Written by Ai Powered PMC Akbar Jiwani
Special Correspondent: Realestate for Realnewsofindia.com
Mumbai/New Delhi: India’s residential market ended the July–September 2026 quarter on a cautiously positive note, with housing sales across the top seven cities rising 3% year on year to about 1,00,220 units, according to data released by property consultancy Anarock on 28 September. The units sold were worth roughly Rs 1.55 lakh crore, underlining the continued strength of value-led demand even as unit growth remains modest.
Launches surge, unsold stock builds
New launches rose a sharp 18% year on year to about 1,14,320 units, as developers lined up supply ahead of the festive season. Unsold inventory stood at about 6,30,590 units. Average prices across the seven cities rose 7% year on year to Rs 9,714 per sq ft, though quarter-on-quarter growth was just 1%, suggesting price momentum is cooling.
Southern cities lead, Pune and Chennai lag
Hyderabad recorded a 15% rise in sales and Bengaluru 12%. Pune (down 6%), Chennai (down 10%) and Kolkata (down 4%) saw declines, while Delhi-NCR slipped 1% to 13,765 units.
A different picture from PropEquity
Data analytics firm PropEquity, which tracks nine markets with a different methodology, estimated sales fell about 6% year on year to 1,03,170 units. Its city-wise data showed Navi Mumbai (+12%) and Hyderabad (+11%) growing, while Pune (-16%), Chennai (-17%) and Kolkata (-17%) fell. PropEquity noted its figures were released before quarter-end, so late-September numbers were partly estimated. The divergence reflects differences in cities covered and methodology rather than a contradiction in direction for individual markets such as Hyderabad.
Offices and policy watch
Colliers reported Grade A office leasing across seven cities rose 9% year on year to 18.7 million sq ft in the quarter, with Delhi-NCR more than doubling to 3.3 million sq ft. On the regulatory front, the Supreme Court-appointed committee told the NCLAT that construction of 16 stalled Supertech projects, to be handled by state-run NBCC, is scheduled to begin on 16 January 2027, with tenders due between 1 and 15 October; the projects cover about 50,000 flats, of which roughly 14,000 remain undelivered. Separately, from 1 October 2026, resident individual and HUF buyers of property from non-resident sellers can reportedly report and pay TDS using their PAN instead of a TAN, via Form 141 (per CAclubindia; readers should verify against the official Income Tax Department notification).
Outlook
With the festive season under way and the RBI repo rate reported at 5.25%, industry watchers will track whether strong launches convert into sales. Analysts caution that rising unsold stock and moderating price growth could shape developer pricing strategies in the coming months.
Sources: Anarock and PropEquity data via Realty Hunting roundups (29 Sept 2026) and PropEquity release report; Colliers; CAclubindia.
