https://www.scmp.com/rss/511291/feed Decoding global real estate trends and investment opportunities en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Cheryl Arcibal Cheryl Arcibal Hong Kong’s commercial property market attracted US$1.6 billion in investment in the first quarter, up 41 per cent from a year earlier, as demand for office, retail and hotel assets picked up amid improving liquidity, according to JLL. Investment volumes could receive a further boost from global investors looking to redeploy their capital amid the conflict between the US, Israel and Iran, the property consultancy said in a report on Tuesday. “With Asia increasingly perceived as a relatively... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3350899/hong-kong-property-investment-soars-lower-funding-costs-rising-demand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3350899/hong-kong-property-investment-soars-lower-funding-costs-rising-demand?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 11:30:08 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat Property tycoon Pan Shiyi issued a rare critique of China’s real estate sector, describing its development model as a “Ponzi scheme” and urging the industry to restore integrity and better protect homebuyers, just days after a fraud trial saw a guilty plea from the founder of China Evergrande – the US$300 billion debt juggernaut whose 2021 collapse triggered a systemic property meltdown. Writing from the United States on Thursday via his personal WeChat account, Pan reflected on the trajectory... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350448/tycoon-pan-shiyi-slams-china-property-ponzi-evergrande-boss-pleads-guilty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350448/tycoon-pan-shiyi-slams-china-property-ponzi-evergrande-boss-pleads-guilty?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 09:00:22 +0000 Peggy Ye Peggy Ye Jardine Matheson is giving up its remaining office space in FWD Tower at Taikoo Place and plans to relocate staff back to Jardine House in Central as part of operational consolidation, sources said. The move reflects a wider trend of companies consolidating into the core district, where demand for premium office space has been strengthening. The group’s primary office at Jardine House, part of its own property portfolio, “is now undergoing renovations to create a modern workspace that will... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3349602/jardine-matheson-exit-swires-taikoo-place-consolidate-offices-central-sources?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3349602/jardine-matheson-exit-swires-taikoo-place-consolidate-offices-central-sources?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 04:05:07 +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 Cao Li Cao Li A subsidiary of state-owned conglomerate China Resources (Holdings) has acquired a Hong Kong hotel and plans to convert it into student housing amid a wave of investments driven by rising demand after the city raised the cap on non-local students. CR Longdation signed an agreement to buy four-star hotel Hotel Cozi Oasis in Kwai Chung, a major industrial and residential area in the southwestern New Territories, for HK$953 million (US$122 million), said Colliers and Knight Frank, which advised on... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3345026/china-resources-subsidiary-acquires-hong-kong-hotel-student-housing-project?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3345026/china-resources-subsidiary-acquires-hong-kong-hotel-student-housing-project?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 12:00:14 +0000 Peggy Ye Peggy Ye Hong Kong could see another cinema shut down in a prime retail district after the management of IFC Mall began informally sounding out potential tenants for the roughly 20,000 sq ft (1,858 square metres) occupied by Palace IFC, whose lease expires at the end of the year, according to people familiar with the matter. Sun Hung Kai Properties (SHKP), which manages the mall in Central, had been reaching out to select industry contacts to explore options as the struggling cinema business had... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3343339/box-office-bust-show-may-be-over-another-hong-kong-cinema?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3343339/box-office-bust-show-may-be-over-another-hong-kong-cinema?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 00:30:08 +0000 Cheryl Arcibal Cheryl Arcibal Hong Kong’s so-called headquarters economy, in which the city serves as a regional and global base for corporate headquarters, is spurring recovery in the commercial real estate sector as analysts forecast an improved investment environment this year. The city’s battered office market showed signs of stability in 2025, with 2.1 million sq ft (195,000 square metres) of net absorption for the full year, the largest annual total since 2018, according to CBRE. Central recorded the biggest... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3342815/what-hong-kongs-headquarters-economy-and-how-it-drives-commercial-property-upswing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3342815/what-hong-kongs-headquarters-economy-and-how-it-drives-commercial-property-upswing?