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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.
A court in Shenzhen has sentenced China Evergrande Group founder Hui Ka-yan to life imprisonment for “multiple combined crimes”, confiscating all Hui’s personal property. Photo: CCTV
China Evergrande Group

Saga of China Evergrande founder Hui Ka-yan ends with life sentence

Sentence for ‘multiple combined crimes’ in Shenzhen court signals end of property sector’s ‘old‑era growth model’, analyst says.

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Hong Kong property

Macau firm opts out of Hong Kong renewal project, seeks US$153m

Hong Kong property

Is Hong Kong’s property market recovery running out of gas? UBS flags 4 risks

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China property

China’s first‑tier new home prices flat in July, ending 4‑month rebound

Top cities in China see flat readings last month, ending a streak of improvement in the struggling housing market.

Construction of a residential building in Beijing. Photo: AP
China property

In Focus | Bottom fishers? Foreign funds’ moves on China property give hope for rebound

International capital is circling China’s property sector, testing valuations and chasing returns after years of strain.

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Hong Kong society

Subdivided flat residents suffering in heat that feels like 52 degrees: study

Survey of 86 households across nine districts finds 80 per cent of people living in such homes reported dizziness and headaches.

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Hong Kong property

To rent or not to rent? That is the question for Hong Kong homebuyers

Rising residential rents and the looming shadow of interest rate increases have the city’s homebuyers trying to balance out the risks.

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City One Shatin in Sha Tin recorded only 12 sales transactions in July as owners lowered their asking prices. However, 118 rental transactions were made during the same month. Photo: Jelly Tse
China property

Rebound in China luxury home sales divorced from rest of market: analysts

Data from a real estate consultancy shows 38 per cent rise in sales of homes priced between 30 million and 50 million yuan in first half.

Hong Kong economy

URA posts HK$338 million operating surplus after three years of losses

Chairman Chow Chung-kong reveals at URA’s 25th anniversary banquet that body has returned to profit in the 2025-26 financial year.

Hong Kong property

Hong Kong property recovery faces new risk as Beijing widens offshore tax net

Potential taxation of offshore property income could curb mainland demand, while weaker insurance activity hits decentralised office markets.

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Testing times could lie ahead for Hong Kong’s property market if Beijing’s crackdown on offshore wealth extends to offshore rental income and capital gains tax, affecting investors. Photo: Sam Tsang
China's economic recovery

How China’s Zhangjiajie aims to revive a US$296 million loss-making tourist site

A 150,000-visitor opening offers an early signal, but analysts warn that lasting cash flow will require stronger products, local culture and tighter operations.

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People await entry into Dayong Ancient City during its reopening last month. Photo: Handout
Hong Kong society

Opinion | Hong Kong needs regenerated districts, not piecemeal renewal

The government should tie redevelopment of properties in old districts to Northern Metropolis development rights and create an urban regeneration authority.

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China property

China’s investors snap up prime office space, betting on a property rebound

Commercial properties are changing hands at a much faster rate in Shanghai and other major cities, as investors bet on a market rebound.

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Hong Kong housing

Hong Kong gauges feedback on 50:50 split for public flats, subsidised sale homes

Total supply of public housing will reach 196,000 flats over the next five years, government minister says.

Hong Kong has a 70:30 ratio of public rental-to-subsidised sale flats. Photo: Jonathan Wong
Transport and logistics

End of the 3-yuan ride? Shanghai considers first subway fare increase since 2005

Surging operational costs and strained municipal budgets are forcing mainland transit authorities to review long-suppressed fares.

A man passes through a turnstile at a metro station in Shanghai. The city is considering raising fares for the first time in more than two decades. Photo: VCG via Getty Images
Singapore

Singapore signals housing market stability by scrapping public housing wait

Private home owners can now buy public resale flats without delay, aimed at boosting a sluggish market after months of slow growth.

Northern Metropolis

Opinion | What Hong Kong can learn from Northern Metropolis’ first land tender

Pilot tender of large mixed-use plot for public-private development shows scale of complexity requires flexibility and constant adjustment.

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Hong Kong property

Hong Kong first-half home sales to boost developers’ earnings

Despite the brighter residential market outlook, commercial real estate continues to be weighed down by a lack of demand in non-core areas.

Potential buyers and estate agents line up at the sales office of Sun Hung Kai Properties' Garden Regency at the International Commerce Centre in West Kowloon on July 18. Photo: Edmond So
International Property

Chinese immigrants play outsized role in Canada’s housing scene amid foreign ban

Chinese permanent residents, exempted from the ban, are estimated to have bought US$4 billion worth of homes last year in Canada.

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China property

Opinion | Why China is untangling its banks from the property wreckage

Authorities are rewiring financial architecture to address the systemic risk, breaking the deep structural ties between property and banking.

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Hong Kong property

Hong Kong’s property market outlook cools amid capital outflow crackdown

Secondary residential market faces uncertainty following a strong first half, as Beijing’s capital outflow crackdown cools sentiment.

A pedestrian walks past a property agency in Quarry Bay as Hong Kong home prices rise for the 11th straight month on May 27, 2026. Photo: Karma Lo
International Property

Mainland Chinese, Hong Kong homebuyers flock to Australia. What drives the rush?

Moderating prices and a relaxed lifestyle are among factors reinforcing Australia’s safe-haven appeal for foreign investors, agents say.

Australia’s tourism appeal helps draw investors from mainland China and Hong Kong, according to agents. Photo: AFP
Hong Kong property

Hong Kong’s prime office space finds support but noncore demand lags

Demand in Central and Admiralty is picking up, but vacancies of up to 30 per cent and tight bank lending continue to weigh on noncore areas.

China property

China’s first-tier home prices extend 4-month rebound amid market stabilisation

However, only Shanghai recorded a year-on-year increase – of 3.1 per cent – with Beijing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen all down.

Hong Kong property

Hong Kong holds world’s costliest-property crown, but quality of life takes hit

Deutsche Bank cuts the financial hub’s quality-of-life standing as soaring expenses squeeze households, and Seoul emerges as a tech-driven regional competitor.

The Hong Kong skyline is seen from The Peak. Photo: Sam Tsang
China stock market

5 years after Evergrande, does China’s stock market signal a turnaround?

Domestic A-shares have returned to near-2021 levels as real interest rates decline, though researchers warn a sustained recovery is not yet guaranteed.

High rise buildings in Nanjing, in eastern China’s Jiangsu province, on May 24, 2025. Photo: AFP
Hong Kong property

‘Good time to enter market’: rebates rise as Hong Kong property demand recovers

Mortgage battle intensifies as lenders raise cash rebates to lure buyers amid Fed rate uncertainty.

China property

China’s developers eagerly line up to offer commercial-property Reits

Exchanges receive 19 listing applications after enthusiastic investor reception for first four such trusts.

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