By Ai Powered PMC Akbar Jiwani, Special Correspondent: Realestate for Realnewsofindia.com
MUMBAI/NEW DELHI, 9 October 2026: India’s residential market entered the festive season with modest sales growth and a sharp rise in new supply. Property consultant Anarock’s Q3 2026 report (published 2 October) shows housing sales in the top seven cities rose 3% year-on-year to about 1,00,220 units in July-September, from 97,080 units a year earlier. Sales value rose 2% to about Rs 1.55 lakh crore.
Launches surge. New launches rose 18% to about 1,14,320 units, from 96,690 units in Q3 2025. Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), Pune, Bengaluru and Hyderabad accounted for 81% of new supply. By price band, Rs 80 lakh to Rs 1.5 crore homes made up 34% of launches, Rs 1.5 to 2.5 crore 24%, Rs 40 to 80 lakh 17% and homes below Rs 40 lakh 14%.
Prices and inventory. Average residential prices rose 7% year-on-year, with NCR recording the steepest appreciation at 12%, followed by Bengaluru at 8%. Unsold inventory rose 12% to about 6.31 lakh units, from about 5.62 lakh units a year ago, as supply outpaced absorption.
City-wise picture. Hyderabad was the standout, with sales up 15% to 12,970 units and launches more than doubling (+120%) to 18,950 units. Bengaluru sales rose 12% to 16,670 units. MMR, the largest market, sold 31,750 units (+5%), and together with Bengaluru accounted for 48% of total sales. Pune fell 6% to 15,690 units, NCR dipped 1% to 13,765 units, Kolkata slipped 4% and Chennai declined 10%.
Another view. PropEquity’s report (1 October), covering the top nine cities, recorded 1,03,170 units sold in Q3, down 6% year-on-year and 4% from the previous quarter, with launches down 2% year-on-year and 15% quarter-on-quarter. It showed Hyderabad up 11%, Bengaluru up 1%, Mumbai down 8%, Thane down 11%, Pune down 16% and Chennai down 17%. PropEquity founder and CEO Samir Jasuja noted that absorption fell only 4% despite a sharp drop in supply, keeping the demand-supply balance steady, and linked slower launches to developers’ caution while they manage existing inventory. The two firms cover different city sets and define markets differently, so analysts advise comparing trends rather than totals; both agree on Hyderabad’s strength and weakness in Pune and Chennai.
Outlook. Anarock chairman Anuj Puri said buyers may remain selective because of higher property prices and affordability concerns, but expects the festive period to be supported by stable borrowing costs and new launches. With inventory building up, homebuyers may see more discounts, festive offers and flexible payment plans, while developers are likely to focus on mid-premium and premium segments where demand is steadier.
Sources: Anarock Q3 2026 report via PropNewsTime (2 Oct 2026); PropEquity Q3 2026 report via Grihik (1 Oct 2026). Figures are as reported by the research firms.
