Housing.com to set up online platform for realtors body CREDAI

Housing.com today signed an MoU with the Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Associations of India (CREDAI) to set up an online platform to help developers engage with customers in a hassle free and effective manner. The MoU will be effective for a period of three years.

"The objective of the MoU will be to improve the overall ecosystem and create a new age platform that will enable the developers to engage with the consumers in a focused manner," Housing.com said in a statement.

CREDAI is the national body of real estate developers associations from across the country. With 11500 members in 154 city chapters spread across 24 states. On the other hand Housing.com is the leading online real estate platform.

Housing.com’s Chief Business Officer Jason Kothari said, "The partnership is a testimony of changing times in the manner developers have been traditionally operating in the real estate space". He further said that the the association would redefine the way developers have been approaching the buyers across India; adding that the alliance would make the real estate community more transparent and consumer centric.

CREDAI National President Getamber Anand said the synergy with Housing.com would help in bringing an additional credibility to the real estate space by way of professional brokering and large footprint.

The MoU provides Housing.com privileges to actively participate and be represented at all events and forums of the association. On the other hand, CREDAI will leverage Housing.com's technology superiority and innovation to create online proliferation for its communities.

Housing.com has raised over USD 100 million in capital from leading investors, including Softbank.

The portal has made some major appointments recently. Rishabh Gupta was appointed as interim CEO in July, while Jason Kothari was appointed as the Chief Business Officer in August to drive the company's growth in India. PTI

IFC, CREDAI Promote Green Buildings in India through EDGE Certification

New Delhi—IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and the Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Associations of India (CREDAI), apex body of private real estate developers, have partnered to promote green buildings in the country through IFC’s EDGE certification.

EDGE stands for ‘Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies’, and is a standard that focuses on energy and water efficiency in buildings. Fast, easy to use, and affordable, EDGE empowers builders and home-owners to choose environment-friendly technical solutions while capturing costs and projected savings. More information is available at www.ifc.org/edge.

CREDAI will encourage its members, including local chapters, to incorporate resource efficiency in their design using EDGE. To qualify for the certification, these efficiencies must result in savings of at least 20 percent in energy, water, and materials over the local standard practices. IFC will train members and share global best practices and knowledge with CREDAI on green building technologies.

“This partnership has the potential to transform the housing market and put India in a leading position to apply a green rating system for homes on a large scale,” said Geetamber Anand, President (Elect), CREDAI, at its “Clean India – Skilled India – Strong India” Conclave. “Only two percent of the buildings are currently resource-efficient, pointing to the huge opportunity.”

By 2050, India will be home to 1.6 billion people and most of this growth will come from cities, where the residential needs will double. This rapid expansion in construction would require buildings that are less resource-intensive yet meets the aspirations of today’s growing middle class.

“Green buildings are a compelling need and IFC will be working in this fast growing Indian market,” said Serge Devieux, IFC’s Regional Director for South Asia. “We aim to help builders introduce cost-effective green features into their designs and work with financial institutions and the government, to support their widespread adoption.”

IFC has invested $600 million in green buildings globally in the last five years. In addition, IFC has ongoing advisory programs in more than 10 countries. In India, IFC’s clients -- VBHC, an affordable housing developer, and SAMHI, a budget business hotel developer -- have benefited from the use of EDGE.