https://www.scmp.com/rss/502875/feed Latest news and analysis about housing and property in Asia, covering sales, market outlook and investment trends, policies related to affordability and foreign ownership, and the performance of developers. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan does not mince his words. In an interview with Reuters on March 23, he said Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz was, “in a sense, an Asian crisis”. Many industry experts agree with him. Before the war in Iran erupted, China, India, Japan and South Korea accounted for 75 per cent of oil and 59 per cent of liquefied natural gas (LNG) flows through the strait. In a report on March 6, Nomura said Asia was the “epicentre of the energy... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3349119/why-asias-data-centres-are-insulated-iran-energy-shock?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3349119/why-asias-data-centres-are-insulated-iran-energy-shock?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 08:30:07 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat Once dubbed the world’s tallest abandoned skyscraper, Goldin Finance 117 in northern China appears to be in the homestretch of a marathon construction effort – after nearly a decade of dormancy and a year of resumed work – even as the nation’s property market struggles to leg out a sustained recovery. Late last month, workers began installing a diamond-shaped crown on top of the building – designed to be 596 metres (1,955 feet) tall upon completion – in the port city of Tianjin, according to... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3348901/chinas-long-delayed-skyscraper-goldin-finance-117-nears-completion-amid-property-woes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3348901/chinas-long-delayed-skyscraper-goldin-finance-117-nears-completion-amid-property-woes?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 06:00:11 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro Spare a thought for investors seeking shelter from the energy shock caused by the war in Iran. There are no sanctuaries. Government bonds, a traditional beneficiary of a flight to safety, have fallen in response to fears central banks will be forced to raise interest rates to combat a surge in inflation. Even gold, long viewed as a refuge in times of geopolitical uncertainty, has fallen about 15 per cent this month following a blistering rally. The safe haven credentials of Dubai have taken a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3348353/japans-property-market-well-placed-withstand-iran-war-energy-shock?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3348353/japans-property-market-well-placed-withstand-iran-war-energy-shock?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 08:30:10 +0000 Cheryl Arcibal Cheryl Arcibal Hongkongers Oscar and Stella Chan, a couple in their late 60s, have little interest in moving into a traditional residential care home. The retired civil servants rent a flat in Ma On Shan in the New Territories and, while they acknowledge that ageing at home is not always “as straightforward as it sounds”, they believe conventional care homes can “feel restrictive”. “If my financial situation and health allow, I would much prefer not to stay in a residential care home for the elderly,” Oscar... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3348254/hong-kongs-ageing-challenge-singapores-kampung-admiralty-model-answer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3348254/hong-kongs-ageing-challenge-singapores-kampung-admiralty-model-answer?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 07:30:08 +0000 Peggy Ye Peggy Ye Major Hong Kong developers Henderson Land Development and Kerry Properties both reported mixed 2025 results, with stronger home sales partly offsetting softer rental income and a subdued commercial property market. The earnings underscored how the city’s developers are shifting focus towards projects that can still generate cash flow, mainly high-end housing in Hong Kong and top-tier mainland cities, while waiting for offices and retail to recover. Recent geopolitical tensions, including the... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3347616/hong-kongs-henderson-land-trims-dividend-iran-clouds-outlook-china-slump-lingers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3347616/hong-kongs-henderson-land-trims-dividend-iran-clouds-outlook-china-slump-lingers?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 11:51:28 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro Last week, the energy shock caused by the war in Iran showed signs of becoming a full-blown financial and economic crisis. The attacks on energy infrastructure across the Middle East, coupled with soaring prices of crucial refined petroleum products such as diesel and jet fuel, forced investors to start pricing in a prolonged disruption to supply and a contraction in demand. Even if the Strait of Hormuz reopens sooner than anticipated, the scale of the damage to energy assets in the Persian Gulf... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3347540/war-induced-interest-rate-shocks-unlikely-upset-asias-property-markets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3347540/war-induced-interest-rate-shocks-unlikely-upset-asias-property-markets?