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Feb 2026 07:44:27 +0000 Cheryl Arcibal Cheryl Arcibal Hong Kong’s lived-in home prices ended a three-year downturn with a 3.25 per cent increase in 2025, as the property market gallops into the new year buoyed by expectations of more transactions and further price gains, according to analysts. Rents climbed to a record high in December, boosting annual gains to 4.26 per cent in 2025 and marking a third consecutive year of increase, according to the Rating and Valuation Department on Wednesday. “Hong Kong’s residential market strengthened notably... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3341501/hong-kong-home-prices-snap-3-year-downturn-rents-surge-new-high?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3341501/hong-kong-home-prices-snap-3-year-downturn-rents-surge-new-high?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jan 2026 05:17:37 +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 Bloomberg Bloomberg John Lam, UBS’ head of China property research and a long-time contrarian, is retreating from his earlier bullish calls and joining his Wall Street peers in predicting that the country’s four-year real estate downturn is far from over. Lam said he expected home prices to fall for at least another two years before a recovery in mainland China’s beleaguered residential property market could take hold. One reason was that potential buyers were increasingly opting to rent properties while prices... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3333929/ubs-china-property-optimist-retreats-bullish-calls-foresees-deeper-slump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3333929/ubs-china-property-optimist-retreats-bullish-calls-foresees-deeper-slump?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Nov 2025 08:34:04 +0000 Cheryl Arcibal Cheryl Arcibal Credit Agricole CIB has renewed its lease for 85,000 sq ft of prime office space at Pacific Place in Admiralty, extending its tenancy until 2034, according to landlord Swire Properties. The renewal would continue a partnership spanning more than two decades, Swire Properties, one of Hong Kong’s largest commercial landlords, said in a statement on Monday. The premises – four floors at Two Pacific Place – serve as the French banking giant’s Asia-Pacific headquarters. “Pacific Place has been our... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3332165/credit-agricole-renews-pacific-place-lease-reaffirming-commitment-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3332165/credit-agricole-renews-pacific-place-lease-reaffirming-commitment-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Nov 2025 06:30:48 +0000 Salina Li Salina Li A multinational infrastructure consultancy has leased 120,000 sq ft for its upgraded Asia headquarters at a grade A office building of New World Development (NWD) in Cheung Sha Wan, setting a record as the biggest post-pandemic deal of its kind in the district. Aecom, drawn by the district’s well-developed transport network and accessibility, which supports employee commutes and business development across the Greater Bay Area and Northern Metropolis, was the latest tenant at NWD’s 83 King Lam... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3330860/hong-kong-developer-nwd-seals-record-deal-global-firm-aecoms-asia-headquarters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3330860/hong-kong-developer-nwd-seals-record-deal-global-firm-aecoms-asia-headquarters?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Oct 2025 06:10:28 +0000 Salina Li,Daniel Ren Salina Li,Daniel Ren Hong Kong homebuyers snapped up new flats at a Henderson Land project in Wan Chai in the latest sign of a real-estate market recovery. By early evening on Saturday, all 75 units on offer at the Woodis residential development on Wood Road were sold out, according to property agents. The buying spree aligns with market expectations, following Henderson’s decision to price the units competitively with neighbouring flats in the secondary market. The average discounted price was set at HK$23,224... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3329524/hong-kong-homebuyers-flock-henderson-land-project-wan-chai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3329524/hong-kong-homebuyers-flock-henderson-land-project-wan-chai?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Oct 2025 11:33:51 +0000 Salina Li Salina Li Hong Kong developer K. Wah International on Thursday said it priced units in a new residential development in Tin Hau 17 per cent higher than a new neighbouring project that was launched last year, as both transactions and home prices have lately shown signs of recovery. K. Wah International said it priced 30 units in its Kabitat Tin Hau project, located at 33 King’s Road, at an average price of HK$24,311 (US$3,121) per square foot after a maximum discount. The average price in the 74-flat... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3325230/developer-k-wah-international-prices-new-tin-hau-units-higher-level-neighbour?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3325230/developer-k-wah-international-prices-new-tin-hau-units-higher-level-neighbour?