Tenant news to rejoice about! The April-June quarter saw an average price correction of 5-10% in Bengaluru’s rental housing market

Bengaluru’s rental housing market saw an average price correction of 5-10% during the April-June quarter of the current calendar year, according to local brokers who spoke with HT.com. This news should cheer up tenants in the city. The primary reasons for this are the large number of tenants who have relocated to the city’s outskirts, where new housing stock is available at lower rental prices than in desirable neighborhoods, and the growth of co-living options, which provide better value for the money.

The second quarter of the year usually sees an increase in rental activity due to several factors, including families moving before the start of the new school year, a new wave of professionals moving into the city, and so forth.

The price correction is the result of several factors. According to Manoj Agarwal, founder of Agarwal Estates, “many tenants  are shifting to the outskirts of the city where rents are lower compared to the prime areas surrounding IT corridors given a more specific hybrid work culture in place.”

He continued, “The average vacancy rate in his portfolio of rental properties throughout the city has increased to 5% from the previous 2-3%.

With a decline in rental rates of more than 10%, the trend was most noticeable in areas bordering the IT corridors, such as Whitefield in East Bengaluru and Sarjapur Road. According to a local brokerage firm, a 1 BHK apartment rented out for Rs28,000 per month in the first quarter of the year is currently rented for Rs 25,000.

However, data from prop-tech company  Square Yards revealed that a 750-1,175 square foot, 2BHK that was previously available for between Rs 28,900 and 45,200 per month is now listed for a rental cost between Rs 33,600 and 40,300.

Property consultants saw less evidence of this trend shift in the areas surrounding the central business districts. They added that contrary to standalone Grade B buildings, rents in Grade A projects built by well-known brands have decreased less. 

Multiple justifications

Vice president of Hanu Reddy Realty Kiran Kumar noted that the previous modification also addresses Bengaluru’s growing inventory levels as developers counter the city’s real estate demand surge. 

In Bengaluru, 12,432 residential units were introduced in the June quarter of 2024, an 8% yearly increase, according to a Knight Frank India report. 14,271 units were sold then, an 11% increase from the previous year. According to brokers, many purchasers who reserved their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic are now getting their possession.

According to Saurabh Garg, co-founder and chief business officer of proptech unicorn NoBroker, “Bengaluru’s rental market is returning to normalcy this year.”

Other participants noted that the number of co-living options in the city has also reduced the share of the rental housing market. This quarter, Kumar predicts a further 10% decline in rent, especially in the city’s periphery. 

Trends in Q2 2024

Bengaluru had the highest rental yield (4.5%) in the first quarter of 2024 out of the top 7 Indian cities, according to a report from a real estate consulting firm.

A property’s rental yield is the proportion of its total value that is rented out earned in rental over a year.

Rents have risen by over 40% in some prime areas of the city after the COVID-19 pandemic as workers returned to work and landlords attempted to recover annual price increases lost. 

How are the landlords reacting?

 It is common to refer to Bengaluru as a landlord’s market. They have recently gained notoriety due to a number of their unusual demands. Nevertheless, they appear to take note of the changing tide.

“In Bengaluru, landlords are starting to recognize that tenants do not want to pay exorbitant rent.

A local broker said, “Instead of keeping the property empty for months while searching for the perfect tenant, we suggest they reduce the rent slightly.”

In a recent instance, a landlord in East Bengaluru’s Indiranagar locality, who had originally hoped to receive Rs1.20 lakh/ month for his 4 BHK apartment, revised the rental amount to Rs 1 lakh, the person cited. 

Do rents still stay the same?

While local brokers reported a drop in overall rentals and rising for properties on the outskirts, some stakeholders insisted that prices have stayed steady.

According to data from Square Yards, and the integrated prop-tech platform, a 950-1,200 square feet 2BHK in Electronic City is currently available for Rs 32,600-41,400 per month during the first quarter of 2024. The original price was Rs 32,500 – 40,800. In the meantime, the monthly rental cost of a one-bedroom apartment that was previously available for Rs 21,000 -22,100 is now Rs 21,900– 23,000. 

