--
“The
flower that blooms in adversity is the rarest and most beautiful of
all.”... Mulan, Walt Disney
Company.
Well, guys Mulan is name of a character in the movie with same
name & don’t ask what Walt Disney Company is, please! Many a times
Disney Company has been criticized for their age old “Ghissa Pita” (over
used) formula of love, care, togetherness & courage, same way our Bollywood
movies are criticized for “Bichade Bhai” (lost & found brothers) formula.
But fact is “lost & found” formula lost its block buster strength as it was
built on imaginary & shallow foundations of just commercial aspect of
emotions while the Disney formula of love, goodness, togetherness & courage
stands on real values of human life, so how much over used it may be yet like
gold, it keeps glittering on box office! This is why I'M a
diehard fan of Disney movies, characters & their philosophies & the
segment which needs to remind me of these things is, none other than real
estate!
Indeed unlike other industries, even in pre-corona period the
real estate wasn’t doing great is a fact & the first rule of solving any
problem is, accept the problem; this is exactly why I felt like writing as member
of CREDAI i.e. association of builders & not just as a businessman builder!
But then that was actually a boon as we weren’t doing great
before the lockdown thing hit the country & not just the real estate. As we
all have some common sense that’s why we have reached where we are, as a
businessman, so tell me on Mumbai Pune Expressway if a car is moving at
120km/hr & another at 60km/hr & suddenly a stray buffalo (well this
actually can happen ) on the Expressway & both the cars hit that buffalo,
then which car will have fatal damage? Obviously the one which was travelling
at 120 km/ hr, isn’t it? As the 60 km/hr car will also collide with the buffalo
but chances are if the driver is good & can pull away in time or even if he
(or she, fellow credai women wingers) hit the buffalo as the speed is less the
damage is bound to be less! And now apply the analogy to this lockdown thing
just our car (real-estate) was at 60 km/hr one & most other industries like
service industry, hospitality industry, banking or broking (share) , tourism
industry & the cine industry all are like 120 km /hr speed car & look
at them now! And I am not telling you this to rub salt on their wounds but to
tell you the simple fact that, all is not end rather you are lucky to be in
real estate or even hotel industry (most builders do) as your injuries are not
fatal only because you were slow & sometimes slow is good, especially for
long run marathons, which is the one we are in!
Guys, this corona thing will fade away but it’s not last,
something else can always be there, that’s possible is what now every living
person who is our probable client has understood & we have to understand
that mentality. As people won’t be carefree & spend for unnecessary things
but once again like in 80’s/90’s wala scene will be there i.e. value for money.
This doesn’t mean people won’t spend at all but the new age genre which was
crazy about spending like there is no tomorrow, has understood with this “Joar
Ka Zatka” that there is tomorrow & they need to think for it. And
this exactly is the silver line to the present dark scene for real estate as
when a person or a family thinks of the future, owning a home is unavoidable
part of it, that’s what has been injected in our middle/higher middle class
blood, like a vaccine since childhood! This
vaccine has lost its effect for a while over the virus named lifestyle & carefree
attitude but finally it again has suppressed them both. As-of-late there was a
tendency why to spend heavy EMI for home or what makes a difference even
if we stayed forever in the rental flat, well all such questions have been
melted down with the lockdowns, do I need to elaborate this fact? In
any crisis it’s your own home which stands with you as your safe shelter as
well is your solid asset too, even on money front & this is what gives you
confidence to face any adversity, is what our probable clientele has
understood! So let’s take this whole episode as a boon in disguise builders, at
least is what my logic is!
But like in our advertisements a * (star mark,
small it may be), this boon for demand of homes also comes along with a *
mark!