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Sep 2025 12:42:27 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Schroders has become the latest global asset manager to be caught up in Hong Kong’s commercial property meltdown. Within just a few months, two assets managed by its property investment arm have been seized by bank creditors. Now it faces a new challenge relating to a loan for a three-floor commercial space at Harbourfront Landmark in Hong Kong’s Hung Hom district. The facility was not repaid on the original maturity date. The lender, Bank of Communications (Hong Kong), was now weighing various... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3324996/schroders-hit-hong-kong-property-slump-banks-seize-assets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3324996/schroders-hit-hong-kong-property-slump-banks-seize-assets?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Sep 2025 04:53:06 +0000 Cheryl Arcibal Cheryl Arcibal Prime residential prices are cooling globally, with Hong Kong performing the worst, according to the latest study by Knight Frank. In a survey of 46 cities worldwide, Hong Kong ranked last with a 14.3 per cent decline in prices in the second quarter compared with the same period last year. On a quarterly basis, the city again took the bottom spot with an 11.7 per cent drop. Average annual growth in housing prices across the nearly four dozen cities slowed to 2.3 per cent in the June quarter,... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3322309/global-prime-property-prices-cool-hong-kong-leads-decline-knight-frank-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3322309/global-prime-property-prices-cool-hong-kong-leads-decline-knight-frank-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Aug 2025 03:30:08 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg UK home prices are almost £11,000 (US$14,900) cheaper than three months ago, with sellers competing for attention during the market’s summer lull. Average asking prices fell 1.3 per cent to £368,740 this month, property website Rightmove said on Monday. While the decline was in line with long-term trends for the month of August, it follows larger-than-usual drops in June and July. More than one in three properties have been reduced in price since first coming to market, Rightmove added. It said... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3322164/uk-house-hunters-home-property-prices-drop-u14900-3-months?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3322164/uk-house-hunters-home-property-prices-drop-u14900-3-months?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Aug 2025 01:07:26 +0000 Bochen Han Bochen Han A US federal court in Texas is dismissing a suit against a state law that would restrict property ownership and leasing by Chinese citizens, less than a month before the measure is to be implemented, according to one of the lawyers in the case. The law, signed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott in June and set to take effect on September 1, restricts real estate purchases by companies, individuals and government entities linked to countries that the federal government or Texas governor designates as... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3321914/court-dismiss-suit-against-texas-law-limit-chinese-property-rights-lawyer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3321914/court-dismiss-suit-against-texas-law-limit-chinese-property-rights-lawyer?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Aug 2025 21:14:43 +0000 Yuke Xie Yuke Xie US investment in Asia-Pacific real estate jumped 31 per cent year on year in the second quarter, as investors chased yields and stable growth in markets such as Australia, Singapore and Japan amid looming tariff challenges. Mainland China, meanwhile, was weighed down by an ongoing property crisis and mounting default risks. Cross-border real estate investments in Asia-Pacific reached US$12.1 billion in the second quarter, a 50.1 per cent surge year on year and the highest level since the third... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3320449/us-leads-second-quarter-asia-pacific-real-estate-deals-assets-worth-us5-billion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3320449/us-leads-second-quarter-asia-pacific-real-estate-deals-assets-worth-us5-billion?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Aug 2025 01:30:16 +0000 Peggy Sito Peggy Sito Hong Kong developer New World Development (NWD) secured some much-needed financial relief by hitting a 2025 property sales target of HK$26 billion (US$3.3 billion) and winning a commitment from creditors to refinance HK$87.5 billion of its debt, people familiar with the matter said on Friday. With a strong sales response for its jointly owned Deep Water Pavilia project in Wong Chuk Hang on the south side of Hong Kong Island, NWD was expected to hit the contracted sales target for the financial... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3316144/hong-kong-developer-nwd-meets-2025-sales-target-and-wins-commitment-refinancing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3316144/hong-kong-developer-nwd-meets-2025-sales-target-and-wins-commitment-refinancing?