers, assets in a real estate project that have been handed over to the allottee would be kept out of the liquidation process of the company, the latest amendment to the rules by the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) has said. The notification dated February 12 said: "For the purposes of clause (e) of sub-section (4) of section 36, wherever the corporate debtor has given possession to an allottee in a real estate project, such asset shall not form a part of the liquidation estate of the corporate debtor." Real estate experts call it a "pragmatic approach" by the regulator. "However, there are many cases where possession has not been given because the property is stuck in insolvency.
'The momentum is driven by rising affluence, strong demand from HNIs (high net worth individuals) and NRIs (non-resident Indians), an increased appetite for larger, well-located homes by branded developers, and support from the economy.'
Observing an "unholy nexus" between the banks and developers to dupe homebuyers, the Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the CBI to register seven preliminary enquiries against builders in NCR, including Supertech Limited.
Justice Surya Kant is set to become the 53rd Chief Justice of India, bringing extensive experience and a record of significant verdicts on key issues.
Realtors' apex body CREDAI described the RBI decision to cut repo rate by 50 basis points as a bold step and said this will help boost sales of residential properties.
The US's recent 50 per cent tariff on Indian exports will have a trickledown effect on India's affordable housing, potentially derailing demand as well as supply in this segment, according to experts. Pointing to worker incomes and jobs in micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that typically make up majority of the customer base of affordable housing, would take a hit in the near terms due to the tariff change, further crippling India's affordable housing sector, already reeling from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
India's top 9 cities are likely to witness a 4 per cent decline in housing sales in the quarter ending September to over 1 lakh units on lower demand in Mumbai region and Pune, according to PropEquity. Real estate data analytics firm PropEquity on Sunday released data of primary residential market for July-September, which is generally considered as a weak quarter because of monsoon season and inauspicious Shraadh period.
Tinesh Bhasin explores the limitations of rights granted to homebuyers under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code.
After three straight quarters of decline, India's housing market is pinning hopes on the ongoing festival season to revive sales momentum. While 2025 may still end with sales volumes below 2024 levels, developers believe the seasonally strong October-December quarter could narrow the gap, aided by stable interest rates, festive incentives, and resilient demand in the premium segment.
There is need for buyers to understand cancellation rules before entering into a purchase agreement with a developer.
The Enforcement Directorate has said it seized cash of Rs 1.70 crore and documents related to immovable assets during searches conducted against Jaypee Infratech Ltd (JIL), Jaiprakash Associates Ltd (JAL) and other entities in an alleged homebuyers' fraud case linked money laundering investigation. The raids were carried out at 15 premises in Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad and Mumbai on May 23 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Housing demand should improve nationwide after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) cut the repo rate by a larger-than-expected 50 basis points (bps) on Friday, said real estate industry executives. The rate cut comes after housing sales in top Indian cities in the first quarter of 2025 dipped 28 per cent due to skyrocketing residential property prices and geopolitical headwinds, according to Anarock.
The finance minister clarified that indexation benefits offered until April 1, 2001 would be protected. This means older properties, including legacy assets, would benefit.
This shift is driven by a pursuit of a superior lifestyle and an innate desire to be grounded in an owned plot of land. Villas, situated within gated housing societies, have gained popularity as a property type, witnessing strong traction due to elevated aspirations and the need for more living space.
A bench headed by Justice R F Nariman, which disposed of a batch of over 180 petitions filed by various builders, said the RERA act which regulates the real estate sector should be read harmoniously with the amendments made in the IBC and in case of conflict the code will prevail.
Do home prices really never fall? Ramalingam Kalirajan begs to differ.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested former Haryana Congress MLA Dharam Singh Chhoker from a five-star hotel in Delhi following a brief scuffle. Chhoker, along with his sons, is accused of defrauding over 1,500 homebuyers and siphoning off over Rs 500 crore through their real-estate companies. The ED had been seeking Chhoker's presence in the investigation since May 2022. The politician was caught at the Grappa Bar of the Shangri-La hotel on Ashoka Road. He is currently in ED custody for six days.
The real estate market has seen a decline in affordability due to the recent rise in median loan rates as a result of the 50 basis points (bps) hike in repo rates by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). A cumulative increase of 0.95 per cent in median home loan rate has impacted the purchase affordability and purchase decisions of homebuyers, according to the Affordability Index by Knight Frank. The Affordability Index tracks the EMI (equated-monthly instalment) to income ratio for an average household.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday announced a fresh Rs 15,000 crore 'SWAMIH Fund' for completion of 1 lakh units in stalled housing projects across various cities, a move aimed at providing relief to distressed homebuyers whose investments are stuck. In November 2019, the Centre announced a stress fund named 'Special Window for Affordable and Mid-Income Housing' (SWAMIH), to complete stalled housing projects across India.
A bench of Justices Arun Mishra and U U Lalit said, if home buyers are not ready to pay their outstanding amount, then the court will have to bundle up the projects.
Glass facades and air-conditioned enclaves are giving way to spaces that breathe -- homes that reflect a deeper connection to nature, heritage, and well-being.
Capital value appreciation outpaced rental value growth in several key micro-markets between 2021 and 2024, with Noida Sector 150 in the National Capital Region (NCR) leading the pack with a 128 per cent rise in capital values compared to rental value growth of just 66 per cent, according to a report by property consulting firm Anarock.
Average housing prices across Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), Delhi-NCR, Chennai and Pune remained stable during the January-March period compared to the previous quarter while rates appreciated 4-5 per cent in the other four major cities, according to PropTiger. Data from real estate brokerage firm PropTiger, a part of REA India that owns Housing.com, showed that prices in Bengaluru and Hyderabad grew 5 per cent each while Ahmedabad and Kolkata saw an appreciation of 4 per cent each.
More than 58% of individual housing loans disbursed in 2023-2024 were more than 25 lakh in size.
Many affluent young people are first-generation wealthy. They have limited financial literacy, lack quality financial guidance or role models, and often fall prey to mis-selling. This makes them hesitant to invest in high-return assets like equities.
N Sundaresha Subramanian, Karan Choudhury and Shreya Jai report on the sorry condition of homebuyers who invested in Jaypee Infratech and the Amrapali group's Noida-based projects.
On July 23, the apex court had cracked its whip on errant builders for breaching the trust reposed by homebuyers and ordered cancellation of the registration of Amrapali Group under the real estate law RERA, and ousted it from its prime properties in the NCR by nixing the land leases.
Experts say the move will make matters worse for buyers, reports Karan Choudhury.
Taking possession without an OC can lead to legal complications, denial of utilities such as water and electricity, hurdles in availing home loans or reselling the property, and even eviction.
The smartest homes are not the ones that dazzle with tech, but the ones that disappear into your daily life while quietly elevating it.
Housing prices appreciated at an average of 10 per cent during the December quarter across eight major cities on strong demand, higher input cost, according to a report by CREDAI, Colliers and Liases Foras. Realtors' body CREDAI, real estate consultant Colliers India, and data analytic firm Liases Foras on Tuesday released their joint report, which showed that Delhi-NCR saw a maximum appreciation of 31 pc annually during the October-December period of 2024.
