The global real estate industry is evolving in response to the changing needs of property investors and users. New investors are moving into real estate from other investment areas, bringing with them fresh ideas and diverse requirements. Property development in all sectors and asset classes are transforming skylines and landscapes in both mature and developing economies. The story is the same within India. A joint report released by CREDAI and CBRE recently claimed that India’s economic transition, workforce expansion and urbanisation will boost investment opportunities in real estate sector in the next decade, leading to significant growth in housing, office, retail and warehousing space. During the launch of this report, CBRE said the sector would expand tremendously by 2030, led by new asset classes such as coworking, coliving, student housing and real estate investment trusts (REITs). It estimated that office space stock will touch one billion sq ft by 2030, with flexible workspace accounting for 8-10 percent of the total stock. The retail shopping centre stock is estimated to cross 120 million sq ft by 2030, while warehousing stock could touch 500 million sq ft by then. By 2030, residential real estate has the potential to almost double from the current stock of 1.5 million units in key cities, the report said. The factors which are expected to facilitate this growth trajectory are investment, improved governance, human capital upgrade, improved connectivity, infrastructure enhancement, strengthened institutions, policy reforms and integrated sustainability of the entire ecosystem. This gives an incentive to law firms and independent practitioners to improve their game in tandem with the increasing demand and changing landscape. This is especially because such projects and transactions usually amount to several crores of rupees, and hence, are high stakes matters. Therefore, clients only look for the best, in order to carry out watertight transactions. The tasks for a real estate law firm or an independent practitioner may include land acquisitions and approvals; project development and redevelopment; private equity and investment in real estate; real estate joint ventures; title search and due diligence; documentation and registration; mortgage; and mortgage loan auditing. Apart from this, collaboration with multiple authorities and experts involved is also of utmost importance. For instance, at several instances, big deals involve experts dealing with investment separately from the real estate bit of it. However, both experts need to work hand in hand for the deal to get through. Similarly, coordination might also have needed from other experts in areas involving environmental law, taxation etc. These practitioners also need to keep themselves up-to-date with the changing landscape of the laws, especially at a time when the government is on a mission to better India’s ease of business ranking. One of the concerns raised in the past has been the country’s complex land laws and difficult regulatory landscape. The government has, however, assured that this was being worked on gradually, with the first steps already having been taken by the Real Estate Regulatory Authority being put in place. At the same time, they must constantly engage with the authorities, in order to ensure smooth functioning of the laws and consequently, their deals.