A methodology for identifying critical factors influencing land value in urban areas: a case study of Kerala, India

Purpose Land value is a measure of the specific features of a property, excluding buildings and other developments. Land value varies depending on the economic, geographic and political aspects of a particular location. The primary purpose of the paper is to identify the general and location-specific attributes impacting property prices in urban Kerala. Design/methodology/approach The objective of the current study was achieved through a three-cycle Delphi survey and relative importance index (RII) approach. The experts who aided in the survey had a mutual interest in the subject but came from different backgrounds like property valuation, real estate, urban and environmental planning. The initial group of variables identified from the literature was expanded and scrutinized in the first cycle of the Delphi survey. The variables were grouped into five major categories and 13 subcategories based on the literature and expert opinion. In the subsequent stages, the short-listed variables were rated on a seven-point Likert scale until a consensus was attained. The top-ranked variables were identified through the RII method as the critical factors influencing land value in urban Kerala. Findings The results indicate that road accessibility and proximity to nuisance sources are the most crucial parameters. The outcome of the study will provide a better understanding of the dynamics of land value and the influencing factors in urban areas. Originality/value Previous studies do not give much consideration for the location-specific variability on the influencing parameters. Property management research has not considered the usage of expert opinion and RII for variable selection.