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Jun 2025 10:50:22 +0000 Salina Li Salina Li A person connected to veteran HSBC banker Peter Wong Tung-shun bought a luxury unit in Hong Kong’s Southern district for HK$125 million (US$15.9 million), as sentiment in the city’s property market improves gradually. Two connected units at the Parkview apartment complex in Tai Tam, with a total area of 4,616 sq ft, were sold for HK$27,080 per square foot to Lion Rock (HK), according to Land Registry records. The property was handed over on Tuesday. The sole director of Lion Rock, Jeremy Wong... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3315939/person-connected-hsbcs-wong-buys-luxury-flat-hong-kong-us159-million?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3315939/person-connected-hsbcs-wong-buys-luxury-flat-hong-kong-us159-million?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Jun 2025 09:30:07 +0000 Yuke Xie Yuke Xie Hong Kong remains the world’s most expensive city to buy a home, despite a 20 per cent decline in prices over the past five years, according to the Deutsche Bank Research Institute’s Mapping the World’s Prices report. Despite economic headwinds and high mortgage costs, the average price for a flat in the city centre stood at US$25,946 per square metre – keeping Hong Kong ahead of rivals like Zurich, Singapore and New York, according to the report released on Tuesday, which covered 69 cities... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3315763/hong-kong-tops-global-list-priciest-homes-despite-property-slump-deutsche-bank?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3315763/hong-kong-tops-global-list-priciest-homes-despite-property-slump-deutsche-bank?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Jun 2025 07:29:08 +0000 Salina Li Salina Li The sister of former Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa bought a HK$119 million (US$15.2 million) flat in the Mid-Levels neighbourhood, joining a cohort of wealthy investors who have been taking advantage of depressed prices to snap up luxury homes. A 3,349 sq ft, four-bedroom unit in Grenville House, located at 3 Magazine Gap Road in Mid-Levels, was sold on Tuesday, according to Land Registry records. Shirley Peng Shiao Ping and William Peng Shih-Hsiao appear to be the directors of the... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3312203/ex-hong-kong-leader-tung-chee-hwas-sister-buys-us15-million-flat-discount?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3312203/ex-hong-kong-leader-tung-chee-hwas-sister-buys-us15-million-flat-discount?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 May 2025 01:30:24 +0000 Salina Li Salina Li Hong Kong property investment firm Gale Well Group put a luxury property site in Stanley on the block for HK$520 million (US$66.3 million), as it continues its campaign to divest and deleverage amid a prolonged downturn in the city’s real estate market. The 26,600 sq ft site, located at 8 Stanley Beach Road, has three blocks of flats that are three stories each, with a total of nine units and 10 car parking spaces. Some flats are vacant, some have tenants and the property will be sold on an... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3312142/hong-kongs-gale-well-continues-asset-sale-plan-us66-million-luxury-stanley-property?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3312142/hong-kongs-gale-well-continues-asset-sale-plan-us66-million-luxury-stanley-property?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 May 2025 10:00:28 +0000 Yuke Xie Yuke Xie Home prices in major cities in mainland China stabilised, holding onto recent gains as lower borrowing costs and state-led measures to support developers helped inject confidence in the market. Prices of new homes in China’s four first-tier cities were unchanged in April from a month ago, following a 0.1 per cent rise in March, according to data covering 70 large and medium-sized cities published by the statistics bureau on Monday. Prices in second-tier cities were also unchanged, while those in... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3310865/chinas-new-home-prices-stabilise-rate-cut-lifeline-funding-lift-market-confidence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3310865/chinas-new-home-prices-stabilise-rate-cut-lifeline-funding-lift-market-confidence?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 May 2025 04:34:39 +0000 Fan Chen,Salina Li,Cheryl Arcibal Fan Chen,Salina Li,Cheryl Arcibal Hong Kong’s weakening retail sales and slumping property market have sharply reduced the capital values of commercial real estate owned by celebrities like Nicholas Tse Ting-fung and the family of the late “King of Gambling” Stanley Ho Hung-sun. The Macau tycoon’s property at 20 Kimberley Street, Tsim Sha Tsui, has been put up for sale at HK$88 million (US$11.3 million), CBRE, the sole agent for the sale, said on Tuesday. The 1,410 sq ft corner site has a maximum commercial development potential... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3302286/how-hong-kongs-property-slump-affecting-asset-values-owned-celebrities-and-tycoons?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3302286/how-hong-kongs-property-slump-affecting-asset-values-owned-celebrities-and-tycoons?