And that is no more “Ulloo Banaying” to the customers, sorry if
I offended a few but what I meant is, build what your client wants & not
what you want to build, as a home. Understand needs of the market & then
plan & deliver what you announce rather that much only you announce! I am
not against luxurious amenities or specifications but whatever you are giving
should be value for money, even for high end homes also! With this pandemic
affecting not just Pune but entire country & all the segments, there will
be rush towards centres like Pune & though I am from Vidarbha (Nagpur)
& feel sorry for rural parts of this State & don’t want to scare other
smaller centres but it’s always jobs & education which was (and will be)
forte of real estate & unfortunately barring Pune I don’t see both things
existing anywhere else. It's not that every single person is running towards
Pune but the quantity & quality, both are not matching to what people want
in other centres i.e. of jobs & education respectively, this we must
understand & accept. Unless the “Mai Bapp” govt comes up with something
really innovative, this inflow towards Pune region won’t stop, is also a fact!
The transition may take time but it’s on board & it will benefit real
estate in Pune as all these migrants are going to need homes.We just need to be
ready for the same & for that each of you must regain your own self &
fight for survival at present!
Guys I know telling someone “Hausala Rakho”, “Every Dark Night
has End”, types philosophies is easy but the one who has to pay salaries, pay
interests on loans, give possessions, face every govt authority & with a
haanging sword on head like RERA, for him or her it’s very difficult to digest
all goody goody words but there is no option boss, mind it! You
are owner of a company however small or large it may be so you have opted to be
a leader of your small army with this war on face & a leader can’t afford
to show his fear! I am not saying the leader shouldn’t feel fear, indeed you
are a human being & the curse of being a leader is you have to carry your
fear along with your army’s (team) fears too! But you have the capacity to
carry this burden thats why you are a leader & your team looks at you so
for them, you need to be brave. And apply logic, analyze the scene with cool
head as not every time when you run or swim you should be fastest; sometimes
you need to just jog & float till you see the finish line in sight!
In these times try bonding with your existing relations, whoever
they may be i.e. right from your family to clients, vendors, bankers, neighbors i.e.
anybody you know; try to stay connected with them. Most importantly speak to
you staff, make them know importance of their initiative to sale the flats
& their role in it as well make them feel confident & you only can do
it! Let your staff understand ownership feel with
your company! Speak to your all above mentioned contacts, write to them, email
them, whatsap them but stay connected & regularly for ever, not just these
times. Find cheaper & effective ways to connect with existing clients
though you can try conventional ways also but as per your budget! Share
with your clients what you have available for sale, try to explain them
the importance of buying a home in these times even for their family &
friends who hasn’t yet got a home & try to be honest while you do so! As
I said, to give feeling of having a good deal to the client, first you need to
know what is a good deal! Don’t run as its end of the world to close the deal
at the same time those of you who are still in capacity to buy new lands
(redevelopment & premium area guys) don’t give offers like its last piece
of land on the earth, as later you only have to recover your money from that
piece of the land!
One more thing & it’s about personal front, try using the
time at hand to have dialogue with your own self. Adopt any hobby (not
addiction), it helps a lot in keeping our thinking process on the right
track & balanced too! Remember this is a war but
after every war the survivors have flourished only by surviving in the right
way. There is a very thin line between a brave & a coward, that line is
called wisdom as a wise man knows when to step ahead & when to take a step
back, so sometimes he is brave & sometimes he doesn’t mind getting tagged
as a coward! Sorry, guys if I have overdosed as I am no different than
you, I am also worried, tense, afraid about my company's future but that’s one
side of the coin named me! On the other side, I am happy as I
can see a bright future for real estate, I know I must carry my fears & my
team’s too (no choice here) & most importantly, I want to be remembered as
a fighter whatever outcome of this war will be there! So go on fellow builders,
lead your army & make yourself pride by leading it!
--
Sanjay
Deshpande
Sanjeevani
Dev.
Please view my sharing about real estate in Pune at U-Tube link below..
Please do visit my
blogs to know about our philosophy at Sanjeevani ! (Click the links below)
Creating Togetherness; team Sanjeevani Way(Click link below)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/65629150@N06/albums/72157627904681345
For any of your complaints about city, log in at link below
www.punecorporation.org
Take your
issues to Hon PM at link below..
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Green, Think Life
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