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 08:30:09 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro As the war in the Middle East enters its third week, hopes for a swift end to the conflict have evaporated. Assessments of the economic consequences are much more dire than they were even a week ago. In a report on March 12, the International Energy Agency said the war “is creating the largest energy supply disruption in the history of the global oil market”. Iran’s de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz – a critical maritime chokepoint that handles around one quarter of global seaborne oil... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3346705/why-asias-crisis-hardened-hotel-sector-can-withstand-iran-war-shock?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3346705/why-asias-crisis-hardened-hotel-sector-can-withstand-iran-war-shock?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 08:30:10 +0000 Aileen Chuang,Peggy Ye Aileen Chuang,Peggy Ye For Hong Kong’s Topaz Family Office, investing in hotels in Japan holds up as a sound decision even as a Middle East war clouds the macroeconomic environment. The wealth manager has made Japan a central plank of its pivot into hospitality and real estate over the past two years, driven by a sharp post-pandemic tourism rebound. The investment thesis now looks increasingly robust thanks to multiple structural tailwinds and a growing pool of institutional capital flowing into the same trade. “Japan... https://www.scmp.com/business/markets/article/3346535/japan-hotels-keep-luring-hong-kong-families-global-investors-despite-geopolitical-strains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/markets/article/3346535/japan-hotels-keep-luring-hong-kong-families-global-investors-despite-geopolitical-strains?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 03:00:10 +0000 Nicole Chan Nicole Chan Across Asia’s densest cities, the milestones of adulthood are quietly shifting. Couples share kitchens with parents. Some wait years on public housing lists. Others secure a flat before thinking about a ring. In some cases, keys come before vows. Increasingly, love moves in step with property. Square footage, mortgage approvals and ballot results shape decisions that once felt spontaneous. At first glance, falling fertility rates might look like a purely economic or demographic... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3346224/when-homes-are-small-and-costly-dreams-having-family-shrink?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3346224/when-homes-are-small-and-costly-dreams-having-family-shrink?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 01:30:08 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim Singapore is preparing to build its tallest public housing project yet with some blocks rising above 60 storeys in the historic Chinatown area, in a sign of the city state pushing for higher density in prime areas to meet demand. Such super-tall developments are unlikely to become the norm, according to analysts, who cite higher construction costs, site constraints and tighter regulations aimed at preventing centrally located flats from becoming speculative investments. Singapore would build the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3346379/some-singapore-flats-above-60-storeys-horizon-will-owners-face-tighter-curbs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3346379/some-singapore-flats-above-60-storeys-horizon-will-owners-face-tighter-curbs?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 10:41:54 +0000 Peggy Ye Peggy Ye A Singapore-rooted property family has put a rare residential estate in Hong Kong’s Southern district up for tender at about HK$300 million (US$38.4 million), testing demand for trophy homes as the city’s luxury housing market shows early signs of recovery despite soft prices. The tender for Belvedere, a low-density compound in Chung Hom Kok, would close at noon on April 28, according to marketing agent JLL. The property had been held by Remadour Estate since 1993, Land Registry records... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3346004/singapore-property-clan-puts-rare-hong-kong-estate-us384-million-tender?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3346004/singapore-property-clan-puts-rare-hong-kong-estate-us384-million-tender?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 00:30:08 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro Even before US President Donald Trump launched his tariff blitz in April last year, Morgan Stanley warned that Asia’s trade-dependent economies were particularly vulnerable to an onslaught of protectionism. The region accounted for seven of the 10 economies with the largest trade surpluses with the United States, while Taiwan, South Korea and Japan derived between 15 and 30 per cent of their corporate revenues from the US. However, those vulnerabilities were less consequential than anticipated.... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3345928/4-reasons-asias-property-will-endure-despite-iran-war-headwinds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3345928/4-reasons-asias-property-will-endure-despite-iran-war-headwinds?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 08:30:08 +0000 Peggy Ye Peggy Ye From Sydney to Hong Kong, wealth migration is reshaping the global super-luxury property market as activity picks up after two subdued years – though the dominance of relative newcomer Dubai is now being tested by the war in the Middle East. In Sydney, Peter Li, general manager at Plus Agency, said commission revenues on super-luxury homes had risen about 20 per cent from a year earlier. The firm, which handles more than US$300 million in annual sales, has hired six new staff members since... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3345695/worlds-wealthy-relocate-rewriting-property-map-will-hong-kong-win-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3345695/worlds-wealthy-relocate-rewriting-property-map-will-hong-kong-win-out?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 03:00:16 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim Singapore’s real estate giants are taking hits as China’s property downturn drags into another year, with declining rents, emptier buildings and falling values weighing on their results. But analysts say Beijing’s huge market and recent policy support mean most investors are unlikely to pull back entirely, instead becoming far more selective about where they invest. Recent earnings from several Singapore firms show the pressure building across their China portfolios, even as investors watch for... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3345777/singapore-developers-feel-heat-chinas-property-woes-continue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3345777/singapore-developers-feel-heat-chinas-property-woes-continue?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 00:00:09 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro A decade ago, some investors believed the United States’ retail industry was going the way of the subprime mortgage market, whose collapse triggered the 2008 global financial crisis. The combination of the overbuilding of shopping centres and the dramatic rise of online shopping plunged bricks-and-mortar stores into crisis. Fears of a “retail apocalypse” were rife. The double whammy of overcapacity and the “Amazon effect” also hit the United Kingdom’s retail sector hard, with prominent stores... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3345094/unique-resilience-australias-retail-property-deserves-attention?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3345094/unique-resilience-australias-retail-property-deserves-attention?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 06:30:08 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro Concerns about the impact of generative artificial intelligence (AI) abound. At the end of last year, uncertainty over the monetisation of AI was the dominant theme in stock markets. Many investors are worried about the mismatch between the vast sums of money being spent on computing power and the relatively meagre revenues from AI companies and services. While monetisation remains a major concern among investors, fears about AI tools undermining the viability of established business models have... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3344296/why-ai-disruption-isnt-major-threat-indias-booming-office-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3344296/why-ai-disruption-isnt-major-threat-indias-booming-office-market?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Feb 2026 08:30:08 +0000 Adele Brunner Adele Brunner Some spaces, like people, are simply waiting for their second act. For a rundown unit in Tsim Sha Tsui, this meant a total transformation into a modern pied à terre. Frank Chan first lived in the 500 sq ft space as a boy soon after it was built in 1959. Although the property remained in his family, he had long since moved out, creating a life in Canada with his wife, Mary (who is also from Hong Kong). When the couple, now retired, decided to spend more time in the SAR with friends and family,... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/design-interiors/article/3342675/origami-apartment-how-washi-paper-and-precision-design-reshaped-tsim-sha-tsui-flat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/design-interiors/article/3342675/origami-apartment-how-washi-paper-and-precision-design-reshaped-tsim-sha-tsui-flat?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 05:00:08 +0000 CNA CNA The median monthly household income in Singapore rose to S$12,446 (US$9,250) last year, up from S$11,558 the year before, an increase of 6.8 per cent after adjusting for inflation. After accounting for household size, the median monthly household income per household member rose by 7.5 per cent in real terms, from S$3,837 in 2024 to S$4,160 in 2025. The figures were released on Monday in the Key Household Income Trends 2025 paper by the Singapore Department of Statistics (Singstat). In a video... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3342918/singapore-wage-growth-outpaced-inflation-most-2025-wong-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3342918/singapore-wage-growth-outpaced-inflation-most-2025-wong-says?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 09:06:41 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has her work cut out for her. Among the daunting challenges confronting her after winning a resounding victory in a parliamentary election on February 8, tackling the rising cost of living is at the top of her political to-do list. Mounting concerns about the dramatic rise in property prices in Tokyo and other large cities have proved fertile ground for scapegoating, with immigration figuring prominently in election campaigns. Last year, the average price... