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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.
Hong Kong seen from The Peak. Morgan Stanley expects secondary home prices to rise 10 per cent this year. Photo: K. Y. Cheng
Hong Kong property

The View | Hong Kong’s housing market recovery rests on solid foundations

Unlike the commercial property sector, the city’s residential market is supported by multiple factors helping to drive demand.

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Hong Kong property

Soaring Hong Kong rents: tenants pay more – and fight for shrinking space

Hong Kong property

SHKP posts another Sierra Sea sell-out as Hong Kong property rebound strengthens

International Property

Chinese firms are scoping out overseas property. What is catching their eye?

With residential development on the wane, Chinese firms are investing in smart city, logistics and new energy projects, Knight Frank says.

Smart city investments in the Middle East are one of the key targets of expanding Chinese companies. Photo: Getty Images
Hong Kong housing

Opinion | Hong Kong must fix Tenants Purchase Scheme’s flaws before any relaunch

The public housing sale scheme for tenants was a bold experiment that delivered partial success but left thorny problems.

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China property

Hang Lung flags ‘tough slog’ for property, looks to mainland malls for growth

Hong Kong developer says property segment recovery will be slow, but sees mainland retail and consumption offering the clearest upside.

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Hong Kong property

Hong Kong home prices snap 3-year downturn as rents surge to a new high

The property market has turned a corner, buoyed by rate cuts, stock gains and talent schemes, analysts say.

The property market turnaround has set the tone for a broader rebound this year, analysts say. Photo: Sam Tsang
Hong Kong property

All signs point to rebound in Hong Kong’s housing market: Morgan Stanley analyst

A combination of factors – falling interest rates, rising rents and stamp duty removal – bodes well for the market after years of downturn.

Hong Kong property

Complaints against Hong Kong property agents rise faster than home sales

Market recovery exposes pressure points as complaints surge 56 per cent, with online advertising violations dominating cases.

Hong Kong property

Hong Kong tests student housing land sales amid slumping office demand

Government invites interest in three sites for student hostels, signalling a shift from office sites to education-focused development.

The Development Bureau has invited expressions of interest for student hostel development on three commercially zoned sites, including one in Kai Tak. Photo: Google Maps
China property

Mainland China’s home prices extend slide, deepening property downturn

New home prices fall again in December, with declines across most cities, as second-hand values plunge year on year.

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People skate on a frozen lake at Chaoyang Park in Beijing, with residential buildings in the background. Photo: AP
China consumption

Why mortgage subsidies could be key to getting China’s consumers spending

Beijing is striving to boost household spending amid an economic slowdown. But first it needs to stabilise the housing market, scholars say.

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China economy

Opinion | China’s new property pivot is coming. Expect full stabilisation ahead

As property curbs to boost spending hit practical limits, a push to stabilise assets is now being seen as a prerequisite for consumer confidence.

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China property

Expect no ‘systemic shock’ from Vanke’s ‘technical default’: HSBC

Even an ‘aggressive’ haircut would pose limited downside risks to key developers, bank says.

A security guard stands near a development by Vanke in Beijing on December 23, 2025. Photo: Reuters
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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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
International Property

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

Bilateral friction is expected to impact assets tied to tourism, including hotels and high-street retail shops, CBRE’s Chinatsu Hani says.

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Hong Kong economy

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

Guided by the national five-year plans, the Hong Kong government is changing policies and offering attractive terms for the project.

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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.

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.

A man walks in front of residential buildings in Beijing on December 15, 2025. Photo: EPA
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.

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.

A screen grab of Ku Chun-ho’s 681 sq ft home. Photo: Handout
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.

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