Changing buyer preferences continue to keep Gurugram central to Delhi-NCR’s premium housing market: Star Estate

Buyer interest remains steady across luxury and upper-mid segments as preferences continue to shift

New Delhi, January 07, 2026: As the market enters 2026, Gurugram continues to witness consistent activity in the premium housing segment across Delhi-NCR, while the affordable housing segment remains a laggard. Buyer interest has stayed firm, even as the way homes are assessed and compared continues to evolve. Rather than relying only on size or scale, homebuyers in Gurugram have increasingly been looking at how projects are planned and how they progress on the ground.

Over the past year, construction quality and practical layouts have become part of the evaluation. How a home is likely to hold up and feel to live in is now being considered more carefully, a trend that became more visible during 2025, a period that saw a clear pickup in buying activity after a brief slowdown, according to Star Estate, a leading real estate advisory firm.

Buyers were less focused on size alone and more interested in how projects were planned and executed. Construction progress, layout clarity and long-term usability played a bigger role in decision-making than before.

Commenting on this shift, Mr. Vijay Jain, Director, Star Estate said, “Through our market observations in 2025, we have seen that homebuyers have become far more deliberate and aware. They are spending time understanding layouts, planning quality and how a home will actually function over the years. Size alone is no longer the deciding factor.“

As per recent market reports, Gurugram continued to emerge as a key driver of residential demand in 2025 in the luxury and upper-mid segments. Industry data suggests that in the first half of the year, more than 5,100 luxury homes were sold successfully, with Gurugram accounting for a significant share of these transactions. Demand remained strongest along infrastructure-linked corridors such as the Dwarka Expressway and Southern Peripheral Road.

Adding to this, Mr. Jain noted, “Infrastructure-led locations have clearly seen stronger traction this year. Better-connected corridors saw higher conversion of interest into purchases, especially where social infrastructure was already established.“

Gurugram’s role as a corporate and lifestyle hub continued to support housing demand through the year. The city continued to attract senior professionals, entrepreneurs and business owners, many of whom were end users looking for long-term residences rather than short-term investment opportunities.

According to Mr. Jain, this end-user dominance helped maintain stability in the market through the year. “A large part of demand in Gurugram comes from buyers purchasing homes for self-use. This brings a level of stability and maturity to the market that is not always seen elsewhere,” he said.

Buyer expectations in the premium segment also became more refined this year. Privacy, sensible layouts and daily usability increasingly shaped purchase decisions of the homebuyers. They equally paid closer attention to natural light, space efficiency and how homes felt in everyday use. Highlighting this trend, Mr. Jain added, “We are seeing buyers ask very practical questions. They want homes that feel comfortable and hold their value over time, not just properties that look impressive on paper only.“

Another factor supporting Gurugram’s premium housing demand through 2025 was the presence of multiple residential corridors catering to different buyer profiles.

Established locations such as Golf Course Road, Sohna Road and Dwarka Expressway continued to attract mature end-user demand, while emerging infrastructure-led areas drew interest from buyers with a longer investment horizon. Observing this depth across locations, Mr. Jain said, “The city offers different options for buyers at different stages. This has helped Gurugram sustain demand across market cycles.“

Construction quality and clarity on delivery timelines also played a larger role in buying decisions through the year. Luxury buyers increasingly took a longer view, placing greater emphasis on execution discipline and developer credibility.

Summing up the year’s trend, Mr. Jain said, “With buyers becoming more selective, execution and consistency matter more than ever, the developers who deliver what they promise are the ones building long-term trust.“

As the premium housing market continues to mature, Gurugram is expected to remain a key driver of demand in the Delhi-NCR region, supported by its infrastructure, strong end-user base and evolving buyer preferences.