Hyderabad has become a global hub for the real estate sector following the 7th International Real Estate Conference (IREC 2026). The event attracted over 2000 participants from more than 35 countries and took place at HITEX from September 25 to 27.
The conference, organized by the Hyderabad Realtors Association (HRA) in strategic partnership with the National Association of Realtors India (NAR-India), brought together developers, institutional investors, realtors, policymakers, technology leaders, and real estate specialists on one platform.
The event's program included the Global Conference, the IREC Luxury Property Expo, and an Innovation Showcase. Topics discussed covered institutional investments, changing consumer behavior, branded residences, vacation homes, affordable housing, real estate tokenization, cross-border deals, and the growing role of PropTech, artificial intelligence, data, and DeepTech.
Indian Housing Market Remains Resilient
During IREC 2026, the 'Indian Housing Report – September 2026' was presented, which showed that the sales volume of primary housing in Tier-I cities reached ₹3.63 lakh crore in the first half of 2026.
This report, prepared by NAR and CRE Matrix, was based on data from the first half of 2026 and set the value of primary housing sales in India's Tier-I cities at ₹3.63 lakh crore, which is almost identical to the record level recorded in the first half of 2025.
According to the report, 2.58 lakh units of housing were sold in the first half of 2026, representing a decline of approximately 2% year-on-year. Meanwhile, the number of new projects increased by approximately 7%, reaching 2.98 lakh units.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) remained the largest housing market, accounting for about 26% of the total Indian housing value, followed by NCR with a share of 19%. MMR registered approximately ₹93,800 crore in primary housing sales.
Navi Mumbai and Raigad demonstrated a 29% increase in housing value, with volumes rising by approximately 20%. Bengaluru showed a 25% increase in housing value and accounted for about 17% of the national housing value.
Global Perspectives in Hyderabad
IREC 2026 gathered participants and presented views from various markets, including the USA, Dubai, Philippines, Georgia, Canada, Japan, Mongolia, China, Korea, Taiwan, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Vietnam.
Discussions focused on strengthening India's integration with global real estate markets, attracting institutional and international investment, simplifying cross-border transactions, and exploring opportunities to create a more interconnected global real estate market.
The International Real Estate Conference (IREC) 2026 was inaugurated by Majid Sakher Al Marri from the Dubai Land Department. Additionally, Kevin Brown, President of the National Association of Realtors (NAR), opened the IREC Luxury Property Expo.
For Hyderabad, the conference provided an opportunity to examine the city's real estate growth against the backdrop of international investment, urbanization, and technology-driven transformation.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Sumant Reddy, Chairman of NAR-India, noted that the real estate sector is changing faster than the traditional deal cycle, driven by increasingly informed buyers, the influx of global capital, and business-altering technologies.
Mr. D. Sridhar Reddy, founder and former president of HRA and NAR-INDIA, stated that holding IREC in Hyderabad aimed to include the city in a broader global real estate dialogue and ensure that discussions were practical and relevant for professionals across different markets.
Shailender Singh, Chairman of IREC 2026, emphasized that changing buyer preferences, cross-border investments, and new technologies are generating both new opportunities and new challenges for the industry.