From a small set-up at home in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, Investors Clinic (IC) currently enjoys a pan-India presence, with 15 offices across the country. “Our effective solution, good after-sales service and satisfied customers have earned us a strong reputation in the competitive real estate industry,” says Sunny Katiyal, co-founder and director at IC during an exclusive interview.

At present, the company is planning aggressive expansion and have also expanded their line of business by entering into real estate development. “We have already developed Sanskriti, a 600-apartment residential complex spread across 5 acres in Noida extension. Besides, we are building Regal Emporium — a commercial realty including office, retail and multiplexes.”

In 2010, the company was awarded the coveted Glory of India Award for commendable performance and contribution to the domestic property industry.

“Since inception in 2006, we have grown five times every year and expect to clock more than Rs 100-crore turnover in 2010-11. We have recently signed in cricketer Yuvraj Singh as our brand ambassador,” adds Katiyal confidently.

What was the idea behind setting up IC?

There was as such no planning, except the dream to do big in the dynamic real estate industry. So we started from our house in Moradabad in April 2006 and in December opened an office in Noida Sector 18 to run the business properly.

What were the initial challenges?

Back in 2006, people in the NCR were not interested in pre-launch booking and so we could manage to seal only one or two bookings in the initial months. This prompted us to educate the customers and drive off their apprehensions on the same. Over the last 4 years, we sold more than 20,000 properties across India.

What are the core values of your company?

We do not believe in selling properties, rather we focus on creating a strong bond with our customers and this has helped us to grow.

What is the next big picture for the company?

By 2011, we plan to open 30 more offices across India, besides taking our manpower strength to 1,500 from present 800. To take our business to new heights, we intend to set up franchise outlets known as IC World and have around 200 such outlets across India by the end of this year.

What is your outlook for the Indian real estate market in 2011?

The year 2011 will remain strong for the Indian real estate industry. The demand for budget housing in tier II cities across major locations will witness a spurt. Moreover, tier I cities will have a fair demand for premium housing.

Where do you like to see IC after 5 years?

We want to emerge as one of the best developers in India over the next 5 years.

Share with us some useful tips for start-up property firms?

To put it simply, it would be as follows:
•Understand customer needs 
•Focus on after-sales service