Buying home: Choose based on urgency, risk appetite, and financial capacity

Go for ready home if you need to move in instantly and can pay full EMI; under-construction if you prefer phased payments and can tolerate construction risk

Demand for ready-to-move-in (RTMI) homes in India has slipped, according to ANAROCK’s latest Homebuyer Sentiment Survey. In the first half of 2025 (H1 2025), the demand ratio for ready homes versus new launches fell to 16:29. This is a sharp reversal from the pandemic years, when RTMI homes dominated — at 46:18 in H1 2020. 

Why this reversal? 

The RTMI craze began when the market was dominated by small, underfunded developers, whose projects got delayed or stalled. 

“Buyers preferred ready homes they could see and move into, even at a premium. Post-Covid, reputed and listed developers dominate the market, and