Kochi is the ‘happening place’ in Kerala, being the commercial capital and land prices have been increasing not in a steady upward curve but in leaps and bounds. The land value in various part of Kochi is directly linked with the plans for new projects-IT park, Container Terminal, and Airport etc. It is estimated that the future will witness huge investments on infrastructure development for highways, shopping malls and housing projects, which will sent the price of land spiraling.

Genesis: Kochi is a cosmopolitan city modeling itself on the lines of Bangalore and Mumbai. A few decades back, the commercial centre in Kochi or Ernakulam, as it was then called, was restricted to Broadway and M.G.Road. The city started spreading and far-flung areas like Kakkanad have now become part of Kochi city with residential apartments coming up all over the beautiful hillocks in this area. Business establishments have started relocating their showrooms and outlets on the sides of the Trivandrum bye pass road between Edapally and Vytilla. The construction of the Vypeen bridge has opened up new areas for residential and commercial construction as Kochi has become easily accessible from Kochi.

Why invest in real estate? People have now realized that investment in the stock market, with its ups and downs has its own related problems whereas bank deposits and mutual funds are restrictive in returns. Investing in real estate is a guarantee that the returns at the time of disposal will definitely be higher making it is a very safe mode of investment

The Flat culture.Flats have become popular due to the safety and security available for flat dwellers. There is an element of the historical ‘tharavadu’(the joint family system of yesteryears) in the concept of flats with the role of the ‘karnavar’ (seniormost male member who word is the law in the ‘tharavadu’) whose role has been taken over by the Building society in each flat complex. In addition to security, the tenant need not worry about payment of electricity, water or other maintenance bills which are taken care of by the society. All external maintenance is also done by the society. Many of the builders provide utilities like centralized gas, health club, waste chutes and driver’s rooms which are value additions. The paper work involved during the purchase is also minimal and the biggest boon is that one need not worry about the problems of construction-labour, purchase of material, permits and licenses etc.

Independent houses. Independent villas and houses are expensive but if one can afford it can make you feel like a king. There are many builders who carry out construction on contract basis and with totally transparent terms and conditions. This helps avoid the headaches one would have to face while building homes.

Residential areas. Panmpilly Nagar, Kakkanad, Gandhi Nagar, Giri Nagar, Kumaran Asan Nagar, are residential localities which have come up during the past few decades. Palarivattom, Kaloor,and Edapally, are the older residential areas. Kakkanad is fast becoming one of the most favored spots for villas and flats while in Kathrikadavu area, with its two new flyovers, land value has touched new highs. Of late, Nedumassary which is outside city limits is also being developed as a residential area by some developers. It is obvious that land value is going up day by day but good plots are fast becoming scarce. Rates have quadrupled in the space of five years, and in some cases even doubled in one year. The best time is to buy now as tomorrow would be too late.

The commercial real estate market in India has developed into full fledged market. There is property everywhere for commercial use. There is lots of space for rent, for small shops in shopping complexes to large space for office use in huge complexes. The demand is there so there is supply as well. When you visit metropolitan cities you will see huge building under construction or newly constructed buildings.
The investors are increasingly trying to take space for rent as there is lees risk if the space is on rent. Maintaining the property is also not a hassle and those who rent out the space generally maintain it. The BPO industry, the corporate, offices, mall space, shops, showrooms, etc. all come under the category of commercial rental space.
The rental period for commercial purpose is generally from three years to nine years. If you have commercial space and you want to lease it out, then it is advisable to lease it out to popular and known brand names. You won’t risk your property this way. Generally there is a15% increase in rent after every three years. So in the long run you are going to benefit from it.
If you want to have a regular income form rent, then it is advisable that you invest in mall space. You get higher rent than the office space and far higher return than the residential space.
Another lucrative prospect is the showroom rentals, the developers lease out commercial properties. Shops and department stores have become common for good value for rent. They have become popular in real estate business as they are safe and give out good returns.
Another trend seen in the commercial rental market is combining office space with service apartments, so that the executives visiting the office will have the facility of staying in these apartments that are conveniently located. There is a huge potential for growth in the commercial rental market in India.