Indian Real Estate Investment: Do not Ignore The Data..!

Mr. Om Ahuja JLLIndia

 By Mr. Om Ahuja, Jones Lang LaSalle India

Being euphoric about one's residential real estate investments may sound fairly justified.

While intending buyers decry the rapid rise in real estate prices, investors are on Cloud Nine. It is actually quite interesting to note how the same people who first complained about how expensive homes in India have become go on to exult about how nicely their properties are appreciating once they have bought them.

Human Psychology Point..!

This fact is quite interesting from a human psychology point of view – however, we are not discussing psychology but real estate. The simple fact is that investment into residential real estate is today the wisest route that a retail investor can take.

Most people do not ask for relevant statistics or / a comparative analysis of real estate against other asset classes. Nobody denies that hope, faith and belief are our ultimate assets, but investment into assets like gold, silver, real estate, equity, bonds and mutual funds should be done with the head as well as the heart.

Show Me The Data..!

When it comes to equities, bonds, commodities & currencies, one can rely on global trends & domestic data to take investment decisions.

Decoding data and trends into an investment strategy is the very basis of success in all asset classes. However, when it comes to real estate - the largest & most preferred investment asset class in India - smaller investors seem to rely almost exclusively on hope, faith & belief.

The information available to such buyers in India is usually fragmented, and its reliability for providing indications on ROI comparable to that of a satellite's monsoon predictions.

Data points are crucial, but they become relevant only when they are backed by ground intelligence and based on multiple parameters.

 For instance, an interesting picture emerges when one considers how India's young population is driving the consumption story. This story has, in fact, been driving most of the domestic business sectors for the whole of the last decade.

In this light, let us consider the automobile market, which is certainly 'driven' by young, aspirational and demanding consumers. There are striking points of comparison between the automobile & real estate sectors. Volumes, features and price points are key similarities in both.

Sales in both sectors depend on the right sizes, configurations and price tags of the products. A reduction in the cost of borrowing - read interest rates on loans - has a direct impact on the buying patterns and trends in both sectors.

Over Supply & Low absorption..!

Most research reports highlight factors such as over-supply and low absorption. Many find this worrying and take a cautious approach. Volume and supply trends differ from location to location, and market trends vary between cities.

In other words, there is no way to generalize when it comes to property investment viability.

Cities with a high level of job creation continue to see high volumes of real estate supply and absorption. Cities with few or / no economic drivers to spur the growth of employment fall behind, no matter what other factors seem to work in their favour.

Earlier, Mumbai & Delhi attracted the most talent from rural areas. Today, cities like Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune & Gurgaon have taken lead positions and are all set to overtake Mumbai and Delhi.

New Real Estate Propositions..!

IT - centric cities like Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune - and to an extent Chennai - are now emerging as whole new real estate propositions. IT companies there are expanding their campuses dramatically.

Recently, WIPRO announced the imminent launch of their new facility and headquarters of approximately 25 lakh square feet in Bangalore.

This facility will augment their existing campus, which already employs above 31,000 people. Trends and data points suggest that dynamics in these cities will be very different in the next few years.

With inflation & construction costs moving northwards, the price trends are changing dramatically.

The graph clearly indicates that supply trends in real estate have are in a state of flux. The supply of products priced below Rs. 3,000 square feet. is reducing markedly. From 43 per cent  in Q4 of 2009, supply in this segment will come down to 8 per cent in Q4 2013. Meanwhile, supply in the price range of Rs. 5,000 to 10,000 per square feet. is expanding.

On the surface, aspirational and affordability levels are driving such trends. However, smart residential property investors will identify the right products priced below Rs. 4,000 per square feet. in key growth cities as a best options. 

In cities such as Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune and Gurgaon, one can still find good projects in this price segment for long-term investments and appreciation.

Value of Money..!

The time-related value of money and inflation are two key parameters that one needs to take into consideration. A careful study of the graph above and factors in the growing population, it is easy to see that intelligent investments into residential real estate in India will definitely pay off over the middle to long term.

About the author...!

Mr. Om Ahuja is  CEO - Residential Services at Jones Lang LaSalle India

Om Ahuja CEO – Residential Services Ph: +91 22 6620 7575 om.ahuja@ap.jll.com

                                               

Media Contact..!

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Jones Lang Lasalle India

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