Editor’s Note

In this issue we take you through a nostalgic trip of our past 35 issues. Yes! Realty & More completes three years of its uninterrupted run with the August issue and, you will agree, that it’s no mean achievement. All through this period the real estate industry has been passing through a lean phase (to put it mildly!) and most of the magazines in the genre have either stopped publication or become erratic in their appearance. It has been a tough and challenging job for us also but what has kept us going is our adherence to basic tenets of journalism and your trust in us. We aim to carry forward our journey with renewed vigour and come up with a refurbished, re-designed and improved version of Realty & More from the next issue onwards. Before R&M adorns a new garb, we thought it appropriate to give you a peep into our past in this 36^th issue of the magazine. Hope, you will relish this archival material!

The Government has started working in right earnest towards implementation of the RERA Act and a step towards that, it has come out with a Draft Agreement for Sale Rules. While making timely delivery of possession the essence of the agreement, the draft rules also say that there will be no time-bar for claiming compensation against loss caused to allottee by defective land titles. We carry a detailed story on the subject. Sadly though, the much touted Smart Cities dream virtually came crashing in people’s eyes when our exiting urban infrastructure showed signs of collapse with one evening of heavy rain. People got stranded for hours together in mile-long traffic jams at Gurgaon-Delhi Expressway and it became a fishing opportunity for those stuck on inundated roads in the so-called Silicon Valley Bengaluru. We assigned a senior journalist to contribute a Guest Column for us on the subject. Another Guest Column in the issue is by a highly reputed face in the industry, Rajeev Talwar. The DLF CEO and Chairman of Naredco writes a thought-provoking piece about innovative steps that can be taken to revive the real estate industry in the country.

A research report by Cushman & Wakefield has come up with findings that say that the ‘South of Gurgaon’ location has been rising steadily on the livability index. We carry a detailed report in ‘Skyline’ section about the study, commissioned by Credai. Another research report by JLL India has something cheerful to say about the office and retail real estate segment. We reproduce the report. Yet another report we have in this issue is based on the RICS Q2 Monitor which ranks NCR, Mumbai and Bengaluru among the top five cities out of 41 cities in terms of capital values and rental projections. An accompanying article by JLL India’s Rahul Malhotra talks about preparedness for urbanisation challenge and he says it needs to be backed up by positive impact developments in the fields of energy, water, transport and municipal waste management.

For our Interiors section this month, we spoke to Rahul Sharma, global door-maker Masonite’s top boss in the country. The trigger for the story was US-headquartered company opening its first experience centre in the country. In our Developer speak columns Gaursons Director Manju Gaur (is yet to send her article) while Sarvome Developers’ MD Akhil Kumar Surkeha gives a few tips about how to make your house a healthy home. RICS too (is yet to send its signed article). In addition, we offer the second in the series of what will bring investors back by our Consulting Editor Kunal Banerji.

Lastly, of course, the August issue has your regular reads – home loan rates offered by various lenders, property rates of different localities of different cities, Vastu column, and what your stars hold for you in the next one month.

Happy reading!!!