What's per square foot price? Realty advisor reveals brutal truth about why Indians fail to earn money on property investments

Time of India

4 hours ago

India's real estate dream is turning into a nightmare for 90% of buyers, says Gurugram-based real estate advisor Aishwarya Shri Kapoor — even as a quiet elite quietly builds wealth with surgical precision.
In a candid LinkedIn post, Kapoor debunked the myths surrounding property investment in India, arguing that most homebuyers are 'buying liabilities, not assets.' Her sharp take: poor project choices, emotional decision-making, and lack of strategy are draining the financial future of everyday Indians.
Check full post here
Why Indian Real Estate Fails 90% of Buyers — And What the Top 1% Are Doing Instead
Let's be honest.
Most people in India don't build wealth through real estate.
They build EMIs.
They buy wrong projects, wrong timing, wrong advice.
Then blame the market.
Here's the brutal truth:
You bought from the broker who gave you the biggest discount
You visited 7 projects in 1 day
You didn't ask about resale value, rental ROI, or exit timeline
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Undo
You bought a liability, not an investment.
India's biggest real estate problem = Emotional buying + zero strategy.
• No one does price benchmarking
Live Events
• No one asks about rental absorption
• No one checks title clarity or resale history
• Everyone just says: 'How much is per square foot?'
That's not investing. That's gambling.
Meanwhile, the top 1%?
→ Don't chase flashy showrooms
→ Don't ask for site visits
→ Don't attend launches like tourists
They buy in pre-launch.
Negotiate terms like corporates.
Exit 3–5 years later with 2.5–4X.
That's not luck. That's design.
The top 1% know this formula:
💡 Product + Timing + Zone + Brand + Exit Path = ROI
If one piece is missing, you're stuck.
Ask anyone trying to sell a flat in a 'Tier 2' Gurgaon project right now.
Good luck finding a buyer.
Want the solution? Simple.
Think like capital.
Not like a customer.
→ Don't ask 'What's available?'
Ask: 'What's underpriced with 3X resale potential?'
→ Don't ask 'What's ready?'
Ask: 'What's the next zone to explode?'
→ Don't ask 'What if market crashes?'
Ask: 'Which asset gives me power even in a crash?'
In 2025, here's what capital is chasing:
• SPR plots and branded resale
• Dwarka Expressway mid-stage assets
• SCOs with rental demand
• Warehousing near UER-2
• Branded assets with global resale (like Marriott, Trump,
DLF
)
Not builder discounts.
Your first property should make you money.
Not give you anxiety.
And your second?
Should free you from needing a third job.
Play like the top 1% —
Or keep competing with people who bought brochures, not blueprints.
Housing market outlook
Housing sales rose 20% on-year to 681,138 units across 60 cities. The primary market hit Rs 7.5 trillion in sales, growing 43%. Luxury and ultra-luxury housing led the momentum, with premium markets ensuring balanced supply-demand, pushing luxury sales to 71% of the total value.
Properties priced between Rs 1–2 crore saw a 52% surge in sales, with 132,532 apartments sold. The ultra-luxury segment with over Rs 2 crore experienced an even sharper rise of 73%, highlighting developers' confidence in catering to high-net-worth buyers. The Indian real estate sector is now valued at Rs 22.5 trillion, contributing 7.2% to the country's economy. While metro cities continue to dominate premium housing sales, the rising prominence of tier II and III cities is reshaping market dynamics.