Housing sales fell 1 per cent last year to over 3.48 lakh units across eight major cities, with demand stagnating amid an average price rise of up to 19 per cent, according to Knight Frank. In a virtual press conference on Wednesday, real estate consultant Knight Frank India noted that the decline in interest rates on home loans, strong economic growth and lower inflation were some of the key factors that helped in sustaining the housing demand during the 2025 calendar year despite fears of an impending correction.
Ghost malls have a vacancy rate of over 50 per cent.
Mumbai recorded its strongest housing market performance in 14 years in 2025, with property registrations rising to 150,254, amid a sustained end-user demand and supportive supply-side ecosystem, according to Knight Frank India.
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.
Housing sales rose 7 per cent annually in 2024 across eight major cities to reach 12-year high at 3,50,613 units on better demand for premium homes amid stable mortgage rates and strong economic growth, according to Knight Frank. Last month, real estate consultant Anarock, however, had reported that housing sales declined 4 per cent in 2024 to nearly 4.6 lakh units across seven major cities.
Institutional investments in Indian real estate have seen a strong start to 2025, with inflows reaching $ 1.3 billion in the first quarter - a 31 per cent year-on-year (YoY) increase. This growth was primarily driven by domestic investments, which accounted for 60 per cent of the total inflows during the quarter. With $ 0.8 billion inflows, domestic investments saw a 75 per cent annual rise and were largely focused on industrial & warehousing and office segments.
Indian real estate market remained buoyant in January-June this year, with housing sales hitting an 11-year high at 1.73 lakh units and office demand at a record 34.7 million square feet across eight major cities, according to Knight Frank. On an annual basis, housing sales rose 11 per cent to 173,241 units while leasing of office space grew 33 per cent to 34.7 million square feet during January-June this year across eight major cities. Shishir Baijal, chairman and managing director, Knight Frank India, said, "India's real estate market has been buoyant in the last few quarters owing to the strong economic fundamentals and stable socio-political conditions."
The growth was primarily driven by domestic investments, which accounted for 60 per cent of the total inflows during the first quarter of the financial year.
The government's move to tweak the long-term capital gains (LTCG) tax regime proposed in the Finance Bill 2024 and re-introduce the indexation benefit is likely to boost the investments and spur housing sales in the country, industry executives believe. "By enabling taxpayers to choose the lower tax burden between the new and old schemes, the amendment is poised to drive investment and enhance sales across housing segments," said Niranjan Hiranandani, chairman of the Hiranandani Group. In Budget 2024, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed an overhaul in the capital gains tax regime, including lowering the LTCG tax to 12.5 per cent from 20 per cent.
Rentals of prime offices in Bengaluru and Mumbai fell 8 per cent and 6.2 per cent, respectively, during January-March 2021 as compared to the year-ago period, according to a Knight Frank report. In its Asia-Pacific Prime Office Rental Index Q1, 2021 report, the consultant said the prime office rents in the national capital region (Delhi-NCR) declined by only 1 per cent during January-March this year as against the same period of 2020.
New Delhi slipped by two positions to rank 39th globally in terms of price appreciation of prime residential properties during the September quarter, according to Knight Frank. Mumbai ranked 40th, same as the June quarter, while Bengaluru moved up one spot to 42nd rank. New Delhi stood at the 37th rank, while Mumbai and Bengaluru were at 40th and 43rd positions, respectively, during the second quarter of 2021 calendar year. In its 'Prime Global Cities Index Q3 2021' report, Knight Frank tracked the movement in prime residential prices in local currency across 45-plus cities worldwide.
At 5 per cent, Mumbai is likely to witness the highest rise in residential prices in 2024, a report released on Wednesday said. New Zealand's Auckland will also see a price rise of 5 per cent. According to real estate consultancy Knight Frank's "Prime Global Cities Index", improving gross domestic product (GDP) figures, Mumbai's relative value and investment in infrastructure will be the prime influencers in pushing prices higher for the luxury housing market in the city.
Nearly 9 out of 10 ultra-high-net-worth individuals in India saw an increase in wealth during in 2022, and the super rich expect their wealth to grow further this year, according to a Knight Frank survey. In its latest 'The Wealth Report: Outlook 2023', real estate consultant Knight Frank has revealed the findings of the global survey. Among Indian respondents, the consultant said 88 per cent saw a rise in UHNWI's (ultra-high-net-worth individuals) wealth in 2022.
