- More than half of NRIs selling Indian homes plan to transfer proceeds overseas instead of reinvesting domestically.
- Residential assets bought between 2010 and 2019 comprise sixty percent of the current sale pipeline.
- Repatriation remains subject to one million dollar annual limits per financial year through NRO accounts.
Remittor released the Remittor Annual NRI Wealth Report 2026 on July 29, saying more than half of Non-Resident Indians planning to sell Indian homes want to transfer the sale proceeds overseas rather than reinvest in Indian real estate. The report frames the money as exit capital, not fresh buying fuel. Remittor is a Vancouver-based cross-border wealth transfer platform.
The company based its findings on about 150 NRI client engagements, mostly in North America. The sample leans heavily toward homes, not plots or commercial space. Most of the pipeline is residential. The report also says a large share of those assets were bought during India’s peak NRI buying cycle in the 2010s.
The exits are moving quickly. A large bloc of owners wants out now, and another wave plans to sell soon. Many are not chasing another Indian property purchase. They want to pay down mortgages in their country of residence, fund children’s education, build retirement savings or move money into global financial products.
"Properties acquired during India's major NRI investment wave between 2010 and 2022 are now entering a liquidity phase, as owners evaluate them against mortgages abroad, retirement planning needs, education spends, portfolio diversification goals, and evolving tax obligations."
Nair said the shift is not a panic move. He described it as a deliberate allocation decision. That change shows up in where the assets sit, too. Maharashtra leads the list, followed by Delhi-NCR, Kerala, Gujarat and Karnataka. Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Noida, Greater Noida, Gurugram and Bengaluru all appear in the activity map.
"The trend reflects a more deliberate approach to wealth allocation rather than panic selling. Indian property has historically served NRIs as both an investment and a fallback asset, but its role is changing as many settle long term abroad. these assets now help NRIs optimise their wealth portfolios back home."
Banks still route sale proceeds through NRO accounts
Paperwork comes first. Indian property sale proceeds for NRIs generally land in an NRO account before any outward remittance. The process also runs through the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). Banks ask for Form 15CA and Form 15CB, and the sale attracts Tax Deducted at Source (TDS). Repatriation of sale proceeds is generally permitted for up to two residential properties without special RBI approval.
| Report measure | Figure | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| More than half of sellers | More than half | Plan to transfer the sale proceeds overseas |
| Immediate sellers | 46% | Want to sell immediately |
| Near-term sellers | 26% | Plan to sell within the next 6 months |
| Diversification motive | Nearly half | Want to diversify their property investments in India |
| Property type | 89% | Properties in the sale pipeline are residential assets |
| Purchase vintage | More than 60% | Bought between 2010 and 2019 |
NoBroker’s Real Estate Report 2025, updated early 2026, said prices remain elevated while affordability has reached its limits for many domestic buyers. That mix creates a potential liquidity window for NRIs. The window may not stay open for long.
