Mr. & Mrs. Kumar are in a dilemma. A few years ago, they were on the hunt for a spacious apartment in Mumbai. At the brink of retirement, they wished to move away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre, but still have access to some conveniences. They came across an advertisement for a sprawling new township on the outskirts of the city. The advertisement spoke about world-class amenities, spacious apartments and scenic views. Believing this would be the right fit for them, they decided to visit the site office. However, upon doing so, they were in for a rude shock.

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Most of the amenities mentioned were still under construction or stalled. The spacious apartments felt cramped and lacked proper ventilation. The general peace and quiet was marred by traffic jams and hawkers in the area. The surrounding construction made the location feel noisy, dusty and not the least bit peaceful. After this, they visited several other heavily advertised projects only to meet with a similar feeling of discontentment. Mr. & Mrs. Kumar’s story is not unique.

Think of how someone first becomes aware of a real estate project. Leading newspapers often carry full page advertorials for up-coming residential projects. It is common to find billboards in a city displaying real estate advertisements. Most of us receive a couple of calls a week discussing a new project launch. Within the digital space, one often receives messages and emails about under constructions projects in the area. What online and offline advertisements have in common is the scant information they provide.

When observed objectively one can find that most real estate advertisements provide little to no data about the actual apartment or project. They usually only contain stock images of futuristically designed buildings, extravagant lobbies and an obnoxiously long list of common amenities. While these ads hit the nail on the head in terms of evoking the right sentiment, they do little to give us an accurate understanding of the perceived benefits or possible pitfalls of the project in question. More so, it tells us nothing about the micro-location or gentry.

It can be hugely disappointing to find luxury apartments nestled between the densest of slums or regular traffic jams right outside the building gate. Worse still if the surrounding areas are not sanitary or encroached upon by hawkers. Aspects like constructions sites, open nullahs and overflowing garbage dumps in the vicinity can make residents more vulnerable to air and water borne diseases. Having a crematorium, religious establishment, schools or hospitals next door can indirectly attribute to higher air and noise pollution, thereby hampering your quality of life.

Similarly, within a project, varied gentry on account of multiple configurations or a high density of apartments can bring about its own challenges. Projects with several amenities can increase your monthly maintenance costs. Parking slots if provided far away from your apartment or in the form of stilt parking or puzzle parking can be highly inconvenient. If the actual flat you receive does not have adequate natural light or ventilation, you might feel cooped up even in an otherwise large apartment.

Whether done as a distraction tactic or simply as a ploy to appeal to our sentiments, most real estate advertisements digress from what is important and meaningful and instead focus on only lofty aesthetics. Regardless of the builder or location, they usually look the same with glossy images and a promise of a luxurious life. What gets missed out in the barrage of promotional material is actionable intelligence. There is no mention of the pin code, details about the micro localities or any mention of the surrounding areas. They almost always fail to provide an accurate picture of the actual location of the project.

Real estate is primarily about location because it weighs heavily on the quality of life we can hope to have when living in an apartment. It determines the time taken to go to and fro from work, the conveniences available nearby, social status in the case of premium locations and a sense of belonging and community living. Even if a project can provide a good apartment and amenities but is located in a place that is largely inaccessible or has an odd gentry, most people will think twice before investing. Therefore, information about the location should be an integral part of the advertisement pitch, rather than just a side note.