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Mar 2025 00:30:08 +0000 Salina Li Salina Li A veteran Hong Kong property investor has sold a shop in Jordan at a loss of more than 30 per cent as the market remains depressed amid falling retail sales and high interest rates. Edwin Lee, the founder of Bridgeway Prime Shop Fund Management, the first Securities and Futures Commission-licensed fund manager focused exclusively on shops and retail property, said his fund on Monday sold a ground-level shop at 126-128 Woosung Street for HK$18.7 million (US$2.4 million) after acquiring it for... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3301040/hong-kong-retail-property-fund-bridgeway-sells-jordan-shop-30-discount?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3301040/hong-kong-retail-property-fund-bridgeway-sells-jordan-shop-30-discount?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Mar 2025 00:15:08 +0000 Salina Li Salina Li Henderson Land Development released a price list for a residential project in Cheung Sha Wan – its second in a week – as Hong Kong property firms take advantage of improving sentiment and grapple with a large supply glut. The first 50 flats in the 248-unit Belgravia Place II were priced at HK$15,968 per square foot on average, the developer said on Friday. In February 2024, the developer launched 148 units in a first phase at HK$19,493 per square foot. But prices were about 10 per cent lower... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3299684/henderson-land-releases-price-list-belgravia-place-ii-housing-project-cheung-sha-wan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3299684/henderson-land-releases-price-list-belgravia-place-ii-housing-project-cheung-sha-wan?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:10 +0000 Salina Li Salina Li New World Development (NWD) is launching a second offering of flats at its State Pavilia project in North Point on Wednesday after selling all the units it offered at the weekend. The developer on Sunday said it would put an additional 88 units up for sale “in response to the market’s needs”. On Saturday, NWD sold all 168 units that were offered in the initial phase of the firm’s redevelopment project on the site of the former State Theatre. NWD said the weekend sale attracted more than 7,800... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3299023/hong-kong-developer-nwd-launch-second-state-pavilia-offering-after-weekend-sell-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3299023/hong-kong-developer-nwd-launch-second-state-pavilia-offering-after-weekend-sell-out?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Feb 2025 10:58:10 +0000 A growing number of retirees in Australia risk falling into homelessness because they cannot afford to pay rent, according to a new report aimed at lawmakers preparing to fight an election on housing and cost-of-living pressures. The rising cost of rent, falling rates of home ownership and inadequate rental assistance has pushed two-thirds of retirees who privately rent into poverty, according to the Grattan Institute report. Half of retired people who rent have less than A$25,000 (US$15,700) in... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3298002/ageing-australians-face-homeless-retirement-rent-soars?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3298002/ageing-australians-face-homeless-retirement-rent-soars?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Feb 2025 01:01:35 +0000 Cheryl Arcibal Cheryl Arcibal Investors in Tokyo’s office segment should temper optimism with caution, even though rents rose by the most in eight years in the third quarter last year, as it masks a different reality, according to analysts. Rents for prime office space in Japan’s capital increased by 5.2 per cent in the July to September quarter, the first time growth exceeded 5 per cent in the same period in 2016, according to a CBRE report. Grade A office rents in major cities like Nagoya and Osaka rose 2.6 per cent and 1... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3296839/tokyo-office-rents-rise-sharply-vacancy-disparity-signals-caution-investors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3296839/tokyo-office-rents-rise-sharply-vacancy-disparity-signals-caution-investors?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Jan 2025 02:30:13 +0000 Cheryl Arcibal Cheryl Arcibal The hotel industry in Hong Kong is set for an exciting year as operators welcome an influx of tourists while property owners bank on getting higher prices from buyers for their assets, according to some market experts. Tourist arrivals, which jumped by a third to 44.5 million in 2024, are likely to sustain its momentum as the government rolls out programmes to boost its role in the economy. The city is also facing a shortfall in student beds, fuelling demand for hotel conversion projects into... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3295528/tourism-student-housing-give-hong-kongs-hotel-assets-bump-experts-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3295528/tourism-student-housing-give-hong-kongs-hotel-assets-bump-experts-say?