Business Standard ·
Economy, business and finance
Housing sentiment remains firm; festive demand to boost sales: Report
Colliers says 50 per cent of prospective buyers plan to purchase a home within two years, with affordability, unit size, connectivity and amenities shaping demand
Housing demand in India continues to show resilience despite global macroeconomic headwinds, with 50 per cent of prospective homebuyers intending to purchase a residential property within the next two years, according to Colliers’ latest report, Homebuying Sentiment Survey 2026: Decoding India’s Evolving Buyer Preferences.
The survey reveals that while buyers are becoming more selective and price-sensitive, their long-term homeownership aspirations remain intact. Upcoming festive-season demand is expected to further boost housing sales across major Indian residential markets.
Rising construction material and labour costs, coupled with evolving lifestyle aspirations, are prompting Indian homebuyers to adopt a more selective approach, the survey findings showed. However, overall market sentiment remains firm, with 54 per cent of respondents indicating that external economic volatility will have a minimal impact on the domestic real estate sector.
Affordability emerged as the top priority in buyers’ purchase considerations, followed closely by unit size and layout, social infrastructure and overall connectivity. In terms of society amenities, security systems ranked highest, followed by open green spaces and community-focused zones. Younger homebuyers under 30 showed a distinct preference for fitness and wellness amenities, prioritising them at nearly double the overall average.
Configuration preferences show that 62 per cent of prospective buyers favour 2 and 3 BHK apartments, with 46 per cent looking at properties priced between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 1.5 crore. Demand for larger ticket sizes remained stronger in Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.