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Property policies

Property policies
Due to ample liquidity, property in Asian markets such as Singapore and Hong Kong has been driven relentlessly higher for years. As a result, governments have introduced property-cooling measures.  On the other hand, Chinese government started easing restrictions such as lowering the down payment for second homebuyers to improve the real estate sector. Western countries also impose different policies against foreign property buying.
Residential and commercial buildings in Tokyo on August 18, 2025. Home prices rose 56 per cent year on year in the Japanese capital in 2025. Photo: dpa
Asia housing and property

The View | 3 factors Asia’s real estate investors must watch in 2026

Asia might have sidestepped the worst of Trump’s tariffs, but investors should focus on price growth, Japan’s resilience and the sustainability of the data centre boom.

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International Property

Heightened tensions with China rattle Japan’s property market: analysts

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Hong Kong economy

Opinion | Northern Metropolis can combine best of central planning and free market

China property

China Vanke offshore creditors face near wipeout in Barclays worst-case scenario

British bank warns recoveries could fall below 1 per cent as restructuring priorities and access to assets remain uncertain.

In a base-case scenario, China Vanke bondholders may recover 10.1 per cent of what they are owed, according to Barclays. Photo: Reuters
Hong Kong property

Hong Kong’s Sino Land and Great Eagle secure Kowloon site for US$206 million

Acquisition of 41,226 sq ft plot – which could yield 570 homes – reflects confidence in the property market’s recovery as sales rebound.

Hong Kong property

Hong Kong developers rush new flats as sentiment lifts, pressuring recovery

Wheelock and Kerry plan to roll out more than 4,500 units in 2026, even as analysts warn that inventory overhang may cap price gains.

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China property

China’s developers diminish further amid unending property downturn

Only 10 developers manage to break US$14 billion in 2025 sales, down from 43 in 2020.

New construction rises in a residential area in Hangzhou, in eastern China’s Zhejiang province, on January 5, 2026. Photo: CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images
China property

Property industry an enemy within for Beijing’s economic targets

Ripple effect from further downturn would threaten economic growth and put more developers, workers and even banks at risk, analysts warn.

China's economic recovery

No ‘piecemeal’ steps: Chinese journal urges more support for property sector

Top Communist Party journal calls on officials to roll out a stronger policy package in one go, rather than following ‘piecemeal-style’ approach.

China property

China housing market gets VAT relief on resales but demand outlook stays subdued

Policy lowering VAT to 3 per cent reduces seller costs but demand recovery is key to stabilising the housing sector, property agents say.

Individuals selling homes within two years of purchase will be subject to a VAT rate of 3 per cent, down from 5 per cent, from January 1. Photo: Getty Images
China property

Beijing trims property resale tax in fresh push to stabilise housing market

Under new rules, sellers will pay just 3 per cent VAT if they offload a property within two years of purchase, down from 5 per cent.

Under new rules, individuals who sell a residential property within two years of buying it will pay VAT at 3 per cent instead of 5 per cent. Photo: Getty
Hong Kong courts

Hong Kong homeowner fined HK$180,000 for ‘wilful’ structural flat wall removal

Ku Chun-ho bears responsibility for checking whether removal of wall in his Lohas Park home requires approval, magistrate says.

Asia housing and property

The View | How AI helped Asia’s real estate sector pass the tariff stress test

While multiple factors are at play, this year’s tech exuberance helped the region’s property markets stay afloat.

China property

China Jinmao sells 5-star Ritz-Carlton hotel in Sanya for US$322 million

Asset restructuring aims to boost liquidity as mainland China developers face a prolonged property downturn.

Ritz-Carlton Sanya Yalong Bay has demonstrated mature and stable operations with favourable profitability and cash flow, says China Jinmao. Photo: Keith Chan
China consumption

China vows city-specific fixes to clear housing glut, stabilise property sector

Housing minister pledges to empower local governments to buy unsold inventory and shift towards selling only finished homes with a ‘what you see is what you get’ model.

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Residential buildings are seen under construction in Fuyang, Anhui province, on December 15. Photo: Getty Images
China property

China Vanke wins bondholders’ reprieve, averts default for now

Holders of the 2 billion yuan note approve extension of grace period to January 28, but deny proposal to defer principal payment for a year.

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Japan

Losing ground: Japan sounds alarm over foreign-owned land

From next year, anyone buying property will have to confirm their nationality – a move some analysts say is overkill.

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China property

Opinion | China’s property market isn’t so much collapsing as being reconfigured

Viewing China’s real estate crisis solely through the lens of market indicators misses the deeper, structural shifts at play.

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Residential buildings by Chinese real estate developer Vanke under construction in Hangzhou, in eastern China’s Zhejiang province, on March 15, 2024. Photo: AFP
Japan

Will Japan’s young embrace 50-year loans amid rising housing prices?

Opting for 50-year loans lowers monthly costs, but the long-term risks are mounting.

China property

China Vanke’s managers have no plans to sell shares as firm fights for survival

Vanke, responding to queries from investors, says top managers have not notified it about their intentions so far.

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Asia housing and property

The View | After vitalising its property market, India must shore up its weaknesses

The sustainability of the real estate boom will depend on how well New Delhi can address lingering gaps in affordability and infrastructure.

Buildings are seen under construction in Mumbai, India, on May 5. Photo: Reuters
China property

China’s home prices slide further in November as authorities vow to stem decline

China’s years-long housing downturn shows no signs of easing as new home prices fell 0.4 per cent month on month on average in 70 cities.

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China’s top 100 developers sold homes worth 4.4 trillion yuan worth of homes last year. Photo: EPA
Hong Kong property

Yau Tong project nearly sells out amid hopes of home market recovery in 2026

The flats at One Park Place were in high demand after developers Sino Land, CSI Properties and MTR offered discounts of up to 15 per cent.

Hong Kong property

Hong Kong home prices to rise in 2026 due to mainland Chinese buyers, rate cut

‘Housing prices have bottomed out, and the outlook for 2026 is cautiously optimistic,’ JLL Hong Kong chairman Joseph Tsang says.

China property

Chinese developer Country Garden gains Hong Kong court-backed debt lifeline

Onshore and offshore restructuring plans expected to reduce debt by US$12.7 billion and ease repayment pressure over the next five years.

The approval of the plans marks a new phase for Country Garden, according to an analyst. Photo: Reuters
China property

Shanghai launches clampdown on property market doom-mongering

City’s internet regulators shut down 70,000 accounts in a ‘special campaign’ against pessimistic content as real estate jitters continue.

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Shanghai has launched a “special campaign” against online content that talks down the property market. Photo: Shutterstock
China property

Morgan Stanley sees mainland China property slump extending into 2026

The US investment bank expects limited policy support from Beijing next year despite few signs of a turnaround in the sector.

China property

The View | Why China Vanke’s debt woes have barely made a ripple in markets

Robust exports, surging stocks and investors looking elsewhere have curbed pressure for more forceful government intervention.

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