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Jan 2025 00:30:08 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren Shanghai’s property market is likely to see more transactions involving office buildings, shopping malls and rental homes this year because landlords are willing to reduce prices while high-net-worth individuals pursue safe returns amid deflationary pressure. Foreign institutions are also showing increasing interest in hunting bargains on the local property market despite economic turbulence, according to property consultancy JLL. “As landlords become more accepting of providing price... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3294403/shanghai-property-deals-increase-amid-active-bargain-hunting-jll?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3294403/shanghai-property-deals-increase-amid-active-bargain-hunting-jll?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Jan 2025 03:30:27 +0000 Salina Li Salina Li A developer is relaunching several residential units at a high-rise project on Hong Kong Island at prices below the levels set about two years ago, suggesting the city’s property market will need at least six more months to overcome excess supply and halt a three-year slump. Hip Shing Hong (Holdings) is taking orders for 50 units at Oria in Shau Kei Wan after an attempted sale in June 2023. The mid-sized private developer is cutting the prices on 30 of the units by more than 30 per cent,... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3293202/hong-kong-developer-cuts-prices-shau-kei-wan-project-oversupply-plagues-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3293202/hong-kong-developer-cuts-prices-shau-kei-wan-project-oversupply-plagues-market?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Jan 2025 00:30:12 +0000 Cao Li Cao Li A court in Guangzhou has restricted the spending of Hui Ka-yan, once one of China’s richest people, and his company, China Evergrande, according to a filing from the beleaguered property developer. Due to the company’s failure to comply with payment obligations under an enforcement notice, the Nansha District People’s Court in Guangzhou imposed spending restrictions on the company and Hui in areas that are not necessities for life or business, the filing, released on Tuesday, said. According to... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3288323/guangzhou-court-restricts-china-evergrande-founder-hui-ka-yans-spending?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3288323/guangzhou-court-restricts-china-evergrande-founder-hui-ka-yans-spending?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Nov 2024 07:25:01 +0000 Cheryl Arcibal Cheryl Arcibal Lower mortgage rates lifted home sales in Hong Kong to their highest point in five months in October, reversing a two-month decline, according to Land Registry data. A total of 4,697 new and lived-in homes with a cumulative sales value of about HK$37.3 billion (US$4.8 billion) changed hands in October, rising 65 per cent from 2,848 units and 79 per cent from a sales value of HK$20.8 billion in September, official data released on Monday showed. In the year-earlier period, 2,213 units changed... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3285147/hong-kong-home-sales-surge-five-month-high-easier-mortgage-rules-take-effect?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3285147/hong-kong-home-sales-surge-five-month-high-easier-mortgage-rules-take-effect?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Nov 2024 11:15:07 +0000 Edith Lin,Vivian Au Edith Lin,Vivian Au The government will take into account Hong Kong’s supply of public housing and other factors before imposing penalties on landlords who lease subdivided flats that do not meet a proposed tougher code, Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong Wai-lun has said. A day after delivering his policy address, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu also said the punishment could include a minimum jail term of two years, with three years also a possibility. In his speech on Wednesday, Lee said only about 30 per... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3282804/hong-kong-public-housing-supply-set-pace-clampdown-landlords-subpar-flats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3282804/hong-kong-public-housing-supply-set-pace-clampdown-landlords-subpar-flats?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Oct 2024 14:49:29 +0000 While China has declared its property sector has “bottomed out” and pledged more support for the beleaguered industry – including an expansion of funding to 4 trillion yuan (US$562.18 billion) – sentiment remains guarded despite recent glimmers of hope. Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development Ni Hong played up the prospects of a full-spectrum recovery at a ministry press conference on Thursday, pointing to positive trends in home purchase data from this month. “The market has bottomed... https://www.scmp.com/economy/policy/article/3282777/china-will-win-tough-battle-preserve-property-sector-housing-minister-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/policy/article/3282777/china-will-win-tough-battle-preserve-property-sector-housing-minister-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Oct 2024 14:00:08 +0000 Salina Li Salina Li On a Monday afternoon in September, when most of the city’s office buildings were busily buzzing like beehives, the lobby of a development called 11 Skies near Hong Kong International Airport could have been mistaken for a deserted library. The entrance hall was huge, but hardly anyone was around – save for a couple of receptionists at the front desk. Everything was immaculately clean and well-lit, but it lacked a certain frenzied bustle that you would find in other premium office buildings in... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3282020/ups-and-downs-new-worlds-adrian-cheng-development-debt-and-downfall?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3282020/ups-and-downs-new-worlds-adrian-cheng-development-debt-and-downfall?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Oct 2024 03:00:14 +0000 Yulu Ao Yulu Ao Chinese developers cancelled discounts as sales rebounded during the “golden week” holiday, underscoring signs of improved sentiment in the market, as officials called for stability in housing prices. Midea Real Estate Holding raised prices by 2 per cent for its housing projects nationwide, starting from Tuesday, according to an official newspaper overseen by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development. On the same day, state-backed builder China Resources Land said it would withdraw the... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3281700/some-chinese-developers-cancel-discounts-after-golden-week-sales-rebound?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3281700/some-chinese-developers-cancel-discounts-after-golden-week-sales-rebound?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Oct 2024 00:00:10 +0000 Salina Li Salina Li Hong Kong’s commercial property market has seen an improvement in investment sentiment thanks to lower rates and a rebound in Chinese stocks, but prices will keep falling because of worries about a supply glut, CBRE Hong Kong said. “We are seeing increased interest in big-ticket deals in the market following the start of the rate cut, coupled with deeper price discounts, [and] end users and long-term investors are gaining confidence to enter into buying positions,” said Reeves Yan, executive... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3281434/hong-kong-commercial-property-prices-keep-falling-supply-glut-worries-cbre?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3281434/hong-kong-commercial-property-prices-keep-falling-supply-glut-worries-cbre?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Oct 2024 12:01:24 +0000 Yulu Ao,Ralph Jennings Yulu Ao,Ralph Jennings Chinese homeowners struggling to repay their loans hailed Beijing’s decision to cut mortgage rates by a half point, though analysts and economists believe the move will fail to spark a broad economic recovery. On Tuesday, China unveiled its stimulus package for the troubled property sector, which included the mortgage-rate reduction and a cut in the down-payment ratio for second homes to 15 per cent from 25 per cent. Pan Gongsheng, the governor of the People’s Bank of China, said on Tuesday that... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3279836/chinese-homeowners-cheer-beijings-move-cut-mortgage-rates-half-point?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3279836/chinese-homeowners-cheer-beijings-move-cut-mortgage-rates-half-point?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Sep 2024 04:00:14 +0000 Salina Li Salina Li The new cycle of interest rate cuts spurred by the US Federal Reserve failed to lift Hong Kong’s secondary property market over the weekend, as cautious buyers from the mainland stayed on the sidelines. Only seven deals got done over the weekend, a decline of 53.3 per cent from a week earlier, marking a new eight-week low, according to Centaline Property. South Horizons in Aberdeen saw three transactions, Metro City in Po Lam had one, there was one in Whampoa Garden and one in Caribbean Coast in... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3279545/lower-rates-fail-lift-transactions-hong-kongs-secondary-property-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3279545/lower-rates-fail-lift-transactions-hong-kongs-secondary-property-market?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Sep 2024 02:25:11 +0000 Salina Li,Aileen Chuang,Jiaxing Li Salina Li,Aileen Chuang,Jiaxing Li This story is part of a package exploring Hong Kong’s sluggish property market. See the full list here. In the first of a two-part series, Salina Li, Aileen Chuang and Jiaxing Li explore the effects of high interest rates on the city’s tycoons and their trophy real-estate holdings. In the rarefied air up on The Peak, the owner of the penthouse in the Opus Hong Kong development – which has been called the city’s most expensive apartment building – unexpectedly put his unit up for sale. Some of... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3279243/why-rate-cuts-wont-save-cash-strapped-hong-kong-tycoons-and-their-luxury-properties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3279243/why-rate-cuts-wont-save-cash-strapped-hong-kong-tycoons-and-their-luxury-properties?