- Of approximately 1.14 lakh units sold across the top 7 cities in Q1 2023, over 41% of new housing supply was fresh launches; in the same period 2019, of approximately 78,520 units sold, 26% were newly launched.
- Among the top cities, Hyderabad saw highest absorption of fresh supply – of approximately 14,280 units sold in Q1 2023, 46% was in fresh launches while in 2019 the share was just 28% (of total 5,400 units sold)
- At 30%, NCR had the lowest share of fresh supply absorption out of total 17,160 units sold in Q1 2023
- End-user confidence in branded supply aside, increasing fresh supply absorption also indicates rising investor activity
While ready-to-move-in homes still top the wish list of most home seekers in the top 7 cities, newly launched units are gaining increasing acceptance. This traction has been building up ever since branded developers started cornering the fresh supply market with projects that elicit buyer confidence and have all the features they seek. Latest ANAROCK Research data shows that out of approximately 1.14 lakh sold in Q1 2023 across the top 7 cities, over 41% of new housing supply was in newly launched projects.
Notably, the sales share of newly launched homes was much lower in the corresponding period of 2019, when just 26 per cent of approximately 78,520 sold homes were in new projects. In Q1 2022, of approximately 99,550 units sold in the top 7 cities, 36 per cent were launched during the same quarter.
Among the top 7 cities, Hyderabad accounted for the highest sales share of new units. Of approximately 14,280 units sold there in Q1 2023, 46 per cent were launched in the same period. NCR saw the lowest absorption of newly launched homes – of 17,160 units sold in Q1 2023, just 30 per cent were launched during the quarter. The remaining units sold were in projects launched before Q1 2023. However, NCR has seen a remarkable change in the given period.
For the longest time, ready-to-move-in homes remained in the highest favour with homebuyers because of the previously abysmal project completion track record in many areas of the country. This is now changing; under-construction homes in new launches are increasingly finding takers, though ready-to-move homes retain the top demand slot.
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There are two reasons for this. Firstly, much of the new supply is by well-funded branded developers who will comply with RERA regulations and complete their projects as per schedule. In Q1 2023, of 1.14 lakh new units launched in the top 7 cities, the branded vs non-branded developer share ratio stood at 59:41 while back in 2015, it was the reverse at 41:59. Secondly, investors are back on the housing market. Early-stage under-construction homes offer the kind of cost arbitrage that makes residential real estate attractive to investors, who has largely given housing a miss over the last 3-4 years. It is a heartening trend for the residential market in the remaining 2023.
This trend bears watching, as it has strong mid-to-long-term implications for the Indian residential property market. While the return of investors is positive for overall sales, an end-user-driven market helps keep prices in check. Accelerated investor activity has historically led to unreasonable price hikes which eventually throttled back the overall housing market growth story.
City-wise Absorption Trends
At 30 per cent, NCR saw the lowest sales share of newly launched units in Q1 2023. Another city with a comparatively low fresh supply absorption share is Kolkata at 32 per cent. Interestingly, MMR, which saw the second lowest absorption of newly-launched units in Q1 2019 with a 24 per cent share, saw its sales share of new units jump to 40 per cent in Q1 2023.
| Q1 2023 | Q1 2019 | |||
| City | Total Units Sold | % Share of New Launch Absorption | Total Units Sold | % Share of New Launch Absorption |
| NCR | 17,160 | 30 | 13,740 | 21 |
| MMR | 34,690 | 40 | 24,010 | 24 |
| Bangalore | 15,660 | 43 | 15,580 | 28 |
| Pune | 19,920 | 45 | 12,340 | 35 |
| Hyderabad | 14,280 | 46 | 5,400 | 28 |
| Chennai | 5,880 | 41 | 3,430 | 29 |
| Kolkata | 6,190 | 38 | 4,020 | 24 |
| Total | 1,13,780 | 41 | 78,520 | 26 |
- In MMR, of 34,690 units sold in Q1 2023, approximately 40% were fresh launches. In the same period 2019, of 24,010 units sold, 24% were new units
- In NCR, of 17,160 units sold in Q1 2023, approximately 30% were launched in the same quarter. In Q1 2019, of 13,740 units sold, the sales share of newly launched units was lower at 21%
- In Chennai, of 5,880 units sold in Q1 2023, newly-launched units accounted for a 41% share – up from 29% of 3,430 units sold in Q1 2019.
- In Kolkata, of 6,190 units sold in Q1 2023, over 38% were newly launched. In Q1 2019, approximately 4,020 units were sold, of which 24% sales were of newly-launched units
- In Bengaluru, of 15,660 units sold in Q1 2023, the sale share of newly-launched units was 43% – up from 28% of 15,580 units in Q1 2019
- In Pune, of 19,920 units sold in Q1 2023, the sale share of newly-launched units was 45% – up from 35% of 12,340 units in Q1 2019. The city saw the second-highest sales share of newly launched units after Hyderabad.
- Hyderabad had the highest sales share of newly-launched units among the top 7 cities. Of approximately 14,280 units sold in Q1 2023, 46% were launched in the same period – significantly up from 28% of approximately 5,400 units in Q1 2019.
