34 h. ago Mainland Chinese buyers fuel 25% of Hong Kong home sales last quarter: Centaline

Mainland Chinese homebuyers remain a strong driving force in Hong Kong’s residential property market, spending HK$38 billion (US$4.9 billion) to account for 25 per cent of the city’s total home transactions in the third quarter, according to Centaline Property Agency. Buyers with names in pinyin – the mainland’s system of romanisation of Chinese script – registered 3,797 deals between July and September, up 7 per cent from the previous quarter, Centaline said in a report on Monday. It noted that...

Economics

42 h. ago Stronger Hong Kong residential property market whets investor appetite: analysts

Hong Kong’s residential property market is gradually mending investor sentiment, according to analysts, who are nonetheless cautious about a full recovery amid geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainties. Investors accounted for 20 per cent of the market’s total transactions so far in 2025, according to UBS property analyst Mark Leung, who added that some districts with residential projects near universities might have a higher proportion. The average gross rental yield for mass residential...

Economics

66 h. ago Is it time for property investors to end their love affair with Japan?

As Japan enters a new era with the likely election of Sanae Takaichi as the first female prime minister of Asia’s second-largest economy, is it time for property investors to end their enduring love affair with Japanese real estate? The 64-year-old Takaichi emerged last week as the leader of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, paving the way for her to seek the premiership, although uncertainties remain following the collapse of a coalition with the party’s allies. Under an anticipated...

Society

4 d. ago Chinese EV maker Li Auto eyes global market with Hong Kong base

Chinese electric-vehicle (EV) maker Li Auto has set up its international headquarters in Hong Kong, paving the way for its overseas expansion amid intensifying competition at home. The Hong Kong operations would serve as a strategic base for the Beijing-based carmaker to “oversee its research and development [R&D], intellectual property management and international supply chain functions”, said InvestHK, the Hong Kong government’s investment promotion arm, in a statement on Thursday. Li Auto,...

Politics

9 d. ago HSBC’s move to privatise Hang Seng a vote of confidence in Hong Kong

When HSBC announced its plan to privatise Hang Seng Bank for US$13.6 billion at a 30 per cent premium, the markets responded with enthusiasm. Many interpreted the move as a confident bet on Hong Kong’s future. But beneath the strategic packaging lies a deeper signal. This deal is not only about operational synergy. It is also a calculated response to mounting pressures in Hong Kong’s economy and property sector. The hope is that this bold step brings stability rather than reveals deeper...

Politics

9 d. ago Hong Kong’s finance sector enters new era with Hang Seng privatisation

When HSBC announced its plan to privatise Hang Seng Bank for US$13.6 billion at a 30 per cent premium, the markets responded with enthusiasm. Many interpreted the move as a confident bet on Hong Kong’s future. But beneath the strategic packaging lies a deeper signal. This deal is not only about operational synergy. It is also a calculated response to mounting pressures in Hong Kong’s economy and property sector. The hope is that this bold step brings stability rather than reveals deeper...

Economics

9 d. ago Hong Kong can expect fewer but stronger typhoons in the future: expert

Hong Kong can expect fewer but stronger typhoons in the future, a former assistant director of the Observatory has warned, with storms lasting longer and potentially becoming even more destructive than in the past. Leung Wing-mo, spokesman for the Hong Kong Meteorological Society, said tape would not protect property against the force of strong waves, and urged the use of wooden panels and additional breakwaters instead. “If we follow the mainstream opinion of scientists worldwide, the number of...

Politics

1 week ago Axe ‘invisible barriers’ affecting people with disabilities: Hong Kong watchdog

Hong Kong’s equality watchdog is urging service providers and property managers to eliminate “invisible barriers” that impact residents with disabilities after conducting its first review of reported cases of discrimination. In addition to laying out eight recommendations for such organisations in a new guide, the Equal Opportunities Commission highlighted on Thursday some of the cases that had prompted the review. They included the case of a bus driver who refused to allow a wheelchair user to...

Politics

1 week ago Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Bank COO pays US$5.14 million for Happy Valley luxury flat

Hang Seng Bank chief operating officer Vivien Chiu Wai-man has paid HK$40 million (US$5.14 million) for a 1,651 sq ft luxury flat in Happy Valley, joining a growing list of top business executives and affluent residents who are buying high-end real estate in Hong Kong amid an improving property market. The flat in Beverly Hill on Broadwood Road was handed over to Chiu on October 6, according to Land Registry records. Chiu paid HK$24,228 per square foot for the flat, which was a record this year...

Economics

1 week ago Does Hong Kong need to criminalise storm chasing or will idea blow over?

Super Typhoon Ragasa recently passed within about 120km of Hong Kong and led to the No 10 warning signal being raised. Thankfully, advance warning of the storm and comprehensive preparations in Hong Kong and mainland China, including the evacuation of nearly 2 million people in high-risk areas of Guangdong, averted catastrophe. Still, the impact was significant, with 101 injuries reported in Hong Kong and substantial property damage. Among the debris left in Ragasa’s wake is a debate over...

