By -Akash Pharande, Managing Director – Pharande Spaces

India’s real estate market provides many opportunities for home buyers. However, it is not easy to navigate, especially for first-time buyers. With so many options and also varying offers from developers, it is often difficult to decide which property purchase ticks all the right boxes for an individual buyer who has never purchased a property before.

Within this complexity, the psychological phenomena of FOMO – the Fear of Missing Out and FOBO – the Fear of Better Options – play big roles in homebuyer decisions. While FOMO can be advantageous in such decisions, FOBO leads to indecisiveness. This can have potentially harmful results.

FOMO and FOBO – Digging Deeper

FOMO is a state of anxiety induced by the fear that one is missing out on an exciting or lucrative opportunity. In real estate, FOMO is what drives timely purchase decisions. As we know, the best projects sell out quickly and prices are also constantly rising, so FOMO is a positive impulse.

On the other hand, FOBO – the Fear of Better Options – causes aspiring buyers and investors to overanalyze the available options. At any given time, more than just a few properties are available to homebuyers that meet their budget, ideal location and lifestyle expectations.

FOBO tends to paralyze the decision-making process because the buyer is constantly hoping to find a superior alternative even if they have already identified a very suitable option. There is, of course, nothing wrong with having plenty of options, but FOBO tends to get buyers stuck in an endless loop of indecision. This can cause them to miss out on perfectly good properties at acceptable price points.

FOMO Can Be Your Ally

Though FOMO has become a derogatory word on social media, it has its advantages. In the context of residential property, it can induce genuine buyers to make timely decisions. This is very important in a market where the best options are often sold out during promotional launches. Infrastructure development, demand, and escalating development costs are constantly pushing up property prices. Homebuyers who experience FOMO at the right time and act on it are often at an advantage in such a fast-paced market.

In many of our cities, projects in high-demand areas often have limited inventory. Once these options are sold and off the market, there may be no similar options available at such prices for a long time – or ever. FOMO helps buyers to overcome hesitation and act quickly when they see a property that meets their needs and budgets.

Likewise, home loan interest rates can be quite volatile, and they play a major part in the overall cost of acquisition. When interest rates are low, FOMO works to the benefit of buyers by driving them to apply for home loans and closing deals before interest rates go up once more. The same is true for periods of discounts, such as the festive season

First-time homebuyers undergo a lot of anxiety when the time comes to take the plunge. FOMO helps convert this anxiety into productive action. Once buyers finally make their commitment, the fear of missing out goes away and relief takes its place.

FOBO – The Fence-sitter Limbo

In contrast, a state of perpetual indecision leads to stress and regret if good options are missed out on. While FOMO can result in positive action, FOBO tends to freeze the decision-making process altogether. While scouting the housing market for a home, this can have catastrophic consequences.

FOBO results in an endless chase after a ‘better’ property, location, or deal. Buyers in this state of ‘analysis paralysis’ tend to see one favourable option after the other snapped up by someone else, or become too costly for them to buy.

With FOBO, a buyer who finds a home in a good area, in a project by a good developer, and at a price they can afford, will entirely miss the bus as they perpetually look for a better deal. By the time they circle back to the previous option, it is often too late.

The endless search for the ‘ideal’ option in a world where perfection is a myth only results in emotional distress and lost opportunities. Yes, the housing market is replete with options, but no single home buyer can – or should aspire to – inspect them all. Buyers with FOBO are invariably frustrated, confused people who cannot make up their minds on anything of significance.

In real estate, time is money and you can’t afford to lose either. A delay of even a couple of months can mean a substantial increase in property prices due to demand, inflation, or other market factors. FOBO’s inability to commit to a decision often results in missed chances to lock in properties at favourable prices or lower interest rates.

Over time, these costs add up, making the eventual purchase far more expensive than it would have been had the decision been made earlier.

Finding the Middle Ground

That said, there is also a healthy balance of FOMO and FOBO possible. It’s just a matter of finding that mid-point. Even if there is a sense of urgency, a buyer must not make hasty decisions and do his or her due diligence.

It is certainly important to see as many properties as is feasibly possible. This should not be a hurried process. It is best to set oneself a timeline within which a decision will be made. Usually, a month of dedicated searching is ample time. It is also important to factor in market conditions and to take professional advice before signing on any dotted line.

You want to leverage the urgency of FOMO and turn it into positive energy – but set realistic criteria. A buyer should have a list of ‘must-haves’ to refer to, and should not over-extend their budget. Set a limit to how big your shortlist should be.

If it starts getting endless, FOBO has taken over and it is time to snap out of it. You’re looking for a home that makes you happy, which you can afford, and which will appreciate well over time. Once you’ve found this home, make sure that you know that your hunt is over.