Why India’s Richest Families Are Hiring Property Advisors Like Never Before?

Key Takeaways
 

1. Specialised real estate portfolio management firms like Vridanta Advisory and Knight Frank are now targeting India's fast-growing billionaire and UHNI population. They offer active, structured property oversight, moving beyond just hoping prices go up.
    
2. India had 191 billionaires in 2024, with their combined wealth at USD 950 billion (Knight Frank, 2025). Real estate has always held a large share of UHNI portfolios, but professional management of those holdings was largely absent until now.

India’s Billionaire Boom is Unlocking a New Market for Property Advisors

India’s wealthy are growing at a pace that is hard to ignore. According to Knight Frank’s Wealth Report 2026, India’s billionaire population is projected to rise 51% to 313 by 2031. 

The UHNI population, those with assets above USD 30 million, is also set to grow sharply. This has created strong demand for expert help in managing large real estate holdings.

Firms like Vridanta Advisory and Knight Frank are stepping in to fill this gap. They offer structured portfolio management: tracking rental yields, optimising asset mix, and targeting predictable returns. 

The risk, however, is that access to such services remains limited to those at the very top. Smaller HNIs may still be left managing properties on their own, without structured advice.

How Indians Could Feel the Ripple Effect?

The rise of professional real estate management is not just a story about the ultra-rich. When large property portfolios are managed well, it can lift the quality of commercial and rental supply. 

This benefits businesses that rent office spaces and residents who lease homes. A more organised real estate investment culture also helps improve market transparency.

There is a flip side. As top-tier advisory firms focus on UHNI clients, the average property investor gets less attention. 

India Sotheby’s International Realty’s 2025 survey found that 62% of HNIs plan to invest in real estate in the next one to two years. 

Yet most of them lack access to structured portfolio services. The wealth gap in advisory quality remains a real concern.

What Experts are saying About This Shift?

Shishir Baijal, Chairman and Managing Director of Knight Frank India, recently noted that UHNWIs have always viewed real estate as a core part of their portfolio. 

“Over the last 10 years, especially with the REITs coming in, family offices and UHNWIs started allocating funds to commercial real estate. The way commercial real estate is booming today, this year is going to report an absorption of close to 100 million square feet,” he said. He added that demand for real estate in India is not going to slow down.

A Deloitte India report from January 2025 estimates a USD 1.6 trillion AUM growth opportunity for wealth management providers between FY24 and FY29, with demand nearly doubling from USD 1.1 trillion to USD 2.3 trillion. 

Experts say the solution lies in making portfolio management more accessible. Firms that can offer fee-based, transparent services, not just to billionaires but to broader UHNI and HNI segments, will define the next phase of India’s real estate advisory market.