By 2030, Bengaluru will possess 330-340 million square feet of office space in India: report

The primary demand generators for Bengaluru’s office market are anticipated to be the technology, engineering, manufacturing, and BFSI sectors. 

The Confederation of Indian Industry and CBRE report projects that Bengaluru, the country’s IT hub, will maintain its dominant position in its commercial real estate market by 2030, with 330-340 million square feet of office stock.

Bengaluru has seen its office stock more than double to over 223 million square feet as of June 2024, from 100 million square feet in 2013, to comprise the highest share in the segment among all major cities in the country, according to a report titled “Karnataka Horizon: Navigating Real Estate Excellence in the South,” which was released on July 10.

The total stock in India as of June 2024 was 880.7 million square feet, with Bengaluru contributing the most at 25%, according to the report. It also stated that over the previous few years, the city’s annual absorption of roughly 15016 million square feet had occurred on average.

Bengaluru is anticipated to grow significantly in the periphery over the next few years. According to Anshuman Magazine, Chairman and CEO-India, South-East Asia, Middle East and Africa, CBRE India, “the commercial sector is slated to expand significantly in the northern, eastern, and southern parts coupled with the availability of large-sized land parcels and multiple upcoming infrastructure initiatives.”

Which sectors are driving demand?

Technology, engineering and manufacturing, and BFSI are predicted to be the main sectors driving demand for Bengaluru’s office market until 2030. Emerging sectors like life sciences, aviation, and automobile are also anticipated to contribute to the rise in demand.

According to the report, the technology sector currently makes up 30-35% of the city’s annual absorption, mostly in the commercial centers of Outer Ring Road and Whitefield.

According to the report, between 2022 and June 2024, Bengaluru accounted for 41% of demand among India’s global capability centers (GCCs). It attributed this achievement to several of Garden City’s offerings, such as its highly qualified talent pool, first-rate Grade-A assets, and a robust  IT ecosystem.

Karnataka’s thriving IT sector needs to keep developing if it wants to stay competitive. According to Ram Chandani, Managing Director of Advisory and Transactions Services at CBRE India, “developing premium, sustainable tech spaces with cutting-edge facilities will be the key.”

Shailendra Naidu, a senior executive director of advisory and transaction services at CBRE, lists a few of the market’s long-term challenges ease of doing business, the high cost of land, and effective space utilization. “Many development companies in this area use joint ventures to purchase land. In that model, there can be challenges going ahead,” he said.

Home goods, fashion, and entertainment drive demand in the retail sector.

Bengaluru’s retail real estate stock, which held the second-highest share among the top Indian cities at 24%, more than doubled to over 16 million square feet as of June from 7.2 million square feet in 2013, according to the report. According to the research, this measure will rise to 20-30 million square feet by 2030, a 1.4-fold increase.

According to the report, the main drivers of absorption in Bengaluru’s retail market are department stores, fashion and apparel stores, and entertainment. Together, these segments account for roughly 20-30% of the city’s annual demand. According to the statement, the capital city’s average yearly absorption in this sector is between 1.5 and 2 million square feet.

As per the report, Bengaluru is a high-achieving city that houses three of the 17 listed malls in the country.  

Bengaluru is the top option for Indian non-residents looking to buy mid-range and affordable homes

Data gathered from several consulting firms by HT Digital indicated that Bengaluru has maintained its position as the top option for non-resident Indians wishing to invest in India’s residential real estate market, particularly those seeking affordable and mid-segment homes. 

The main draws for this group of homebuyers are the city’s pleasant weather, rising property values, cosmopolitan culture, high rental yields, and a bustling commercial district. 

Though most non-resident Indians are drawn to the region for investment opportunities, the IT capital market is driven by end users regarding sales among domestic homebuyers.

