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Introducing the 2021 India Office CRE Matrix Quarterly Report: New Research on Key Players Gradually Returning to Office and its Impact on the Economy

Even though the pandemic had a huge impact on India’s rising office segment with occupiers cutting back on spaces, surprisingly, 2021 has showcased the return to normalcy; with essential occupiers going back to office. With the Omicron variant putting a break on the momentum in January 2022, there is immense faith that a powerful recovering economy and a strong advancement in India’s startup ecosystem are expected to move the growth trajectory upwards.

Our objective with the 2021 India Office CRE Matrix Quarterly Report is to share key insights into office demand, supply, rentals, vacancy of Grade A office spaces.

Key Takeaways from the 2021 India Office CRE Matrix Quarterly Report

As per the India Office Report Q4 CY’21, there has been an increased demand for office leasing, rise in office stock, stabilization of office vacancy, an increase in rentals, and continued job growth in the startups space.

The insights make it clear that even though a complete ‘Return to Office’ was not achieved, there were significant strides that were taken. Thanks to the rise in digitization across all sectors and the increase in vaccination numbers along with milder symptoms of new variant, there is hope that office demand in 2022 may revert back to pre-Covid levels.

  • Office leasing in India observed a magnificent recovery. The last quarter of 2021 witnessed 12.1 msf of office demand. Interestingly, this was nearly 80% of the demand viewed in Q4 2019 (pre-Covid). On a yearly basis, the demand rose to 30% as opposed to CY’20.
  • Industries who made the most demand on office leasing continued to be Tech (startups and IT/ITeS majors), BFSI as well as Co-working segments. They contributed nearly 58% to office demand in 2021 and 63% in the last quarter.
  • New deliveries in Q4 2021 stood at 1.6% of the total present office stock and the entire year of 2021 added 6.2% to existing office stock. Hyderabad and Bengaluru, with 10 million square feet apiece, delivered half of the total stock in 2021.
  • The office vacancy in India finished the year at 16.5% – approximately 210 basis points (bps) more when compared to the end of 2020. After witnessing nine quarters of increases, office vacancy is now steady and will probably reverse in 2022. Bengaluru and Chennai observed a decline in vacancy as opposed to Q3 2021. Overall, Chennai was the only city to see a drop in vacancy.
  • Grade A office spaces for rentals has seen a steady and gradual increase. Since market rents continue to more expensive than passing rents, we can safely say the pandemic-related concessions are behind us.
  • Job development in the Startups space is expected to continue growing and a complete ‘return to office’ is believed to happen by the end of Q2 2022, if not earlier.

Download the complete India Office Market Report Q4 for key insights and to understand how the economy is impacted thanks to players returning to office.

What CRE Matrix CEO Abhishek Kiran Gupta shared about the 2021 India Office CRE Matrix Quarterly Report

The world is dealing with the biggest public health crisis in recent history which poses immense challenges. While we do not expect it to disappear overnight, the economy has witnessed resurgence in the last year, particularly in the final quarter of 2021. There has never been a more significant time for the rise in demand for office leasing, especially after the kind of damage caused to the economy owing to the pandemic. Thanks to digitization across all sectors, we will most likely witness growth in office demand this year.”

About this Study

CRE Matrix has conducted this research based on authentic registered data collected across 6 major cities of India – MMR, NCR, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune and Chennai. We have also done extensive research for occupancy and upcoming supply with the help of our large feet on street team. Also, our interactions with key stakeholders in the commercial real estate sector has also helped us in understanding the current scenario and the upcoming trends in this segment.

Download the complete 2021 India Office CRE Matrix Quarterly Report here.

For more CRE industry insights and data research do Contact us.

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A 10-Step Guide to Becoming a Superstar Commercial Real Estate Broker in India

The Indian real estate market is quite diverse yet dynamic and competitive in nature, especially for real estate brokers. To carve a niche of success, it is quite imperative for brokers to understand the changing promotional scenarios of the developers and the preferences of clients. Having a knack to innovate and being open to new marketing ideas helps one to stay relevant and afloat in the market.