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Sep 2024 03:00:09 +0000 Salina Li Salina Li This story is part of a package exploring Hong Kong’s sluggish property market. See the full list here. Perched atop one of the world’s most expensive residential markets, luxury homes on The Peak in Hong Kong are rare gems coveted by ultra-wealthy people from inside and outside the city. Luxury homes on the south side of Hong Kong Island share the same acclaim. However, a subtle shift in ownership has taken place in recent years. A number of owners have succumbed to liquidity crunches amid high... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3279227/5-famous-hidden-billionaires-are-new-owners-peak-amid-hong-kong-debt-crunch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3279227/5-famous-hidden-billionaires-are-new-owners-peak-amid-hong-kong-debt-crunch?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Sep 2024 03:47:55 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren More landlords in mainland China are willing to offer corporate tenants furnished office space to increase occupancy as a financial squeeze hobbles businesses from financial institutions to retail chain operators. Such incentives have become necessary to lure tenants with limited budgets as competition intensifies amid glut worries, said Fion Zhang, head of office, advisory and transaction services with property consultancy CBRE China. “Furnishing cost has become a major concern among some... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3278607/chinese-office-landlords-try-free-furnishings-lure-tenants-amid-economic-squeeze?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3278607/chinese-office-landlords-try-free-furnishings-lure-tenants-amid-economic-squeeze?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Sep 2024 00:30:12 +0000 Yulu Ao Yulu Ao Li Wen, a human resources director at a state-owned enterprise in Nanchang, Jiangxi province, paid off an outstanding 200,000 yuan (US$28,170) on her home loan ahead of schedule in January, soon after she received her annual bonus at work. The 36-year-old had been repaying her loans, totalling 600,000 yuan, in advance for the past few years, even after the interest rate was reduced to 4.3 per cent from the original 5.39 per cent following a few rounds of rate cuts since last year. “Depositing... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3278576/chinas-homeowners-are-rushing-pay-mortgages-early-outlook-economy-dims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3278576/chinas-homeowners-are-rushing-pay-mortgages-early-outlook-economy-dims?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Sep 2024 03:00:08 +0000 For commodities trader Jerome Jung, mornings begin with a stroll along the waterfront at a marina where some of Singapore’s wealthiest residents dock their yachts. The environs of Sentosa Cove make his daily hour-long commute to the city state’s central business district and back worthwhile, the 41-year-old says. Jung and his wife, both from South Korea and permanent residents of Singapore, bought a three-bedroom condominium at Cape Royale two years ago. He acknowledges they are among a rare few... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3276621/frozen-time-has-singapores-sentosa-cove-lost-its-allure-after-20-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3276621/frozen-time-has-singapores-sentosa-cove-lost-its-allure-after-20-years?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Sep 2024 07:30:12 +0000 As concerns grow over housing affordability in Singapore, the government’s latest cooling measures reflect an urgent need to stabilise the market ahead of a high-stakes election, with experts warning that dissatisfaction over rising costs could become a pivotal issue. “The angst, anxiety and anger that we are witnessing will be further stoked when the general election comes around,” said Eugene Tan, a law professor from the Singapore Management University. “It will be part of the narrative that... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3275688/singapores-pap-faces-housing-affordability-reckoning-run-high-stakes-election?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3275688/singapores-pap-faces-housing-affordability-reckoning-run-high-stakes-election?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Aug 2024 01:30:19 +0000 Following a critical report this week about “disappointing progress” three months into Beijing’s plan to buy unsold homes and prop up China’s embattled property market, housing officials have reiterated intentions to expand sales of fully finished homes that are ready to be lived in – rather than half-built homes – in a bid to protect buyers and stabilise the sector. Stressing that a host of measures are being taken in the real estate industry to restore confidence and ensure the timely delivery... https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3275698/china-vigorously-orderly-expand-sales-finished-homes-property-sector-overhaul?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3275698/china-vigorously-orderly-expand-sales-finished-homes-property-sector-overhaul?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Aug 2024 13:00:19 +0000