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Asia housing and property

Asia housing and property
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.
A man studies in his small room in a dormitory-style accommodation in Seoul, South Korea. Photo: Reuters
South Korea

‘Only option I had’: as Seoul rents jump, many forced back into tiny rooms

More youngsters are being pushed into cramped goshiwon units as affordable housing crisis in the South Korean capital deepens.

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International Property

The View | Asia’s housing affordability squeeze shows no signs of slowing

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Hong Kong property

Hong Kong home sales recovery looks more solid as prices edge up

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Hong Kong economy

Opinion | A vacancy tax could bring back Hong Kong’s commercial buzz

The city’s magic comes from its energy and speed, not empty units. A gentle policy nudge could boost vibrancy and long-term asset values.

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A worker sticks up another rental advertisement on the shutter of a vacant shop in Mong Kok on May 2. Photo: Elson Li
Japan

The View | Takaichi’s nationalism and fiscal stimulus test Japan’s property market

Despite market pressures, cost-of-living concerns and the diplomatic row with China, other factors have a strong bearing on the nation’s real estate.

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Interiors

Even the cat matches the decor in this chic, Parisian-inspired flat

After a two-year search, a Hong Kong couple finally found a rare, light-filled flat – and transformed it with calm, clever design.

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Hong Kong property

Hong Kong and Singapore prime office rents set to equalise by 2027: CBRE

The projected increase in Singapore’s office rents could influence how companies allocate manpower between the two cities.

Prime office rents in Hong Kong and Singapore are set to reach parity within two years. Photo: Sun Yeung
China property

Sellers hope superstition can sell homes in China’s depressed market

Prayers, talismans and lucky emoji bring hope in a market where second-hand home prices have been falling for more than three years.

South Korea

Macroscope | South Korea’s challenges a taste of what’s to come for global economy

While South Korea has been a big beneficiary of the AI boom, the surge is also highlighting its domestic and geopolitical vulnerabilities.

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Artificial intelligence

The View | An AI-fuelled data centre bubble in the making? Not in Asia

Asia provides strong reassurance that the AI boom is not the only factor driving development and investment in data centres.

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A visitor observes a miniature model of data cabins for an undersea data centre in Lingshui, in south Hainan province, on September 25. Photo: Xinhua
International Property

Australia draws mainland China, Hong Kong homebuyers amid stable policies, economy

Australia’s luxury property segment is expected to see increased interest from affluent investors looking for cost-efficient safe havens.

Australia ranked as the second most popular global destination for Chinese homebuyers, behind Thailand, in the first half of 2025. Photo: Getty Images
Architecture and design

Their dream was to own a Hong Kong junk: restoring it wasn’t smooth sailing

A family’s pandemic project became a design odyssey, turning a rotting boat into a sun-washed escape with coastal-Florida flair.

Hong Kong property

Returning expats fuel Hong Kong’s luxury rental rebound, Savills says

High-end residential rents set to climb 3 to 5 per cent next year amid strengthened appeal of business and education sectors: consultancy.

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Vietnam

The View | Why Vietnam’s property sector has weathered Trump’s tariff typhoon well

Trump’s tariff blitz has not just provided an impetus for reforms, it has helped address misconceptions about Vietnam’s manufacturing sector.

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A man walks past a Nike billboard outside a shopping mall in Hanoi on July 8. Washington and Hanoi unveiled a trade pact with much fanfare and few details, but it allowed Vietnam to avoid Trump’s initial 46 per cent tariff. Photo: AFP
China property

China’s Reit to grow to US$1 trillion as developers shift focus: Morgan Stanley

Developers are expected to change direction, sharpening their focus on recurring rental income and property management fees.

Morgan Stanley estimates annual urban private housing demand in China would soften to 15 million to 17 million units from 2024 to 2030. Photo EPA
South Korea

The View | Why South Korea’s house prices continue to be out of control

Alarmist talk from the South Korean president, following three rounds of cooling measures, is not inspiring confidence.

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Hong Kong economy

Editorial | For Hong Kong’s fiscal health, commercial land sales should resume

With so many development projects in the pipeline, the government cannot wait until the property market has fully recovered.

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China property

Opinion | Amid a wave of foreclosures, China’s homeowners could use a break

To share losses more evenly among the financial system, Beijing ought to take pre-emptive steps to protect borrowers and keep prices stable.

A person checks their phone outside a residential community in Beijing, on September 15. Photo: EPA
Hong Kong property

Hong Kong rents fourth least affordable globally, Bangkok tops list, study shows

Hong Kong’s ranking slips to fourth from eighth last year, with rent taking up 61 per cent of median household disposable income.

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Interiors

The Lamma flat with stylish stoneware and a ‘Space Age Mykonos’ roof

A ceramicist breathes new life into a run-down flat, transforming it into a studio that is a canvas for his architectural sculptures.

Thailand

The View | Why Thai property investors can find reason for cheer in dismal 2025

Even with the economy hit by multiple crises this year, not least a plunge in Chinese tourist numbers, it’s not all doom in the hotel and office sectors.

Tourists dressed in Thai traditional costumes visit the Temple of Dawn or Wat Arun in Bangkok on October 6. The steep fall in Chinese tourist numbers in Thailand has been partly compensated by strength in its other source markets such as South Asia. Photo: EPA
International Property

Is it time for property investors to end their love affair with Japan?

Under new leadership, Japan is likely to delay tightening its monetary policy, which presents both opportunities and challenges, CBRE says.

Pedestrians and vehicles are reflected in glass in the Ginza district of Tokyo on October 8, 2025. Photo: AFP
Japan

The View | Why Japan’s hotel operators have nothing to fear from tourism backlash

Political turmoil, a cost-of-living crisis and ire towards tourists are unlikely to keep Japan from being a top-performing hotel market.

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Singapore

‘I’m scared he’ll snap’: Singapore’s high-rise noisy neighbour feuds turn deadly

A fatal dispute, reportedly over noise, has sparked a debate on the existing rules and enforcement measures for community dispute resolution.

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Singapore

The View | Critics of Singapore’s property cooling measures miss bigger picture

The housing market will keep testing the government’s tolerance, but without interventions, things would be a lot more volatile.

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A view of a residential building in Singapore’s Chinatown with Housing and Development Board flats. Photo: Getty Images
International Property

The rise of branded residences and why Hong Kong is an outlier

Hong Kong remains relatively untouched by the branded residences model, largely because of the strength of established local developers.

The Golden Oak Community, a residential development within the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. Photo: Golden Oak Reality
International Property

As Fed lowers rates, which real estate markets should investors eye?

Researchers from Knight Frank and Juwai IQI share their insights into various markets – and the factors investors need to be thinking about.

Interiors

See how a family’s faith inspired a Hong Kong home of ethereal lightness

Nearly everything – down to a hand-carved Carrara marble bath plug – is bespoke in this mid-1970s, six-storey residence designed to nurture family and faith.

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