Kolkata: The city’s housing market saw a mild slowdown in April 2026, but residential registrations remained the second-highest for the month in the last five years, underlining underlying demand resilience. The city also witnessed a clear shift towards larger homes.Apartments sized between 501 sq ft and 1,000 sq ft emerged as the most preferred category, accounting for 59% of total registrations in April 2026, up sharply from 43% a year ago. Simultaneously, the share of homes below 500 sq ft dropped to 30% from 53%, indicating changing buyer preferences.Demand for spacious residences strengthened further in the premium segment. Registrations for apartments larger than 1,000 sq ft rose 179% year-on-year (YoY), reflecting a growing appetite for bigger homes.Data released by Knight Frank India from registrations with the Directorate of Registrations and Stamps Revenue indicated that 4,796 apartments were registered across the Kolkata Metropolitan Area (KMA) during the month, marking a 6% YoY decline and a 5% dip compared with March 2026. The moderation came on the back of a high base in April 2025 and a normalisation in transaction activity after the financial year-end surge.Geographically, north Kolkata continued to lead the market, contributing 39% of total apartment registrations in April 2026. Key locations such as Dum Dum, Khardaha, Baranagar and Barasat drove volumes in the zone. South Kolkata followed with a 34% share, with the two zones together accounting for nearly three-fourths of the city’s total registrations.Among individual locations, Dum Dum topped the list with 348 registrations, followed by Rajarhat at 298 and Khardaha at 277. The top 10 locations together contributed 49% of Kolkata’s total apartment registration volume during the month.The latest trend points to a market that is adjusting after a strong run while continuing to benefit from sustained end-user demand, especially for mid-sized and larger homes in established residential corridors. “The April 2026 registration report indicates that Kolkata’s housing market is gradually shifting towards more spacious homes, with premiumisation emerging as a key trend in the city’s residential sector. Overall, the market continues to demonstrate resilience despite the rising input cost of raw materials,” said Merlin Group MD Saket Mohta.
