D06 · Demand generation
NRI sales desk: selling Mumbai real estate across time zones
NRI demand for Mumbai real estate is substantial and persistently badly served. The failure is almost never interest. It is logistics: a call returned twelve hours late, a site visit nobody can attend, a document that needs wet-ink attestation, a remittance question nobody will answer clearly.
- Coverage
- GCC, Singapore, UK, US, East Africa
- Response
- Within the buyer's working hours
- Covers
- Verification, PoA, remittance, loans
- Coordination
- With the buyer's CA and counsel
NRI Sales Desk, in brief
An NRI sales desk handles the specific operational requirements of non-resident buyers: response within their working hours, remote site verification, FEMA-compliant payment routing through NRE/NRO accounts, power of attorney execution, TDS and repatriation coordination, and home loan facilitation. Most NRI transactions fail on these logistics rather than on demand.
The logistics are the product
A buyer in Dubai looking at a Thane project has the same questions as a buyer in Thane, plus a set of additional ones that nobody answers well: how do I pay for this from an NRE account, who signs at registration if I cannot fly, what TDS applies when I eventually sell, and how do I get the proceeds out.
These are answerable. They require coordination between the buyer's chartered accountant, the lender, the developer's legal team and the registration process — which is exactly the coordination a general sales team is not set up to do. Left unanswered, an interested buyer simply stops responding, and the developer records it as a cold lead.
- Payment routing through NRE, NRO or FCNR accounts, correctly sequenced
- Power of attorney drafted, attested and consularised in the right order
- Registration representation where the buyer cannot travel
- TDS treatment understood before purchase, not at sale
- Repatriation limits and documentation mapped in advance
Remote verification, done properly
An NRI buyer cannot walk the site, and a curated video tour is not verification. We conduct structured remote verification: live unrehearsed walkthroughs at the buyer's request, construction-stage photography against the claimed milestone, RERA filing review, approval status confirmation, and an honest read on the micro-market rather than the developer's narrative.
This is the part that builds enough confidence for a large remote transaction. It also means occasionally telling an NRI buyer that the project they are excited about has an approval problem — which is the point of having an adviser rather than a salesperson.
What we are not
We coordinate with the buyer's chartered accountant and counsel on FEMA, taxation and repatriation. We do not provide tax opinions, legal opinions or regulated financial advice, and NRI transactions in particular should not be run on generic guidance found online or given informally by a sales team.
Where an NRI buyer does not have Indian advisers, we will introduce qualified ones and step back from that part of the transaction.
Scope
What the engagement covers.
- 01Time-zone-aligned enquiry response
- 02Remote site and project verification
- 03Video walkthroughs and live site visits
- 04Micro-market and comparable briefing
- 05FEMA-compliant payment routing guidance
- 06NRE, NRO and FCNR account coordination
- 07Power of attorney drafting and attestation process
- 08Home loan facilitation with Indian lenders
- 09TDS, capital gains and repatriation coordination
- 10Registration and possession representation
- 11Post-possession property management referral
Deliverables
What you receive.
Time-zone-aligned response
Enquiries answered within the buyer's working hours, with a named point of contact rather than a rotating queue.
Remote verification pack
Unrehearsed live walkthroughs, construction-stage evidence, RERA filing review and approval status confirmation.
Transaction roadmap
Payment routing, PoA sequence, documentation checklist, registration plan and timeline, mapped before commitment.
Lender and adviser coordination
Home loan facilitation with Indian lenders and coordination with the buyer's CA and counsel on FEMA and tax.
Method
How we run it.
Four stages, each with a defined output. Nothing proceeds on momentum.
- 01
Brief, don't pitch
Micro-market read, comparable evidence and an honest view of the shortlist before any project is pushed.
- 02
Verify remotely
Live walkthroughs, construction evidence, RERA and approval review — conducted for the buyer, not for the developer.
- 03
Map the transaction
Payment routing, PoA, documentation and registration sequence agreed with the buyer's advisers before commitment.
- 04
Execute and represent
Registration representation, possession inspection and handover to property management if required.
Outcomes
What changes.
- Response inside the buyer's working day, from a named contact
- Verification that is evidence, not a curated video
- A transaction roadmap agreed before money moves
- Payment routing and documentation sequenced correctly the first time
- Representation at registration without a flight
Questions
NRI Sales Desk: frequently asked.
Can an NRI buy residential property in India?
Under current FEMA rules, NRIs and persons of Indian origin may generally acquire residential and commercial immovable property in India, with agricultural land, plantation property and farmhouses excluded. Rules change and individual circumstances differ, so this should be confirmed with your chartered accountant for your specific status before you transact — we coordinate that conversation rather than substitute for it.
How should an NRI pay for property in India?
Through normal banking channels — typically inward remittance or funds held in an NRE, NRO or FCNR account — and not in foreign currency cash or traveller's cheques. The correct account and sequence depends on how you intend to hold and eventually repatriate, which is why it should be decided before the first payment rather than after.
Do I need to travel to India to register the purchase?
Not necessarily. A properly executed and attested power of attorney can allow representation at registration. The PoA has to be drafted for the specific transaction and attested or consularised correctly in your country of residence, and getting that sequence wrong is a common cause of delay — so it is worth starting early.
Can NRIs get a home loan in India?
Yes, most major Indian lenders offer NRI home loans, generally with different tenure, loan-to-value and documentation requirements than resident loans, and repayment usually routed through NRE or NRO accounts. We facilitate the process with lenders; sanction terms are theirs to set.
What happens to TDS and capital gains when I sell?
Sales by non-residents attract TDS at rates that differ from resident sellers, and the eventual capital gains treatment depends on holding period and available reliefs. It is far easier to plan for at purchase than to unwind at sale, which is why we raise it early. Your chartered accountant should confirm the position for your circumstances.
Related capabilities
- Performance MarketingFull-funnel paid demand with CRM-level attribution, managed to cost per booking rather than cost per lead.
- Private Client AdvisoryDiscreet representation for families and family offices — acquisition, disposal, portfolio review and settlement support.
- Investment AdvisoryIndependent underwriting of real estate opportunities — entry price, exit liquidity, structure and what could go wrong.
- Property ConsultancyA defined engagement on a single property question — including the short ones that do not need a full mandate.
- Transaction ManagementCoordination of diligence, conditions, advisers and documentation so a signed deal actually completes.
- Project Sales ManagementA fully staffed, fully governed sales function on your site — deployed, trained, measured and managed to a funnel, not a headcount.
NRI Sales Desk
Bring us the decision, not the deadline.
The earlier we are involved, the more value there is to protect. Tell us where the project stands and we will tell you what we think.