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3342877/asian-property-markets-supply-constraints-are-double-edged-sword?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3342877/asian-property-markets-supply-constraints-are-double-edged-sword?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 08:31:02 +0000 Peta Tomlinson Peta Tomlinson The view that sold it wasn’t of the glittering Cotai Strip nearby, but the green sweep of a golf club where the owner holds membership. For a Hong Kong businessman and his family of four, this tranquil vista turned a 3,500 sq ft apartment into the ultimate holiday retreat. Situated where the 18-hole course meets the pulse of Macau’s entertainment district, the four-bedroom flat offered designer Max Lam Tsz-hong the opportunity to weave comfort and luxury into an apartment completed in 2019 but... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/design-interiors/article/3340857/macau-retreat-where-luxury-comfort-and-golf-are-par-course?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/design-interiors/article/3340857/macau-retreat-where-luxury-comfort-and-golf-are-par-course?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jan 2026 07:00:09 +0000 Cheryl Arcibal Cheryl Arcibal Hong Kong’s property market on Monday logged HK$740 million (US$94.9 million) worth of luxury home deals, one of the city’s largest single-day hauls, as the residential segment shakes off a multi-year slump. Records from the Land Registry showed that five upscale homes – from areas such as Mid-Levels, Wan Chai and Sai Kung – changed hands in deals valued between HK$93 million and HK$238 million. The flurry of luxury home deals comes amid a recovery in Hong Kong’s residential property segment, as... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3341425/hong-kong-logs-us95-million-worth-luxury-home-deals-single-day?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3341425/hong-kong-logs-us95-million-worth-luxury-home-deals-single-day?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 11:00:15 +0000 Peggy Ye Peggy Ye A veteran private equity investor has bought a luxury home in Hong Kong’s Mid-Levels West for HK$170 million (US$22 million), according to Land Registry records, in one of the latest big-ticket residential deals involving a mainland Chinese buyer. Xu Hanjiang on January 2 acquired Unit A on the second floor of High Peak, a low-density luxury development at No 23 Po Shan Road, records showed. The four-bedroom unit came with a private lift lobby and a balcony, according to the Land Registry. With... https://www.scmp.com/property/article/3341283/mainland-chinese-investor-snaps-hong-kong-luxury-home-us22-million?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/property/article/3341283/mainland-chinese-investor-snaps-hong-kong-luxury-home-us22-million?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jan 2026 12:15:09 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro The post-pandemic recovery in Asia’s hotel industry is patchy. While international tourist arrivals in some countries surpassed 2019 levels some time ago, most markets have yet to experience a full return to pre-Covid levels. According to CBRE, only three of the 13 major markets in the Asia-Pacific region – Japan, Vietnam and South Korea – welcomed more overseas tourists in the first half of 2025 than in the corresponding period in 2019. All three have cheap currencies that made them more... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3341211/how-thailand-india-and-japan-illustrate-asias-patchy-recovery-hospitality?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3341211/how-thailand-india-and-japan-illustrate-asias-patchy-recovery-hospitality?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jan 2026 08:30:10 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Owning a home has long been an elusive dream for many young people in Hong Kong, but an alarming new study shows how much harder it now is to climb the housing ladder. Authorities should carefully review the research and redouble efforts to reverse the trend before it does more damage to society. The University of Hong Kong Business School study found the proportion of subsidised homeowners aged 30 to 39 had nearly halved to 16 per cent over the past three decades. The “Hong Kong Economic Policy... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3340375/hong-kong-must-tackle-demoralising-impact-unaffordable-housing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3340375/hong-kong-must-tackle-demoralising-impact-unaffordable-housing?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 22:45:08 +0000 Peggy Ye Peggy Ye After several subdued years, 2025 marked a turning point for demand in Hong Kong’s most prestigious housing enclaves, as mainland buyers streamed back into scarce ultra-luxury homes once prices stabilised and transaction momentum rolled into the new year. That shift was most visible in The Peak and Southern district – two low-density, ultra-wealthy neighbourhoods on opposite ends of Hong Kong Island. Mainland purchasers bought about HK$16 billion (US$2.05 billion) worth of homes in the areas in... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3340221/mainland-chinese-buyers-pour-us2-billion-hong-kong-super-luxury-homes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3340221/mainland-chinese-buyers-pour-us2-billion-hong-kong-super-luxury-homes?