If you are looking forward to becoming a superstar commercial real estate broker, here is a 10-step guide:

1.   Network to increase your net worth:

Even though commercial real estate broking is a traditional profession, if you want to tap more opportunities and convert them into success, networking is the key. Be in constant touch with your fellow real estate agents inquiring them about the latest market updates along with some tips and tricks.

If you do not specialize in a certain kind of segment, pass on the lead to them asking for the commission percentage that can be mutually agreed upon. Attend project launches and events, meet new people and stay in touch with your old clients who have deep pockets to invest in real estate properties.

2.   Embrace digital technology:

As we mentioned earlier, the market is evolving at a very fast pace and you have to march ahead to set your cash registers ringing. Take optimum advantage of digital technology by building and having a constant online presence on various platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Google My Business and LinkedIn to reach directly to your target market.

Promote your brand along with the projects assigned at the reasonable cost involved with a digital presence.

3.   Be a consultant, not just an agent:

Rather than just weighing your prospect in commercial terms, go the extra mile and suggest to your client the property that will best suit his or her taste and requirement. This will help you build long term relationships and instill trust in the mind of your clients.

4.   Be transparent:

It is very crucial to be transparent in all your dealings with the developer as well as the client to close the deal in an efficient manner. You will have to be very crystal clear in all of your communication with all the parties involved to win their acute level of trust beating the competition in the market.

5.   Gain your expertise:

As we discussed earlier, the market of Indian real estate is quite diverse and versatile having a pie for everyone. But it is necessary for you to find your area of expertise, be it commercial or residential and further segregate it between luxury, mid-segment or affordable segments. This way, you will be renowned within the market and industry as a whole.

6.   Never forget your old clients:

Now, this is very crucial and important as your old clients as your best brand ambassadors. If you have catered for them well, they will surely recommend your name within their social circle making you earn more referrals.

7.   Gather market insights:

There are new project launches as well as new norms getting framed on a constant basis. It is significant to keep your eyes and ears open to find out what’s happening in and around your domain as developers and clients also look up to you as an industry expert.

8.   Ask for referrals:

Never shy away to ask for referrals from your existing clients. It will help you to network and grow your business within an environment that is ever competitive and dynamic in nature.

9.  Go an extra mile:

Always go the extra mile to offer excellent customer service to your clients. It can be gifting a small present on the occasion of their housewarming or helping with the contact numbers of plumbers and other technicians that will ease out their domestic chores.

10. Build a brilliant team:

With gradual growth and success, you will need more minds and hands to help you. Over a period of time, build a brilliant and efficient team that will help you accomplish your business objectives.

Even though the real estate brokerage business is traditional, it is evolving at a quick pace and is an integral part of the industry. If you think that it is the right match for your professional life, dive into it.

For more CRE industry insights and data research do Contact us.

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How Indian Family Offices Can Leverage Real Estate Analytics

What is a family office? It is a private wealth management service provided to ultra-high net worth investors to concentrate and control over family finances, legal issues, tax, and administration matters. It is believed to be an outsourced solution to regulate the financial and investment dealings of people or families. It operates to offer an optimal solution for developing, maintaining, and transferring family wealth. 

A family investment vehicle or family office is considered to be either a single-family office or a multi-family office. A single-family office backs one family but a multi-family office supports at least two families. Family Offices are growing in India as the country has new billionaires every year. There have been approximately 100 Family Offices that have come up in the past decade or so. 

For quite some time, real estate investing was propelled completely by speculation, educated guesses, and gut feeling. This is why investors kept repeating the same mistakes many times. While risk cannot be fully eradicated, real estate data analytics lets people make informed decisions about lucrative investments, thereby reducing the risk greatly. Today, real estate analytics can be used to increase wealth and enhance their competitive advantage. 

