Land acquisition dilemma in a new city? Here is a simple and effective solution!

Yes. Ask the cabbie or hired car to take a rain check and drive yourself 

If you are planning to acquire land in a new city to start some sort of a real estate venture, or even starting your consultancy/ brokerage set up, you need to first understand the city. A great place to start is to buy a tourist map of the city (the ttk editions of these city maps are really nice) and scribble and sketch on them to ascertain which directions and places the city is growing towards.

Most real estate expansions happen with some solid on ground recce to begin with. Builders have friends and other well known builders who are approached first to get a feedback about the city and it's real estate market. If you are past those basic checks and are now in the process of scouting for land, this is a revelation.

The one thing that makes a great real estate professional is the individual's ability to feel the city and not just know the names of the growth zones and upcoming residential/ commercial/ retail hubs. Someone may say that the future is in place X, for example. You may reach there are feel the same. Or maybe not. But almost all the time, you will not be sure. The conviction will be amiss. Going around the new city from your hotel or guest house day after day may still be illusive as far as the layout of the place in your head goes. Every time you step out, you just get that feeling that you know the place a little better now. Okay, so now you recognize a few landmarks as well. But at this rate, it could take you weeks and months to map the new place in your mind and actually evaluate it with your honed real estate instincts! Exactly what needs to be done to get results.

Here is a simple solution;

Once you have done the first few drives around the city, ask the cab to take a rain check, get hold of a car, wake up at 6 AM and drive out yourself, preferably alone or with a colleague who is equally new to this city. As you take this seemingly stupid step and are a half hour into the drive, you will realize that you are having fun. In a couple of hours, you will start understanding the city better and the moment you have seen your hotel back again, you will know what we are talking about. The feeling is magical. It is like finishing that huge jigsaw puzzle. The satisfaction is immense. The decision making, from here on should be great because you will have conviction. In real estate, skill, without conviction is mostly a waste.

Cheers!

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