Events

1 week ago New trend among fashion brands: setting up cafes to drive up store traffic

A new trend has emerged in Hong Kong’s commercial property landscape as the retail sector slowly recovers: non-food and beverage (F&B) brands are turning to casual dining to entice young consumers and get more out of their premises. Japanese apparel retailer Uniqlo carved up some space for a cafe in its refurbished Cityplaza outlet in Taikoo Shing last year and American luxury brand Ralph Lauren went further by opening standalone Ralph’s Coffee shops in high-end malls like Harbour City in Tsim...

Politics

1 week ago Hong Kong’s fashion retailers look to cafes to restore chicness to their brands

A new trend has emerged in Hong Kong’s commercial property landscape as the retail sector slowly recovers: non-food and beverage (F&B) brands are turning to casual dining to entice young consumers and get more out of their premises. Japanese apparel retailer Uniqlo carved up some space for a cafe in its refurbished Cityplaza outlet in Taikoo Shing last year and American luxury brand Ralph Lauren went further by opening standalone Ralph’s Coffee shops in high-end malls like Harbour City in Tsim...

Politics

2 w. ago Hong Kong property deals surge anew in September on rate cut, buoyant stocks

Hong Kong property sales in September saw an increase in the number of deals and value on the back of easing interest rates and a resurgent stock market, according to property agents. Deals covering new and lived-in homes, office spaces, shops, car parking slots as well as industrial units were estimated to have risen 6.2 per cent month on month to 6,862 units in September, with the total value up 14 per cent to HK$54.35 billion (US$6.98 billion), according to Centaline, one of the city’s...

Politics

3 w. ago Hong Kong schools turn to property investment as city eyes education hub status

Hong Kong’s bid to be an international education hub is spurring investments in the city’s battered commercial property segment, with hotels being converted to student housing and schools becoming a major driver of leasing in the retail sector, according to analysts. So far this year, investors have spent HK$2.6 billion (US$334 million) in the student accommodation segment, including Hong Kong Metropolitan University’s acquisition of the Urbanwood Hung Hom Hotel, which was converted into student...

Culture

3 w. ago Swire Pacific chairman buys US$6.4 million Hong Kong luxury flat

Swire Pacific chairman Guy Bradley bought a luxury property in the Southern district of Hong Kong for HK$50 million (US$6.4 million), as affluent investors continue to show confidence in the city’s home market. The low-density luxury apartment with a saleable area of 2,832 sq ft, located at 10A-10B Stanley Beach Road, was sold to Bradley at HK$17,655 per square foot, according to Midland Realty. The chairman “had been searching for an investment on Hong Kong Island because he remains optimistic...

Economics

3 w. ago Swire Pacific’s chairman buys US$6.4 million Hong Kong luxury flat

Swire Pacific chairman Guy Bradley bought a luxury property in the Southern district of Hong Kong for HK$50 million (US$6.4 million), as affluent investors continue to show confidence in the city’s home market. The low-density luxury apartment with a saleable area of 2,832 sq ft, located at 10A-10B Stanley Beach Road, was sold to Bradley at HK$17,655 per square foot, according to Midland Realty. The chairman “had been searching for an investment on Hong Kong Island because he remains optimistic...

Economics

3 w. ago To succeed, Northern Metropolis should learn from Silicon Valley model

Hong Kong stands at a pivotal juncture. The opportunities presented by the Greater Bay Area are immense, and the city’s Northern Metropolis is the strategic gateway to realising this potential. As boldly envisioned in Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s policy address, this project is more than a property development; it is the cornerstone of Hong Kong’s transformation into an international innovation and education hub, critical to fulfilling our role in national strategies. To succeed, we must...

Politics

3 w. ago Hong Kong elevated transit project winners to get property development rights

Successful bidders for four elevated mass transit projects in Hong Kong, including proposed infrastructure in Kai Tak, will be granted property development rights in the surrounding areas to help provide long-term funding support. The Executive Council, the city’s key decision-making body, on Friday approved the granting of property development rights at nominal premiums for three sites in Kai Tak related to one of the projects through a coming open tender. The project will be awarded next year...

Politics

3 w. ago HSBC asks Hang Seng Bank to clean up bad Hong Kong property debt

HSBC Holdings has taken the unusual step of getting directly involved in pushing its Hong Kong subsidiary, Hang Seng Bank, to offload portfolios of bad real estate debt, underscoring growing concerns over the city’s struggling property sector. About two months ago, the lender directed its London-based global chief corporate credit officer and the head of its special credit unit to ensure Hang Seng started a process of selling portfolios, according to people familiar with the matter, who asked...

Economics

3 w. ago Hong Kong’s office market picks up amid IPO boom, demand from Chinese law firms

Hong Kong’s office segment is picking up due to leasing demand from mainland Chinese law firms and financial groups, supported by a buoyant stock market that has seen an increasing number of companies launch initial public offerings (IPOs) in the city. Office-leasing activity in August grew for a fifth straight month, with tenants absorbing 313,800 sq ft of net space, according to data compiled by JLL. The overall vacancy rate in the city increased 0.1 per cent to 13.5 per cent month on month in...

Economics