Since Prime Minister Modi dropped the bombshell on November 8th that the ubiquitous 500- and 1000-rupee notes would no longer be legal tender, all India has been abuzz. Minds have raced to grasp the implications. Near the top of the list of obvious questions is this: How will Modi’s bold stroke affect the property market?
The announcement has riveted the attention of the whole nation, but the shock waves will likely be felt more dramatically in some parts of the country than in others. In the real estate markets of white-collar job centers, the impact will probably be less of a big seismic event and more of a slight tremor.
Why? A long-term trend is underway in which properties are increasingly purchased by urban, salaried employees—and as a consequence, through aboveboard transactions. Today’s corporate employee is likely to purchase a home or investment property in a transparent manner: a down payment via cheque, with a bank mortgage for the rest. All this comes with a paper trail, clean and clear. Simply put, those who do not earn in cash, do not pay in cash. This contrasts sharply not only with the way that many of their parents or grandparents may have earned, saved, and invested, but also to the practices that are more likely to be followed by those in cash-centered industries.
White-collar, salaried employees are found today in all parts of India, but certain areas have much higher concentrations. Bangalore leads India in the new-economy job boom, whereas traditional powerhouse cities such as Mumbai and Delhi have a higher proportion of other types of income. It stands to reason that the property markets of emerging growth centers such as Bangalore would not be impacted as heavily by curbs on black money as those of more cash-driven cities.
What evidence supports this idea? The stock market offers an interesting data point: A day after the announcement, stock prices of prominent real estate developers across India tumbled by approximately 10%, but those with a concentrated presence in Bangalore dipped only half as much.
It will take weeks and even months to fully comprehend the effect of the government’s audacious measure. But as far as the property market goes, developers and buyers in India’s new-economy urban centers may watch from afar as their counterparts who have remained in a cash-based system find themselves scrambling.
This article first appeared on SmartOwner and is written by Vikram Chari, a serial entrepreneur who ran CCH USA LLC, a large real estate investment company in Arizona. He is the chairman and CEO of SmartOwner, a Bangalore-based real estate firm which enables investors to access high-value assets safely.
5 Responses
Interesting and informative article. I don’t have first hand knowledge. But I have heard even corporate employees deal in cash while paying for the homes so that the “registration value” of the home is less and they don’t have to pay large amount for registration. I could be wrong.
Yes, that’s the prevalent norm!!
Very professional take on the subject. I don’t have much knowledge on the matter, but I sure found the article sensible enough. Also, I learnt this much today regarding something I have no idea about otherwise 🙂
Thanks Maliny! Glad you found this post informative!
Very interesting. I can’t speak to how this economic boom is affecting India, but I can tell you that it sure has affected us in Silicon Valley. Many people who’ve lived in San Francisco and the Bay Area their whole lives are leaving because housing has gone sky high. They can’t compete with the newly rich of the likes of Google and Intel. We seem to share some of the same ills of “success.”