News: Top Seven Cities Home Sales Up 8% in Q1 2026: JLL-30-04-2026
Housing sales in India’s top seven cities rose 8% year-on-year to 70,631 units in Q1 2026, according to a JLL report, while new launches grew 13% to 90,023 units, a gap the consultancy read as a temporary softening of buyer sentiment amid economic uncertainty.
The cities covered are Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata. Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune and Delhi NCR each sold over 10,000 units and together made up around 77% of demand. Chennai posted the sharpest growth, at 61%, followed by Delhi NCR at 30% and Bengaluru at 18%. Pune’s sales fell 14% amid lower launches.
Apartment prices rose 8-20% in January-March across the seven cities because of higher input costs, and JLL said rates could appreciate further, though slowly.
Premium homes drove the market. Apartments priced above Rs 1 crore accounted for 71% of sales, up from 59% in Q1 2025, a 30% annual increase. The Rs 1.5-3.0 crore bracket grew 67% year-on-year. The sub-Rs 1 crore segment shrank 24%, and its share fell to 29% from 41%. The report attributed this to rising land and construction costs, limited affordable supply in core urban areas and developers’ focus on higher-margin premium projects.
Launches were up 32% quarter-over-quarter. Bengaluru led with 27,055 units, up 32% Y-o-Y, while Delhi NCR recorded 64% year-on-year growth, accounting for 45% of total quarterly launches, the report showed. Hyderabad and Mumbai also saw more launches.
Siva Krishnan, senior managing director (Chennai & Coimbatore), head - residential services, India, JLL, said the market is in a transitional phase where robust supply is meeting measured buyer sentiment. He called the divergence between launches and sales a healthy adjustment and "not a structural concern", adding that the growth in premium homes shows demand fundamentals remain strong among affluent buyers who are less sensitive to short-term fluctuations.
