Indian Homebuyers Show Stronger Preference for Ready Homes Over New Launches

Indian homebuyers are showing a clear preference for homes they can see and move into sooner, with 31% of prospective buyers preferring completed apartments and another 30% favouring homes nearing completion, according to Colliers’ Homebuying Sentiment Survey 2026. Only 19% prefer newly launched projects.

The survey covered around 1,800 respondents across more than 30 established and emerging residential markets in India. Colliers found that just 20% of respondents preferred under-construction properties, putting ready-to-move and near-completion homes ahead of projects at earlier stages of development.

The preference reflects concerns around delivery timelines and construction certainty. Colliers said ready-to-move and near-completion homes have an edge because buyers face less delivery risk and have greater visibility over when they can take possession.

Affordability remains the bigger hurdle

The survey suggests that buyers are not abandoning the housing market. Instead, they are becoming more selective about what they buy and how much they pay.

Half of prospective buyers said they were willing to purchase a home within the next two years, while 31% identified affordability and pricing as their primary concern. Job security and income visibility were also cited as concerns.

Price sensitivity is also visible in the preferred ticket size. Forty-six per cent of prospective buyers said they preferred properties priced between ₹50 lakh and ₹1.5 crore, according to the survey.

For buyers who are ready to act sooner, pricing and payment terms can make a significant difference. Colliers found that 65% of respondents considered attractive pricing and flexible payment plans important in facilitating an immediate purchase decision.

New launches still have a place

The findings do not mean buyers have rejected new projects altogether.

Business Standard's reporting on the survey notes that younger buyers are relatively more willing to take construction and completion risk. Around half of respondents aged 30 or below were comfortable with that risk, compared with 36% of respondents above 30. Better pricing can be one reason younger buyers consider projects at an earlier stage.

That creates a trade-off for buyers: an early-stage project can offer pricing advantages, while a completed or nearly completed property provides greater certainty about the actual home and its possession timeline.

For developers, the preference for completed homes could make launch-period sales more challenging. PTI reported through Rediff that developers rely on bookings during project launches to support cash flows, meaning weaker preference for newly launched projects could affect that part of the sales cycle.

At the same time, the broader survey does not point to a collapse in housing demand. Fifty-four per cent of respondents expressed optimism about the Indian real estate market, while Colliers described the residential market as fundamentally end-user driven.

The message from the survey is therefore less about buyers stepping away from housing and more about how they are weighing risk. In 2026, possession certainty, affordability and payment flexibility are becoming important parts of the decision alongside location, size and amenities.

Sources

https://money.rediff.com/news/market/indian-homebuyers-prefer-ready-homes-over-new-projects-colliers/54498820260917

https://www.business-standard.com/finance/personal-finance/50-lakh-1-5-cr-is-sweet-spot-50-of-home-buyers-plan-to-buy-within-2-yrs-126091700699_1.html

https://www.business-standard.com/industry/news/housing-sentiment-remains-firm-festive-demand-to-boost-sales-report-126091700569_1.html

https://www.colliers.com/en-in