The Asia Pacific commercial real estate sector showed strong resilience in the first half of 2025, with investment volumes climbing 18% year-on-year, according to CBRE's mid-year market outlook. Backed by solid fundamentals, CBRE revised its full-year forecast to a 10-15% rise in investments, driven largely by demand in Korea, Japan, and Singapore. Office leasing is expected to remain steady, with significant rental growth in Tokyo and Mumbai, while Greater China faces continued declines. Logistics and retail are forecast to remain stable, and hospitality is witnessing strong performance in markets such as Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and India.Read more

The Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO), a Navratna NBFC-IFC under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, recently organised a two-day programme at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi as part of the nationwide 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign. The event, inaugurated by Ministry Secretary Srinivas Katikithala, featured flag distribution, tricolour-themed decorations, and public participation to promote unity, pride, and respect for the national flag. HUDCO announced plans to distribute over 10,000 flags through kiosks at the venue and regional offices.Read more

India's four publicly listed Real Estate Investment Trusts Brookfield India Real Estate Trust, Embassy Office Parks REIT, Mindspace Business Parks REIT, and Nexus Select Trust distributed INR 1,559 crore to more than 2.7 lakh unitholders in the first quarter of FY 2025-26, registering a year-on-year increase of around 13 %. Together, they manage over 129 million square feet of Grade A office and retail space. By late July, their combined market capitalisation crossed INR 1 lakh crore, while total gross assets under management stood near INR 1.63 lakh crore. Since inception, they have paid investors over INR 24,300 crore.Read more

Retail inflation eased to 1.55 percent in July, marking its lowest level in eight years and dipping below the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) comfort threshold for the first time since early 2019. This decline is largely due to lower food prices and a favorable base effect. While rural inflation stood at 1.18 percent and urban inflation at 2.05 percent, regional disparities were notable, with Kerala recording the highest inflation. Experts suggest that despite the current low inflation, a rise beyond 4 percent is expected in the coming quarters, potentially limiting RBI's ability to reduce interest rates further.Read more

The House of Abhinandan Lodha (HOABL) has set a Guinness World Record for creating the world's largest floral mosaic logo in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh. The installation, spanning 100 square meters, was crafted from over two lakh locally sourced fresh flowers. This achievement marks the company's debut in the Braj region as it launches a new project with over 40 percent open space. The record sets a new global benchmark and positions the company as a key player in Vrindavan's growing real estate market, which is seeing renewed focus due to infrastructure and tourism development.Read more

Mumbai recently hosted the curtain raiser for the upcoming NAREDCO National Convention, set to take place in New Delhi later this month under the theme Resilient India: Inclusive, Sustainable, and Future-Ready. The event will bring together policymakers, industry leaders, and technology experts to discuss urban transformation, housing redevelopment, and sustainable growth. Inspired by Mumbai's redevelopment and affordable housing models, the convention will focus on RERA reforms, ease of doing business, rental housing, green construction, and technology adoption. With over 800 delegates expected, sessions will address financing, infrastructure, urban mobility, and liveability standards, aiming to shape policy and encourage innovation in India's real estate sector.Read more

The integration of artificial intelligence into real estate customer profiling has significantly altered buyer demographics, preferences, and sales processes in recent years, as per ANAROCK's latest analysis. Findings revealed a growing preference for higher-value properties, a shift towards older buyers, and increased reliance on channel partners for property purchases. The company's AI platform, ASTRA, has tracked these developments, offering deeper insights into budget choices, conversion timelines, and unit preferences. This data-driven approach is replacing traditional intuition-led methods, improving targeting, and enhancing conversion efficiency across multiple market segments.Read more

Bengaluru has emerged as the top-performing city in India's commercial office real estate market, with vacancy rates dropping to a 10-year low due to heightened leasing activity. According to ICRA, the city holds the largest share of Grade A office stock among the top six metros, reflecting strong demand from sectors like Global Capability Centres (GCCs), BFSI, flex-space operators, and domestic IT-BPM firms. Other key markets like Chennai, Delhi-NCR, Hyderabad, MMR, and Pune are also projected to witness stable or improving vacancy levels through FY2026.Read more

Earlier this week, IIT-Bombay's Environmental Status Report for the 2024-25 period prepared for the Panvel City Municipal Corporation (PCMC) highlighted the lack of water quality monitoring in the Taloja and Kasardi rivers by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), citing their non-drinking usage. The report advised PCMC against approving housing developments near the dumping ground and Taloja MIDC. It also called for sustainable waste-to-energy solutions, better sewage disposal, and rigorous action to monitor and control industrial discharge into local water bodies.Read more

Luxury home sales in Delhi NCR recorded a 9% rise in the first half of 2025, with 5,168 units sold, up from 4,763 units during the same period last year. Properties priced at INR 5 crore and above now make up 27% of total residential sales in the region, up from 19% in H1 2024. Gurugram led the segment, accounting for over 90% of these transactions. The Southern Peripheral Road and Dwarka Expressway were the key areas contributing to this growth, while overall residential volumes in the region dropped by 23%.Read more