Registration of housing properties in the Mumbai municipal region increased 35 per cent year-on-year to 7,556 units during this month on rising demand, according to Knight Frank. The registrations for September 2021 were 87 per cent higher compared to the pre-pandemic period of September 2019. "Mumbai BMC region (Churchgate to Dahisar and Colaba to Mulund) recorded its best September month performance. Recording 35 per cent YoY growth in property registrations in September 2021, 7,556 units is a 10-year best performance in the month of September," Knight Frank said in a statement.
The number of ultra-high net worth individuals (UHNWIs) in India is expected to rise 58.4 per cent in the next five years from 12,069 in 2022 to 19,119 in 2027, a report by property consultancy Knight Frank said on Wednesday. In its "The Wealth Report 2023", Knight Frank said that the number of Indian UHNWIs, with a net worth of $30 million or above, fell 7.5 per cent in 2022 due to economic slowdown, rate hikes, appreciation of the US dollar and geopolitical uncertainties. Globally, the number of UHNWIs fell 3.8 per cent in 2022 compared to 2021.
The registration of residential properties in Mumbai fell 42 per cent in April to 10,136 units as compared with the previous month, as fresh demand was affected due to the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and expiry of the reduced stamp duty period, according to Knight Frank India. The fall would have been steeper as over 90 per cent of the registrations were of the properties on which the stamp duties were already paid by the homebuyers before April 1 in order to avail lower stamp duties. From September 2020 to March 2021, the Maharashtra government reduced the stamp duty by 2-3 per cent to boost housing demand amid the pandemic.
India ranks 51st in annual appreciation in housing prices with a 2.1 per cent rise in rates during the October-December quarter of the last year, according to property consultant Knight Frank. In its latest research report titled 'Global House Price Index - Q4 2021,' Knight Frank said that India has climbed up five spots to the 51st rank in Q4 of 2021 against the 56th rank in Q4 of 2020. Turkey witnessed the highest annual price growth rate by 59.6 per cent in the year to Q4 2021, followed by New Zealand (22.6 per cent), Czech Republic (22.1 per cent), Slovakia (22.1 per cent) and Australia (21.8 per cent).
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.
The RBI's decision to hike the benchmark interest rate will make home loans costlier and affect housing sales, especially in affordable and mid-income segments, according to property consultants. The RBI on Wednesday hiked the key benchmark rate by 50 basis points. Property consultancy firms Anarock, Knight Frank India, JLL India, Colliers India, India Sotheby's International Realty and Investors Clinic said that the RBI's move was on the expected line to control inflation and this would result in an increase in interest rates on home loans.
'The inflection point that really happened in the sector was during the pandemic when buyers' perception changed towards consumption and that gave a trigger to pent-up demand with the increased affordability.'
The average housing prices declined by 2-7 per cent year-on-year during July-September in Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Chennai, Pune, Kolkata, and Ahmedabad on lower demand amid COVID-19 pandemic, according to Knight Frank India. Prices, however, increased in Bengaluru and Hyderabad by 3 per cent and 4 per cent, respectively, during July-September 2020 compared with the year-ago period. Chennai saw the maximum fall of 7 per cent, followed by Delhi-NCR and Pune at 5 per cent. Rates dipped 3 per cent each in Kolkata and Ahmedabad, while Mumbai witnessed 2 per cent price correction.
The sale of mid-segment homes in India has overtaken affordable ones in the first half of calendar year (CY) 2023, a report released on Tuesday showed. It is despite the increase in residential prices in all the major cities in India. The share of premium homes has also gone up during the period.
Housing prices may rise 5 per cent next year on improved demand, according to Knight Frank India. In its '2022 Outlook Report', the property consultant said: "While 2021 was mostly impacted by the volatility due to the pandemic, 2022 may prove to be a more stable year for the sector both for commercial as well as the residential sector." On the housing segment, the report said that sales momentum is expected to continue in 2022 as prospective homebuyers' preferences for bigger homes, better amenities, and attractive pricing will keep them interested to seal the deals.
Housing demand has breached pre-COVID levels with 92 per cent year-on-year growth in sales during July-September period units across eight major cities, mainly on the back of stable prices, very low mortgage rates, property consultant Knight Frank India said on Monday. Releasing its India Real Estate Update for Q3 (July-September quarter) of the 2021 calendar year, the consultant reported that housing sales increased to 64,010 units from 33,404 units in the same period last year. In the previous April-June quarter, 27,453 residential units were sold. "The total residential sales of the top eight markets under review during Q3 2021, reached 104 per cent of 2019 quarterly average," the consultant said, adding that sales have breached pre-COVID levels.
