With attractive deals, real estate becomes buyers' market amid Covid-19

Potential buyers face risks on two counts. The first is a possible salary cut or even job loss

Just before the lockdown began, Ritesh Chandra managed to sell his ancestral house in Uttar Pradesh. To avoid paying capital gains tax, this Delhi-based financial professional plans to reinvest the proceeds in another property in the National Capital Region (NCR), Lucknow or Jaipur. He has searched online and prepared a list of prospective sellers. “I am waiting for the lockdown to end and will then do on-the-ground due diligence,” says Chandra.

Like him, thousands of prospective buyers across the country have been stymied in their efforts to purchase a house. A survey conducted by real estate portal Magicbricks in the