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Jan 2026 02:30:13 +0000 Peta Tomlinson Peta Tomlinson What a difference a decade makes. Ten years ago, when we asked those in the know to nominate their top interior design trends, none could have forecast how the world would change. For 2026, we invited several of the same interviewees to reflect on those earlier predictions and what they see trending this year. Stand-outs include artificial intelligence, as both creator and destroyer of calm; pandemic-led regrouping; and the colour of the year: white. Before you start throwing pots of paint at... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/design-interiors/article/3339178/pantones-colour-year-ai-and-other-forces-shaping-interiors-2026?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/design-interiors/article/3339178/pantones-colour-year-ai-and-other-forces-shaping-interiors-2026?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jan 2026 07:00:14 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro For a region that was expected to bear the brunt of US President Donald Trump’s tariff blitz, Asia’s economies performed remarkably well last year. JPMorgan said Asia “dodged a bullet”. However, in the region’s real estate industry, there are other bullets to fear. In the housing market, the severity of the deterioration in affordability is matched only by the futility of many of the policies aimed at improving it. It is not a coincidence that five of the six cities with the fastest rates of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3339542/affordability-japan-data-centres-what-will-drive-asian-property-2026?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3339542/affordability-japan-data-centres-what-will-drive-asian-property-2026?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Jan 2026 08:30:09 +0000 Cheryl Arcibal Cheryl Arcibal Japan’s property market was less likely to deliver significant rewards to investors because of heightened geopolitical tensions with China, more than a tightened monetary policy, according to analysts. “The yield spread is likely to narrow as cap rates are unlikely to widen,” said Chinatsu Hani, head of research at Tokyo-based CBRE. “However, spreads should remain in positive territory.” The Bank of Japan in March last year began unwinding its nearly decade-long negative interest rate policy –... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3339362/have-investors-missed-boat-japans-property-market-amid-tensions-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3339362/have-investors-missed-boat-japans-property-market-amid-tensions-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Jan 2026 01:30:13 +0000 The Korea Times The Korea Times Southeast Asian real estate firms are seeking to attract South Koreans to buy property, as soaring flat prices in Seoul make premium homes abroad comparatively more affordable, industry officials said on Friday. PropEasy, a Malaysian developer, recently invited Seoul-based real estate brokers to Kuala Lumpur as part of a promotional campaign for residential projects currently under construction. “The campaign was organised as a three-night, four-day tour,” an industry official said, noting that... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3339309/southeast-asia-reels-buyers-stung-seouls-housing-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3339309/southeast-asia-reels-buyers-stung-seouls-housing-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jan 2026 07:27:00 +0000 Peggy Ye Peggy Ye A Hong Kong delegate to China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) bought a luxury residential project in the seaside enclave of Stanley for 44 per cent less than the seller paid six years ago, in the latest sign that deep discounts are drawing wealthy buyers back into the city’s high-end property market. Bunny Chan Chung-bun, also the chairman of the apparel firm Prospectful Holdings and a former district councillor, acquired Villa Mortini at 8 Stanley Beach Road for HK$310 million (US$39.8... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3339184/hong-kong-politician-bunny-chan-bets-us40-million-luxury-market-stanley-purchase?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3339184/hong-kong-politician-bunny-chan-bets-us40-million-luxury-market-stanley-purchase?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Jan 2026 09:45:09 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro A cursory glance at Asia’s commercial real estate leasing and investment markets shows that mainland China and Hong Kong are the weakest links. With the exception of Ho Chi Minh City and Taipei, mainland China’s first-tier cities and Hong Kong are the only markets that will experience a decline in office rents this year, according to Knight Frank data. In the investment market, while transaction volumes across the Asia-Pacific increased 7 per cent in the first three quarters of 2025, they fell... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3338726/will-hong-kong-mainland-property-see-recovery-2026-dont-bet-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3338726/will-hong-kong-mainland-property-see-recovery-2026-dont-bet-it?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jan 2026 08:30:09 +0000 Enoch Yiu Enoch Yiu Mainland China will cut or waive value-added tax (VAT) on the resale of homes by individuals from Thursday, in its latest move to shore up a property market that has been stuck in a prolonged slump. Under the new rules, individuals who sell a residential property within two years of buying it will pay VAT at 3 per cent, down from 5 per cent, according to a joint statement released on Tuesday by the Ministry of Finance and the State Taxation Administration. The policy does not apply to corporate... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3338209/beijing-trims-property-resale-tax-fresh-push-stabilise-housing-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3338209/beijing-trims-property-resale-tax-fresh-push-stabilise-housing-market?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Dec 2025 16:25:51 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro When US President Donald Trump stood outside the White House on April 2 and unveiled his punitive “Liberation Day” tariffs on most US trading partners, Asia was singled out for particularly harsh punishment. With the region accounting for seven of the 10 economies with the largest trade surpluses with the US, Asia was bound to be hit hard. However, as 2025 draws to a close, Asia’s economies have shown remarkable resilience. While several factors are at play, the most important one is the boom in... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3337983/how-ai-helped-asias-real-estate-sector-pass-tariff-stress-test?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3337983/how-ai-helped-asias-real-estate-sector-pass-tariff-stress-test?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Dec 2025 08:31:10 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu China has pledged to empower local governments with city-specific measures to clear housing gluts and optimise supply next year, ramping up efforts to stabilise a real estate market that remains a persistent drag on the world’s second-largest economy. “Municipal governments should fully utilise their autonomy in regulating the property market, adjusting and optimising policies as appropriate,” said Ni Hong, the minister of housing and urban-rural development, at a two-day work conference that... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3337512/china-vows-city-specific-fixes-clear-housing-glut-stabilise-property-sector?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3337512/china-vows-city-specific-fixes-clear-housing-glut-stabilise-property-sector?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Dec 2025 12:00:08 +0000 Peta Tomlinson Peta Tomlinson It may not be immediately obvious, given the opulence of this multi-generational, two-storey home in the New Territories, but when asked to infuse a contemporary aesthetic into its interiors, designer Hoffman Ho Sai-cheung took inspiration from the surrounding landscape. Ho, the co-founder, with Elaine Tang Yee-ni, of Seehow Design, was especially captivated by the trees lining the hillside behind the 3,000 sq ft, free-standing house in a private residential development. “We envisaged a theme of... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/article/3336436/inside-hong-kong-house-columns-tree-trunks-and-canopy-ceiling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/article/3336436/inside-hong-kong-house-columns-tree-trunks-and-canopy-ceiling?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Dec 2025 07:15:08 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan is expressing renewed concerns about foreign nationals buying land and property across the country, with growing alarm over the acquisition of property close to “sensitive sites” as well as overseas investors causing prices to spike beyond the reach of many Japanese. A survey conducted by the Cabinet Office identified 113,827 property transactions in the year that started on April 1, 2024, in areas within 1km (0.6 miles) of a designated “critical facility”, such as a military base for... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3337175/japan-imposes-new-ground-rules-concerns-grow-over-foreign-owned-land?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3337175/japan-imposes-new-ground-rules-concerns-grow-over-foreign-owned-land?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Dec 2025 01:30:13 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo The use of housing loans with terms of up to 50 years, far longer than the standard 35-year term, is spreading among younger generations in Japan amid a rise in housing prices. Young Japanese are buying the properties of their choice by reducing monthly payments, but a longer loan term raises the total repayment amount and keeps company employees paying even after they retire. The risk of interest rate fluctuations, caused by the Bank of Japan’s monetary policy shift, is another thing to worry... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3337187/rise-50-rear-mortgages-japan-new-era-young-buyers-amid-rising-housing-prices?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3337187/rise-50-rear-mortgages-japan-new-era-young-buyers-amid-rising-housing-prices?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Dec 2025 12:20:08 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo A total of 3,498 properties around critical security facilities and remote islands in Japan were bought by foreign individuals or entities in fiscal 2024, with nearly half from China, a government study showed on Tuesday. Separately, the government announced it will demand from April 2026 increased disclosure when corporations attempt to acquire forested lands or properties deemed of national security importance, such as requiring them to disclose the nationalities of company heads in... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3336629/japan-tightens-land-law-after-chinese-buyers-lead-property-rush-near-sensitive-sites?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3336629/japan-tightens-land-law-after-chinese-buyers-lead-property-rush-near-sensitive-sites?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Dec 2025 09:07:54 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro Numbers do not always tell the whole story. But they are revealing nonetheless. In 2013, direct investment transaction volumes in India’s commercial property sector stood at around US$1.3 billion. By contrast, in China (excluding Hong Kong), investment activity reached US$27 billion. In South Korea, transactions stood at US$12.2 billion, data from MSCI shows. The woefully low level of investment in India – a leading emerging market that at the time was already the world’s third-largest economy... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3336433/indias-property-market-enters-big-league-challenges-remain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3336433/indias-property-market-enters-big-league-challenges-remain?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Dec 2025 08:30:08 +0000 Aidan Jones,Ushar Daniele,Iman Muttaqin Yusof Aidan Jones,Ushar Daniele,Iman Muttaqin Yusof Daniel Ho’s clients want the best money can buy: branded residences and glass-wrapped penthouses complete with panoramic views and high-rise parking spots fit for supercars in the elite enclaves of Bangkok, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur and Manila. A world away, or so it seems, mid-level asset manager Charoen Kijvekin sees a very different reality playing out. His clients are debt-stricken Thais trying to claw back repossessed homes from auction and families on the bottom rung of the property ladder... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3336254/southeast-asias-rich-buy-sky-garages-while-middle-class-lose-their-homes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3336254/southeast-asias-rich-buy-sky-garages-while-middle-class-lose-their-homes?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Dec 2025 01:30:14 +0000 Cheryl Arcibal Cheryl Arcibal Hongkong Land is set to launch what it expects to be the largest private real estate fund in Singapore, with more than S$8 billion (US$6.2 billion) in assets under management, including prime commercial projects in the waterfront Marina Bay district. At inception, the Singapore Central Private Real Estate Fund (SCPREF) would include one-third stakes in One Raffles Quay and Marina Bay Financial Centre Towers 1 and 2, the Hong Kong-based commercial landlord and developer said in a statement on... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3336260/hongkong-land-poised-launch-us6-billion-singapore-property-fund?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3336260/hongkong-land-poised-launch-us6-billion-singapore-property-fund?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Dec 2025 11:30:18 +0000 The Korea Times The Korea Times Kim, a 31-year-old office worker in Seoul, said she recently moved into a goshiwon near her workplace because she could not keep up with rising studio flat rents. Goshiwon are dormitory-style accommodation often used by students or low-wage workers who need minimal living space at low cost. They often have shared kitchen and bathroom facilities, rooms are small, and some lack basic amenities such as windows. Kim lived in a goshiwon when she first moved to the South Korean capital from her... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3335711/seoul-rents-jump-young-adults-forced-back-tiny-dorm-style-units?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3335711/seoul-rents-jump-young-adults-forced-back-tiny-dorm-style-units?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Dec 2025 06:10:03 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro Every quarter, Knight Frank publishes an index tracking the movement of prime residential prices and rents in leading cities around the world. Although the index is just a snapshot that should be treated with caution given significant differences in the performance of submarkets within cities, its findings are nevertheless revealing. In the sales market, five of the six cities with the fastest growth in prices last quarter were in Asia. In Tokyo, prices rose a staggering 56 per cent on an... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3335554/asias-housing-affordability-squeeze-shows-no-signs-slowing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3335554/asias-housing-affordability-squeeze-shows-no-signs-slowing?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Dec 2025 08:31:35 +0000 Yulu Ao Yulu Ao Hong Kong’s property market is expected to extend its gradual recovery into the end of the year, supported by improving sentiment, rising rental yields and firmer demand in the mass-market segment, according to property analysts. The latest mortgage and resale data suggest that buyers are returning following rate cuts and stamp-duty adjustments earlier this year, although the pace of improvement remains uneven across districts and price brackets. Mortgage registrations continued to climb in... