2019 was a relatively challenging year for Indian real estate, which faced a slowdown in the sector. Nevertheless, the recession made Indian developers aware of where they stand and the drawbacks are to blame. As a result, industry experts expected, in 2020, to adapt to several changes in terms of preference, demographics, technology and policies, in a bid to boost buyer sentiment and promote affordable housing sales.

Even with the slowdown in the sector, sales showed some signs of improvement in Q3 and Q4 of FY19, due to redemptions made by developers in their product offering, based on an understanding of consumer demand. New age developments are more suitable for millennial, which are actually the target group of many affordable housing developers,” says Dinesh Doshi, Managing Committee Member, CREDAI MCHI, Raigad.

Top Realty Trends in 2020

Real estate to operate the end user

The market is becoming increasingly end user driven. “While the number of real estate investors is already small, this segment is shrinking further. In the coming year, it seems that almost all of the demand will come from end users, with the supply of products targeted primarily to them, says Mayur Shah, Managing Director, Marathon Realty.

Demand to increase compact housing, co-working and commercial space

The demand for 'compact housing' is likely to increase a great deal across the country. In different regions, homes whose price is right have the potential to elicit good feedback from consumers. Developers will address this challenge, going further,” says Shah. The healthy demand for co-working spaces seen in 2019 is likely to continue until 2020. The growth of the commercial real estate segment, which is attracting foreign investments, will also help in improving the economy.

Heavy Dependence Technology

New-age customers rely heavily on technology and social media as they enter the housing market. Thus, it will become imperative for developers to adopt and leverage technology, to engage with customers, to enhance the experience at every point of view and to create positive perceptions about the field. Adoption of technology will also increase efficiency, quality and transparency, which will lead to change in the sector, ” he explains.

Challenges facing real estate in 2020

The industry is seeking support from the government, to overcome some challenges and to emerge from the recession. While the government has taken several steps so far, continuous reforms are necessary in many key areas.

· Industry status and single-window clearances

· Funding from banks

· Financial bailout

· GST burden and input tax credits

· High stamp duty charges

· Home loan interest rates