How farmlands become a real estate goldmine—no trading, no flipping, just waiting and being patient

By Bricksnwall | 2025-10-30

Two decades ago, when most middle-class families in Delhi-NCR were buying gold or small apartments, one family did something different: they bought three bighas of farmland in Noida for ₹6 lakh. That land and its reinvestments are now worth more than ₹5 crore, some 20 years later.

A Reddit user talked about how his parents' early investment paid off over time. The Noida Authority bought the land in 2009 and paid the family ₹23 lakh, which is roughly four times what they paid for it. They got an extra ₹15 lakh when the payout was changed in 2013.

The family didn't consume the money; they put it back into the business. They bought a piece of property in Greater Noida West from the Noida Authority and also bought farms close to the new Jewar Airport. Since then, both properties have become much more valuable.

That identical piece of farmland is now worth ₹4 crore, and the plot near Jewar is for ₹1.4 crore. No trading. No flipping. No EMIs. "Just land, patience, and timing," the message said.

Families who used to own farms on the outskirts of cities suddenly found themselves sitting on great real estate as cities moved outward.

"Everything is 100 times bigger in 20 years."

A Reddit user from Hisar, Haryana, said, "My parents bought the land for our house for ₹10–11 lakh in 2000." It's worth ₹17–18 crore now. Another person indicated that agricultural values in areas near Hisar have gone up to ₹15–20 crore.

But some people said that these kinds of valuations don't always turn into cash. One Redditor said, "There's no liquidity at those prices unless the land has commercial potential." They also said that even prime plots in Jaipur often sit unsold even though they are asking for a lot of money.

Another person talked about two different experiences in Jaipur: "One of our plots is in a fantastic residential area but is too tiny for a builder. We keep getting offers on the other one, which is big and in a business area.

Things we learned from the past

One Redditor said, "Real estate was the way to go for our parents' generation." “Sadly, it might not be for the next 25 years. It takes an average person 20 years of their pay to buy a home today, which is not possible.

Some people disagreed, saying that the problem isn't the asset class but how impatient people are these days. One person said, "Real estate will always be the way to go." "Our generation just doesn't have the time or the knowledge." We depend on the buzz on social media instead of looking for future development areas.

Some people on Reddit also questioned the timings, especially the allegation that investments in Jewar Airport were made before 2018, when the project was officially revealed. But even skeptics agreed with the general principle behind real estate investments: that India's landowners have often made a lot of money through government-led development, infrastructural expansion, or just urban sprawl.

India's prosperity comes from its land

Reddit users said that government purchases, new highways, industrial corridors, and airports have regularly turned ignored lands into assets worth crores.

One person on Reddit said, "Land value always goes up over time." No matter what tier city you invest in, it will grow. The most important thing is to hold on long enough.

Redditors pointed out that India's real estate boom was never just about skyscrapers or luxury towers. It was a pattern that could be seen in farmlands outside Noida and sleepy suburbs in Hisar and Jaipur. It was about families who quietly wagered on the outskirts and won big..

What real estate experts say is this:

When you buy land, you have the option to develop, hold, or sell it later for a profit. Experts say that plots don't give you rental money right away, but they do tend to go up in value over time.

Real estate analysts believe that plotted developments in Bengaluru are growing steadily at a rate of 15% to 20% per year. However, returns vary depending on the location, the developer's reputation, and the quality of the infrastructure.

"Appreciation mostly depends on where the plot is and who is developing it," said Manjesh S Rao, Chief Real Estate Officer at BrokerInBlue. "When investing in land, buyers should look for gated layouts with good connectivity and planned amenities. That's much more likely to give them good returns."

Source: Hindustan Times