Bahria Town

Bahria Town: Overview

Bahria Town, officially known as Bahria Town (Pvt) Ltd. is by far the largest real estate developer of Pakistan. In fact, the housing project primarily aimed for middle- and higher-middle class families, is also recognized as the largest private housing scheme in Asia. Bahria Town boasts establishments in Rawalpindi (Phase I to 8), Islamabad (Bahria Enclave, Phase 2 to 7), Karachi, Murree, Lahore and Nawabshah. Many rumors have surfaced in the market about the launch of Bahria Town Peshawar, but the news cannot be confirmed so far.

In the twin cities alone, Bahria Town's net worth is more than $6 billion where the Bahria Town community was first established over nine phases, which are capable of meeting the housing needs of more than 1 million people.

Bahria Town is a popular housing community known to offer unparalleled living standards, safe environment, round-the-clock security, gated community, worldclass education and healthcare infrastructure, entertainment and dining, and more. Additionally, the society is self-sufficient in meeting the power needs of its residents.

Given Pakistan's fragile security system, housing communities, such as Bahria Town offer a safe living environment with drastically lower crime rate than most other housing communities and developments in the country. While Bahria Town enjoys top popularity in the country, a number of rival developers, such as Defence Housing Authority also offer similar gated communities adjacent to the main cities of Pakistan. In fact, DHA recently announced the launch of DHA Peshawar,

Bahria Town employs more than 35000 employees. It also owns the largest fleet of heavy equipment and service workshops.

Bahria Town currently has several housing projects in the pipeline. Some are in the process of gaining maturity. Others, such as Bahria Town Lahore have mainly been completed, with new, small-scale development works and project carried out every now and then.

Malik Riaz, Founder and ex-Chairman, is the driving force behind Bahria Town. His vision was to create a housing project for the middle-class Pakistanis. Today, Malik Riaz is one of the wealthiest and most influential Pakistanis alive.

Bahria Town has amassed ;several awards, including the Asia Pacific Property Awards. It has been featured in many local and international newspapers and magazines.

At the same time, Bahria Town has also been subject to controversies from time to time. Reports have surfaced about alliances of Bahria Town with the powerful military of the country. Malik Riaz is also blamed for illegal encroachment of land.

Bahria Town: Case Studies

Bahria Enclave

Like any other market, Bahria Town has its periods of highs and lows from the investment standpoint. Some experts believe that the company has lately been very aggressive in launching successive housing projects in the major cities of Pakistan but failed to deliver results on ground. Bahria Enclave II was launched more than 2 years ago, but investors who decided to invest their money in the project are still unsure of the fate of their investment. Even the NOC of Bahria Enclave II hasn't been cleared by CDA yet. Thousands of plots have been sold by Bahria Town in Enclave II, which shockingly doesn't even have any legal presence in Islamabad. In fact, CDA recently listed Bahria Enclave as an unauthorized housing scheme in Islamabad on its website.

DHA Valley

DHA Valley project was launched in 2008 and an estimated 50,000 plots were sold on the market. It was later discovered the Bahria Town was involved in the launch of DHA Valley. As of 2015, there are no signs of development of DHA Valley. In November 2015, Bahria Town asked investors of DHA Valley to get their plots transferred to Bahria Town Karachi or Phase-8 of Bahria Town Rawalpindi.

Bahria Town needs to take a serious note of these lapses to regain the trust and confidence of investors.

Investing in Bahria Town

If you're looking to invest in Bahria Town or any other lucrative housing project, you must understand the risks that are involved. While there are many successful projects of the company that offer safe return on investment, some projects are very risky and may get your funds stuck for a long period of time.

As a thumb-rule, you should consult expert advice when investing in Bahria Town. Look for reputable real estate agents with sound experience in Bahria Town-related transactions. Ensure that the real estate experts have had presence in Bahria Town for the past 5 to 6 years, if not more. They must also have demonstrable experience of earning profitable returns for other investors on their panel. Finalize the terms with the real estate agent you're consider. Typically, real estate agents partner with investors to hunt the hottest deals in Bahria Town. Upon purchasing a good deal, the agent then markets it aggressively with the hope of selling it for a decent return. The profit is shared between the investor and the agent according to the agreed terms.

By partnering with an experienced and reputable property consultant in Bahria Town, you get to maximize your return on investment. A legitimate consultant will take you through the entire process, and provide comprehensive feasibility report of different investment vehicles in Bahria Town to choose the best option in your budget. If you have are looking to invest in several products, the consultant can help you shape your investment portfolio, allowing you to rotate your real estate assets in the market to yield repetitive returns.