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3334671/hong-kongs-home-sales-recovery-looks-more-solid-transactions-prices-edge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3334671/hong-kongs-home-sales-recovery-looks-more-solid-transactions-prices-edge?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Dec 2025 01:30:17 +0000 Doug Woodring,David Ketchum Doug Woodring,David Ketchum Take a walk through some of Hong Kong’s most iconic streets and you might notice a puzzling sight: prime retail spaces in Causeway Bay, Wan Chai, Tsim Sha Tsui and other areas are papered over with all types of rental advertisements where there used to be a buzz. Out-of-reach rental prices are often a result of a simple human instinct: the desire to hold out for yesterday’s peak prices. For many property owners, accepting a lower rent can feel like a step back, potentially affecting bank... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3333828/vacancy-tax-could-bring-back-hong-kongs-commercial-buzz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3333828/vacancy-tax-could-bring-back-hong-kongs-commercial-buzz?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Nov 2025 01:30:10 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro When Sanae Takaichi won the race for the leadership of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party last month, investors and analysts knew what was in store for Asia’s second-largest economy and its relations with its regional neighbours, especially China. Japan’s first female prime minister is a nationalist and strong proponent of fiscal stimulus to boost growth, increase defence spending and tackle a cost-of-living crisis stemming from the surge in prices since the beginning of 2022. In a LinkedIn... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3333893/takaichis-nationalism-and-fiscal-stimulus-test-japans-property-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3333893/takaichis-nationalism-and-fiscal-stimulus-test-japans-property-market?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Nov 2025 08:30:16 +0000 Adele Brunner Adele Brunner Some people discover their dream home by chance. For Jeff Chan and Liz Leung, it took two patient years. Living in a rented flat in Jardine’s Lookout, they were determined to stay in the neighbourhood and had even pinpointed the building they longed to call home. Yet, week after week of scouring estate agency windows yielded nothing, and they nearly gave up hope. At the end of last year, however, their persistence paid off: a 1,200 sq ft apartment in their coveted block came onto the market. “We... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/design-interiors/article/3333073/inside-hong-kong-flat-where-everything-carefully-curated-even-cat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/design-interiors/article/3333073/inside-hong-kong-flat-where-everything-carefully-curated-even-cat?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Nov 2025 02:00:12 +0000 Cheryl Arcibal Cheryl Arcibal Prime office rents in Hong Kong and Singapore are expected to reach parity within two years, driven by diverging dynamics in demand and supply for office properties in the rival business hubs, according to CBRE. By the fourth quarter of 2027, tenants in premium office spaces in Hong Kong were set to pay just over US$122 per square foot per year, while those in Singapore would face slightly higher costs at about US$123 per square foot annually, said Ada Choi, head of research for Asia-Pacific at... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3333789/hong-kong-and-singapore-prime-office-rents-set-equalise-2027-cbre-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3333789/hong-kong-and-singapore-prime-office-rents-set-equalise-2027-cbre-says?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Nov 2025 01:30:15 +0000 Cao Li Cao Li For homeowners in mainland China, selling a property has become so difficult that some are turning to xuanxue, a neo-Taoist philosophy that has morphed into internet slang for any superstitious ritual meant to enhance luck, from feng shui tweaks to cyber talismans. Praying in temples, buying ‘quick-sale’ talismans, or simply writing the word “sold” on a piece of red paper are just a few examples. When a homeowner in Shanghai recently claimed on social media that she found a buyer after praying... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3333723/homes-fail-sell-mainland-chinas-depressed-market-sellers-turn-superstition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3333723/homes-fail-sell-mainland-chinas-depressed-market-sellers-turn-superstition?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Nov 2025 03:00:08 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro As 2025 draws to a close, three themes loom large in politics, economics and finance. The first is the unprecedented degree of uncertainty and unpredictability when it comes to the performance of economies and asset prices, amplified by US President Donald Trump’s erratic policymaking. Who would have predicted at the start of this year that the MSCI All Country World Index, a gauge of global stocks, would stand slightly below its all-time high five weeks before Christmas? More surprisingly, who... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3333485/south-koreas-challenges-taste-whats-come-global-economy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3333485/south-koreas-challenges-taste-whats-come-global-economy?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Nov 2025 08:30:09 +0000