According to Shalin Raina, Managing Director, Residential Services, Cushman & Wakefield, the data about NRI home purchases in Bengaluru shows that 35% of the transactions are for end-use, and 65% of the deals are for investment purposes. 

Prooptech unicorn Among its NRI clientele, NoBroker reported a  60:40 split in favor of investing. 

Developers and consultants noted that most of these purchases are the second or third additions to the portfolios owned by non-resident Indians.

“Principal Partner and Sales Director of SquareYards.com, Sharad Sharma, added that NRIs are displaying interest in senior living communities and plots, broadening their investment portfolio beyond apartments.” 

From and to where exactly? 

The US, UAE, and Singapore are the top three regions influencing demand from non-resident Indian buyers for the real estate projects developed by Bengaluru-based developers Concorde and Brigade.

NRI buyers account for 10% of our sales on average. “These sales occur either in India when the NRIs visit India or abroad during our events, or through our international team’s outreach,” says Viswa Prathap Desu, COO of Residential, Brigade Group. 

According to Saurabh Garg, co-founder and chief business officer of  NoBroker, the NRI clientele prefers to invest in reputable brand projects and high-demand rental areas, typically near IT corridors. 

He mentioned that popular areas for NRI investors were Kanakapura Road in the southern part of the city, Thanisandra in the north, and Whitefield and Sarjapur Road in East Bengaluru.

According to NoBroker data, the average price of a property currently ranges between Rs 9,000 and Rs 12,000 per square foot in these areas.

Others mentioned the proximity to the airport, the presence of Grade A developers, and the reasonably priced real estate in Hebbal and Devenahalli as reasons why they are desirable choices for NRIs.

According to the report, more than 55% of purchasers also sign up for property management services at the time of purchase.

What draws in this particular group of clients?

Developers and property consultancies shared that, contrary to popular belief, NRIs purchasing real estate in the IT capital have demonstrated, NRIs purchasing real estate in the IT capital have demonstrated a greater preference for mid-range and affordable homes.

Approximately 69% of the NRI transactions made possible by SquareYards.com involved affordable and mid-range housing, which includes apartments under Rs 1 crore. According to Ravi Shankar Singh, Managing Director, Residential Transaction Services, Colliers India, 70% of the unit level demand for real estate consultancy Colliers has been in the range of Rs 1.5 to 2 crore.

Brigade Group’s Desu claims that the class of NRI workers in the clerical and administrative fields is the main source of demand in the affordable and mid segments. With their savings, these workers purchase a 2BHK or a small 3 BHK apartment, which they can either move into when they return to India or use as a rental.

However, C-suite executives like villas and the mid-segment draw techies who typically choose a 3BHK, according to Kranti Alladi, Head of Sales and Marketing at Concorde.

Two main depressants are poor infrastructure and heavy traffic. 

The city’s traffic problems and infrastructural problems have been the biggest deterrents for NRI investors, despite Bengaluru’s strong demand and high rental yields helping the city dominate its choices.

“One of the primary deterrents for NRI property purchases in Bengaluru is traffic congestion, which has been consistently identified as a significant concern,” said Rana.

Others concurred. “Purchasing a home in an establishment is another barrier. However, finding inventory at their preferred location presents a challenge, as noted by Garg of NoBroker. 

Across the nation, NRI’s interest in the housing market is growing.

In North India, the tale is the same. Approximately 14% of DLF’s total sales in the fiscal year 2022-2023 came from NRI investors, with the GCC, USA, UK, and Singapore contributing significantly to the company’s sales exceeding  Rs 2,000 crore. DLF is based in Gurgaon. It anticipates a 20% increase in this fiscal year.

25% of sales (or about Rs 1,800 crore) for the company’s most recent project, DLF Privana South, came from NRI markets, with the US and Canada, Southeast Asia, and the GCC making major contributions. Aakash Ohri, Joint Managing Director and Chief Business Officer, of DLF Home Developers Ltd., told Hindustan Times Digital from Africa, particularly from Tanzania and Kenya, showed interest in the project.