〈The Standard, May 3, 2025〉The number of residential mortgages in negative equity – where the loan is bigger than the value of the home – was at the highest last quarter since 2003, as home prices continued to slide amid high interest rates, according to the latest survey by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority.
The estimated number of 40,741 cases as of the end March was 6.1 percent higher than the figure for December. They accounted for nearly 6.88 percent of the total number of mortgage borrowers.
The aggregate value of these loans also increased by 5.5 percent to HK$205.9 billion, though it was still below the number seen in September last year.
〈Hong Kong Business, May 2, 2025〉The government projects 105,000 private flat supply for the next three to four years, 2,000 lower than the previous estimate, according to a press release.
The Housing Bureau said there were 28,000 unsold units in completed projects at the end of March.
There are also 65,000 units under construction and 12,000 units from disposed sites where construction may start at any time. Additionally, there were 3,600 flats under construction in the first quarter, whilst 5,500 units were completed.
〈Asian Post, May 1, 2025〉Hong Kong’s commercial real estate market faced increasing pressure in the first quarter of 2025, with rising vacancy rates and cautious investor sentiment weighing on both the office and industrial sectors.
According to Colliers’ latest APAC Cap Rates Report, demand for office space is shifting toward smaller units as rent levels decline.
The industrial segment also struggled during the quarter, with investor sentiment weakening due to ongoing trade uncertainties. Despite relatively low cap rates, the market showed few signs of renewed activity, reflecting broader hesitancy across capital markets.
〈The Standard, April 30, 2025〉Hong Kong private home prices fell to the lowest in eight and a half years last month in four consecutive months of decline as a high interest rate and weak economy continued to weigh on the sector.
Home prices dropped by 0.49 percent month-on-month, or 7.8 percent year-on-year in March according to the latest data from the Rating and Valuation Department.
〈RTHK News, April 29, 2025〉The Hong Kong economy grew by 3.1 percent in the first quarter – its best performance in five quarters – as surging exports helped boost growth.
That compared with a 2.5 percent year-on-year increase in the final three months of 2024.
On a quarter-to-quarter basis, the economy grew by 2 percent in the first quarter.
The 3.1 percent growth was partly driven by higher exports, which climbed 8.7 percent from a year ago, up from a 1.3 percent increase in the fourth quarter, as exporters rushed to send shipments out after US President Donald Trump announced higher tariffs.
