Real estate industry says RBI rate cut to boost housing demand by buyers

Real estate industry and property consultants today hailed the RBI's decision to cut key policy rates, saying that it is a positive step that would boost housing demand and encourage foreign investment in the sector.

The RBI today cut short-term lending rate, called repo, by 0.25 per cent to 7.75 per cent and Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) by a similar margin to 4 per cent, releasing Rs 18,000 crore primary liquidity into the system.

Developers and consultants expect the move would lead to reduction in interest rates for buyers as well as builders.

Commenting on the development, Unitech Managing Director Sanjay Chandra said: "This is a small but necessary positive move to boost investment as well as demand in the real estate sector. These growth oriented monetary measures combined with the government's fiscal measures should augur well for the industry in 2013."

Global realty consultant Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) India said the RBI has shown commitment to improve liquidity in a cash-strapped economy by reducing the policy rates.

RBI rate cut: FE's Sunil Jain explains

"The RBI has taken a huge positive step by announcing the above policy measures. There should be a revival in investment and growth, including in the real estate space...RBI's policy is definitely a key to boosting real estate market sentiment and sending out positive signals to global investors," JLL India Managing Director (Capital Markets) Shobhit Agarwal said.

Confederation of Real Estate Developers Associations of India (CREDAI), the apex body for realty firms, welcomed the decision, but felt that the repo rate cut by 25 basis points is "just not enough".

RBI rate cut: FE's Sunil Jain explains

"What we need is creation of a robust supply to curb inflation, for which RBI needs to continue to ease fund supply position, month-on-month and quarter-on-quarter for realty sector," CREDAI National President Lalit Kumar Jain said.

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