Buy Or Rent A House? Investor And CEO's Clash Over Indian Real Estate Is Trending

In India’s ever-evolving real estate market, prospective homebuyers often face the dilemma of whether to rent or buy a house. This debate has persisted for years, with industry professionals weighing in on both sides. However, emotional factors frequently overshadow financial considerations in the final decision.

Recently, a new discussion has emerged on social media, sparked by an investor’s post on X (formerly Twitter) and a CEO’s strong counter-argument. The investor highlighted the benefits of renting, while the CEO fiercely defended homeownership as the superior option.

It all began with an X post from Kiran Rajput, an investor as per his bio. He regularly talks about how he created a fortune and handled his finances. “50 years back aspiration of the middle class to have their own house. Even today aspiration of the middle class is to have a house first. One of the reasons why many middle class remain middle class,” the post was captioned by Kiran Rajput, an individual investor.

Reposting Kiran Rajput’s message, Aman Goel, CEO and co-founder of GreyLabs AI, criticised the investor. “Nothing is worse than being kicked out by your landlord just because someone else paid them 10 per cent higher rent. Don’t listen to Finfluencers. Being able to live under your roof is a privilege. If you can afford a house, buy one. Just ensure that you don’t get into a debt trap,” Goel said.

Kiran Rajput later defended his statement in another X post, writing, “Not having your own house is a social stigma, a taboo. Few courageous middle class break those boundaries & elevate their family from middle-class struggle. I get abused when I say: I don’t have a house. Btw I am not an influencer, I am here to share my failures & learnings.”

Kiran Rajput’s post on buying vs renting a house was shared on August 4 and it has collected over 2 lakh views. The post generated a heated debate on X, with many condemning the investor’s statements. Several users claimed that purchasing a home provides peace of mind and stability, but just a handful agreed.

A user said, “House is about relaxing and knowing that even if you lose a job or share market tanks by 60 per cent you have a place to live.”

Another commented, “People who have lived in rented flats understand how crucial it is to have their own home.”

What are your thoughts on this viral discussion?