Kolkata residential sales buck national trend with 5% growth in Q1

Kolkata: The city's residential market held its ground in the first quarter of 2026, registering a 5% increase in sales even as overall housing sales across India's eight leading markets declined 4%. Kolkata recorded 4,043 units sold in Q1 2026, with new launches during the quarter standing at 3,475 units.Weighted average residential prices rose 3% year on year to Rs 5,937 per sq ft, up from Rs 5,748 per sq ft in Q1 2025. Market health indicators also improved: unsold inventory declined 7% to 19,062 units from 20,595 units a year earlier, while the quarters-to-sell metric improved to 4.4 from 5 in the same period last year.Affordable and mid-income housing continued to anchor demand. Homes priced below Rs 50 lakh remained the largest contributor to sales, accounting for 37% of total transactions with 1,514 units sold, despite a 5% year-on-year decline in the segment. The Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore bracket followed closely, contributing 36% of total sales with 1,465 units — an 8% year-on-year increase.Further up the price ladder, the Rs 1 crore to Rs 2 crore category recorded strong growth of 50% year on year to 660 units. At the premium end, the Rs 5 crore–10 crore segment saw a sharp 163% year-on-year rise to 50 units, while the Rs 10 crore–20 crore category recorded 13 units sold during the quarter.