Real estate registrations to feel the pinch of Modi move

It is mostly the secondary market – where properties are bought on resale – that will be impacted through this move, going a long way in cutting the cash element.

Updated on: Nov 9, 2016, 14:06:14 IST

By Vandana Ramnani

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to ban Rs500 and Rs1,000 currency notes will impact land transactions and the secondary market, say real estate experts.

Scrapping of Rs1000 and Rs500 notes is expected to curb black money transactions in the resale real estate market. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The residential real estate market has already been cleaned up, with primary sales occurring largely through bank mortgage. It is mostly the secondary market – where properties are bought on resale – that will be impacted through this move, going a long way in cutting the cash element.

“The move is unlikely to have any impact on the velocity of sales,” said Anuj Puri, chairman and country head of JLL India, a real estate services firm.

Getamber Anand, president of real estate body Credai, agreed that the surprise development will not disturb the primary market to a large extent because the inventory is sold to end users who avail home loans.

“Moreover, the organised part of the real estate industry has always been compliant. Only unorganised fly-by-night players will be affected. This move will actually help the industry fight for the removal of section 43CA of the IT Act more effectively,” he added.

But Pankaj Kapoor of Liases Foras, a Mumbai-based real estate rating and research firm, said there may be difficulties for the luxury market segment in the long term. As the cash component ranges between 30% and 50% of the deal value in land transactions, prices in the segment could see a 20-25% correction once black money is out of the equation, he added.

Sunil Tyagi of Zeus Law, a Delhi-based law firm, also predicted such a possibility. “Land transactions, where 40% of the payment is in black, will be affected. Land transactions involving huge cash components will stop immediately, as will transactions that are halfway through or where payment is due,” he said.

An estimated 30% of real state transactions involve black money, according to Liases Foras data

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vandana Ramnani
Vandana Ramnani leads the real estate vertical at Hindustan Times Digital, bringing over two decades of journalism experience across real estate, education, human resources, and foreign affairs. She specialises in India’s real estate sector, covering residential and commercial markets in Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, with in-depth reporting on regulatory developments, urban policy, housing trends, and interviews with industry leaders. Her work has also appeared in the Hindustan Times newspaper and HT Estates. Earlier, Vandana played a key role in establishing the real estate vertical at Moneycontrol (NW18 Group), shaping its editorial direction and market coverage. She has also written extensively on international education for HT Education, tracking global study destinations, policy changes, and student mobility trends, earning the Singapore Education Award 2009 for Best Media Coverage (Print). Her reporting portfolio includes human resources and employment trends for HT ShineJobs and PowerJobs, as well as lifestyle and interior design features for HT Premium Homes. Vandana began her career with the Press Trust of India, gaining strong editorial and reporting expertise. She was also selected for a prestigious fellowship at Fondation Journalistes en Europe in Paris, where she wrote for EuroMag. One of her notable reporting assignments included covering Germany’s capital relocation from Bonn to Berlin. Outside of journalism, Vandana is a passionate traveller, constantly seeking out charming hideaways across India and the lesser-known, offbeat corners of Southeast Asia.Read More

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