The average home prices in Mumbai have touched Rs 12,000 per sq ft
The RBI has lowered interest rates by 1.25 per cent since January.
As per a Knight Frank FICCI Naredco report, a majority 69% of the stakeholders say that the residential sales will remain tepid or may even go down further in the coming six months.
Housing sales across top eight cities rose 51 per cent last year, even as the office market continued to slump due to the Covid pandemic with gross leasing witnessing a 3 per cent fall, according to Knight Frank India. Housing sales increased to 232,903 units during last year, from 154,534 units in 2020, but demand was down 5 per cent from the 2019 pre-pandemic levels and 37 per cent lower than the 2011 peak numbers. In the office segment, the gross leasing of office space fell to 38.1 million square feet in 2021, from 39.4 million square feet in the previous year, due to the adverse impact of the second wave of the Covid pandemic.
Mumbai is expected to see the fastest rise in UHNWIs followed by Delhi.
The sentiment in the real estate industry turned optimistic during October-December 2020 and the outlook for the next six months is positive on the back of revival in demand for both residential and office properties, according to a survey by Knight Frank India-FICCI-Naredco. The 27th edition of 'Real Estate Sentiment Index Q4 2020 survey' of developers, banks, financial institutions and private equity players operating in the sector was released on Monday in a video-conference. As per the report, the 'Current Sentiments Score', for the first time in 2020, entered the optimistic zone at 54 points in Q4 (October-December) 2020, a significant jump of 14 points over the previous quarter.
Housing sales are likely to be hit, especially in affordable and mid-income categories, following the RBI's decision to hike repo rate, according to real estate developers and consultants. However, the impact of RBI's decision to raise the benchmark lending rate by 50 basis points to 5.40 per cent is expected to be for a short term, they added. This is the third consecutive rate hike after a 40 basis points and 50 basis points increase in May and June, respectively.
Roiled by the pandemic, home prices in India fell 3.6 per cent in December quarter 2020, pushing down its global ranking to the lowest 56th as compared to 43rd in the year-ago period, while Turkey continued to lead the tally, says a report. According to international property consultancy Knight Frank, India was the weakest-performing housing market in October-December last year with a decline of 3.6 per cent year-on-year in prices. The Knight Frank global house price index tracks the movement in mainstream residential prices across 56 countries and territories worldwide using official statistics.
Modi's demonetisation move has hit the real estate market in Delhi and Mumbai
Property registrations in Mumbai hit the 100,000-mark till November, marking a 10-year high as "demand enablers" like low prices and cheaper interest rates lure people to buy homes in India's financial capital. The previous 10-year high was 80,746 units in 2018. November 2021 recorded property sale registrations of 7,582 units: an 18 per-cent decline compared to same month last year (YoY) when stamp duty rate was at its lowest level of two per cent, said property consultant Knight Frank India, quoting data from the Maharashtra government's Department of Registrations and Stamps. Compared to October or a month-on-month (MoM) basis, registrations are lower by 12 per cent.
Knight Frank and Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors in their report said that 10 million homes will be delivered by 2022 as targeted by the government.
Housing sales fell 37 per cent year-on-year during the 2020 calendar year while gross office space leasing declined 35 per cent on low demand because of the coronavirus pandemic, but demand improved significantly in the last quarter to cross pre-COVID level, property consultant Knight Frank India said on Wednesday. In its 'India Real Estate - Residential and Office Update H2 2020' report released on Wednesday, the consultant reported that sales of residential properties fell 37 per cent to 154,534 units in 2020 across eight cities as compared with 245,861 units in the previous year.
Leasing of office spaces witnessed a sharp uptick in the July-September period at 12.5 million square feet across top eight cities on better demand, especially from the IT sector, with economy coming back to normalcy and corporate workforces slowly returning to work from office, according to Knight Frank India. The gross absorption of office space stood at 4.7 million square feet in the corresponding period of the previous year and 3.6 million square feet in the previous quarter, according to Knight Frank's India Real Estate Update - Q3 2021 that was released on Monday through a video conference. The consultant noted that the total office transactions of the eight India markets in Q3 2021 have improved and reached 83 per cent of the 2019 quarterly average level.
Despite being election year, Indian ultra HNIs are more optimistic of the country's growth journey and expect wealth to increase in the year 2019.
Consolidation is happening because of a prolonged slowdown in residential sales which has also brought down the business of brokerages.
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