Let’s look at the ways Indian family offices can leverage real estate analytics:

Location

Data analytics provide significant insights into the existing trends in real estate investment. Locations can be evaluated based on factors like traffic congestions, school ratings, quality of life, and crime rates. Moreover, real estate data can aid in assessing how lucrative a location will be when it comes to occupancy prices, average rental income, and even the ROI of the area. 

Being able to zero in on the most optimal locations swiftly lets Indian family offices remain one step ahead of the competition in seeking rental properties. It also saves them the hassle of conducting prolonged searches via traditional research approaches. 

Pricing 

Whether a family office is interested in either selling or buying, price optimization is critical for building wealth in real estate. Indian family offices need to comprehend the market they are operating within to make the best possible pricing decisions. 

Quicker and More Precise Appraisals 

Acquiring an appraisal is very significant before purchasing or selling an investment property. Real estate data analytics offers a lot of details about sales for comparable properties in the same area. Investment property analysis makes it effortless for valuators to deliver price estimations swiftly to family offices. 

Commercial Trends 

Commercial real estate investment is generally more large-scale and complex as compared to residential property investment. Thus, investing profitably in the commercial property needs detailed and comprehensive real estate data analytics on consumer trends. It will help family offices make a more informed decision. 

Competition Analysis 

Real estate data analytics can help family offices assess the performance of their competitors who are in the real estate industry. Which firms are believed to be the most trustworthy? Who is selling the most? What consumer rating do they have? What kind of promotional techniques are they using? Family offices can also make use of data analytics for profits, sales figures, and customer reviews to evaluate their performance.

Tenant Targeting 

Using predictive real estate data analytics, family offices can help decide who their tenants will be in the following years. Data analysis makes it more effortless for family offices to target their marketing properly. 

Real estate markets are believed to be unstable, complex, and always in charge. Thus, Indian family offices would benefit from real estate data analytics to make intelligent investment selections and increase their return on investment. Thanks to data analysis, family offices can accurately assess where and when to invest, as well as decide the appropriate value of properties. 

For more CRE industry insights and data research do Contact us.

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Lease Rental Discounting in Commercial Real Estate Lending – What it is and Why it is Growing in India

The market for real estate is massive in India. This industry is believed to generate the second-highest employment, after the agriculture domain. It is also estimated that this industry will acquire more non-resident Indian (NRI) investment, both short-term as well as on a long-term basis. Among the metropolitan cities, Bengaluru is projected to be the most preferred property destination for NRIs, followed by Ahmedabad, Pune, Chennai, Goa, Delhi, and Dehradun.

BKC as CBD

With a growing market, top banks in India are introducing Lease Rental Discounting (LRD) for commercial real estate firms in India. Let’s take a look at what LRD is and why it has become popular in India:

What is Lease Rental Discounting (LRD)?

Lease Rental Discounting (LRD) is a tool that is used to get loans sanctioned from banks by making use of rental receipts as collateral. The bank will inspect the long-term cash flow and offer the loan based on the same amount. The loan is then owed by the rents promised. 

Variables Considered by Bank When Offering Loan

To assess if you’re eligible for Lease Rental Discounting (LRD), the bank will examine numerous elements which comprise of:

• Worth of your property
• Your position to repay
• Other possessions you own
• Liabilities that could happen

How does Lease Rental Discounting (LRD) Run?

Lease Rental Discounting (LRD) loans function on the basis of rental properties being owed a fixed amount of rent. Tenants agree to a lease agreement with the owner of the property. This arrangement commands a regular payment, referred to as rent. The property owner can make use of rental receipts that are made for the lease period as collateral while requesting a loan. 

This procedure is streamlined as rent and is dispatched directly to the bank as EMI instead of reaching the owner. Every bank has its own condition when it comes to the amount of the loan against property. But, on average, you can acquire up to 70% of the property estimate in the loan amount. 

Why is it Growing in India?

The popularity for Lease Rental Discounting (LRD) has been rising in India because the price at which commercial property developers borrow loans making use of rental receipts from lease contracts as collateral – have gone as low as 6.5% below this decade due to the surplus liquidity with banks that faced issues in dispatching credit during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Overall, the rates for Lease Rental Discounting (LRD) have dropped up to 200 bases points in the last 18-24 months. According to real estate fund managers and investment bankers of India, for the first time in several years, they have gone beneath the capitalization (cap) rate in the nation. 

