New Delhi

Housingsales rose slightly by 0.7 per cent to 1.71 lakh units during January-June 2026 across eight major cities as demand stabilised after four years of strong growth post-COVID pandemic, according to Knight Frank.

Premium homes, costing more than Rs 1 crore each, dominated the overall sales with 54 per cent, while the share of mid-income and affordable housing shrank to 46 per cent.

At a virtual press conference on Thursday, real estate consultant Knight Frank India released the housing sales data for January-June 2026, which showed that sales grew slightly to 1,71,471 units from 1,70,201 units in the year-ago period. Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, Ahmedabad, and Kolkata are the eight primary residential markets tracked by the consultant.

Elaborating on the data, Knight Frank said that sales rose in all cities except Delhi-NCR, which saw a 7 per cent decline annually.

Further, the consultant pointed out that the sales of affordable homes (below Rs 50 lakh) declined 15 per cent to 32,063 units during January-June from 37,796 units in the year-ago period. The affordable homes category accounted for 19 per cent of the overall sales. In the Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore price bracket, the sales dipped 5 per cent to 46,490 units. The mid-income segment contributed 27 per cent to the total sales. Fresh supply (launches) of housing units rose 4 per cent to 1,87,350 units in the first six months of this year. “Following four years of broad-based recovery from the pandemic-induced trough of 2020, the near-flat sales trajectory indicates that the dominant dynamic is now stabilisation rather than growth,” the consultant observed. New supply at lower price points has remained constrained, resulting in a fall in sales of affordable and mid-income homes, Knight Frank said. “While growth has reduced following a steep recovery from pandemic lows, the market’s underlying fundamentals remain firmly intact. Premium homes now account for more than half of all residential sales, reflecting rising household incomes, evolving buyer aspirations and growing confidence in long-term homeownership,” said Shishir Baijal, International Partner, CMD, Knight Frank India.