Benefits of Lease Rental Discounting (LRD)

Expansion of Business

This property owner can go ahead and further invest in property by making use of the loan sanction from Lease Rental Discounting (LRD). 

Tax Benefits 

Tax deductions are available by possessing additional property. 

Balanced Cash Outflow

The borrower can gain from a balanced cash flow as EMIs can be repaid using the rent money payable by tenants. The money received in a loan offers additional revenue via investments. 

Low Capital Expenditure 

The capital acquired from the bank loan significantly aids in decreasing personal expenditure when spending on more businesses or properties. 

For more CRE industry insights and data research do Contact us.

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5 Major Forces that will Drive Commercial Real Estate Industry in India in 2022

In 2021, there has been a tremendous development in residential and commercial real estate in India. The market was already growing as the requirement for residential apartments and plots rose post nationwide lockdown. The property rates observed a huge increase in demand and prices per square foot.

commercial real estate

Apart from commercial areas that tailor to the daily or weekly needs of the residents, the corporate world has started to convey interest in mounting operations, thanks to enhancements in connectivity and anticipated economic development.

We could witness further liquidity transferred into commercial real estate this year. It is believed that the year 2022 will see a growing surge for appropriate workspaces, freehold commercial and residential properties, and new concepts that will increase returns for investors. 

As we go deeper into 2022, here are a couple of forces that will push the commercial real estate industry in India.

Residential Property Market is Expected to Rise

After an extended duration of dropping and then stabilizing, residential property rates are possibly expected to begin rising again. Approximately 5% capital value growth has been estimated for the residential property segment in India in 2022. 

Several of the supply and demand-side factors are taken into consideration and evaluated over the last decade. This drive is projected to continue in 2022 as potential homebuyers’ preferences for larger residences, improved facilities, and lucrative pricing will help seal the deals. 

Foreign Investment is Estimated to Push this Sector

Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) will continue to be a significant development driver, and the same is valid in the case of the real estate players as well. Indian real estate has managed to draw a huge amount of foreign moolah, particularly in the residential market. With RERA assuring transparency and laws permitting 100% FDI in construction, Indian real estate is observing pointed investment infusions from NRIs. 

Property Rates Projected to Rise

In 2020, approximately 1.38 lakh housing units were sold. When you pit it against the previous peak in 2014, this was considered to be a rock bottom of 60%. Nevertheless, between January and September 2021, 1.45 lakh units were sold. There was a 5% surge in sales in 2020. 

Increase in Demand for Co-working Spaces

In 2020, there was significant growth in office closures and a swift shift in ubiquitous remote employment globally. This trend carried on in 2021. However, as the vaccines started rolling out, people slowly returned to their workplaces. Thanks to the pandemic, firms have had to spend time and money investing in digital abilities to let employees work from home. 

Businesses are seeking new working approaches while allowing workplace flexibility to make sure that profitability balances well with employee well-being. The most obvious development has been the surge of a hybrid workforce across an array of workspace choices, including flexible offices. 

Growing Demand for Data Centers

The massive digital push generated by the COVID-19 pandemic has been lucrative for data centers which could still offer an approximate 15% rental yield. Firms started to modify their digital infrastructure to cater to the new work environment instantly after India went into lockdown due to the pandemic, thereby leading to a 25-35% increase in data center capacity. 

The year 2022 is also believed to observe an increase in SCO (shop-cum-office-space) concept development. These SCO plots will assist entrepreneurs to develop their business concepts by owning a commercial space at moderately placed prices with advanced amenities. Sharp investors can witness the benefits of a well-equipped setting that backs retail or office in a favorable market. Mixed-use commercial spaces will help investors in expanding their risk in the investment portfolio by making the most of the new evolving idea. 

For more CRE industry insights and data research do Contact us.