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Hong Kong property: second-hand prices edge up in April as bargains on new units seduce buyers, analysts say


The government’s home price index inched up 0.3 per cent in April, compared with a 1.8 per cent gain in March

‘The second-hand market is facing a lot of competition from the first-hand market, so prices have not had much room to grow’: property agent

Prices of lived-in homes in Hong Kong rose for the second straight month in April, but at a slower rate than in March as aggressive pricing lured buyers to new homes instead, analysts said.

In the second month after the government dropped a series of cooling measures, the home price index inched up 0.3 per cent to 308.7, the highest since December when it stood at 311.3, according to the Rating and Valuation Department (RVD). However, prices are down 12.8 per cent year on year, and the gauge has dropped 0.83 per cent so far this year.

In March, second-hand home prices increased by about 1.8 per cent, RVD data showed.

“The second-hand home market is facing a lot of competition from the first-hand market, so prices have not had much room to grow,” a property agent said. “Developers are pricing their new launches fairly close to the [second-hand] market.”

Since the cooling measures ended, developers have been launching their unsold stock to take advantage of improving market sentiment. As of April, 4,800 new units had been made available to buyers so far this year, a seven-year high for the first four months and more than half of what they put on offer in all of 2023, according to data from a local property agency.

Among the projects launched in April was the first batch of flats at the Onmantin residential project by Great Eagle Holdings in Ho Man Tin, which was priced from HK$17,759 (US$2,274) to HK$25,866 per square foot. The cheapest unit, measuring 388 sq ft, had a price tag of HK$6.89 million. All 260 available flats found buyers on the first day of the launch on April 27.

The price range was more than 25 per cent cheaper than the nearby In One Above residential project, which was launched by Chinachem Group in May last year.

The prices at Onmantin were also the lowest for the neighbourhood since 2016, when Kerry Properties launched its Mantin Heights development at an average of HK$19,000 per square foot.

In April, property deals in Hong Kong, including new and lived-in homes, car parks, office units, shops and industrial places, hit a near three-year high with 9,880 units changing hands, according to official data.

Sales of new and second-hand homes shot up by 115 per cent to 8,551 units compared with March, Land Registry data showed.

This month, however, property transactions have slowed markedly. As of May 28, 6,360 units changed hands, according to data from the agency, making it unlikely the month would exceed April’s transactions.

“Just about three months after the removal of market curbs, more than 7,000 new residential units have been sold, about 67 per cent of last year’s total sales,” another agent said.

“Nevertheless, the market needs to take a breath before several new projects in the pipeline debut. If developers resume their strategy of prioritising transaction volume over price, monthly transaction volume may rebound in the second half of 2024.”

May’s slowdown in property deals could also be attributed to waning hopes for an imminent interest-rate cut, the agent said. The US Federal Reserve is unlikely to initiate any policy easing with inflation in the world’s largest economy remaining above its 2 per cent target.

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority adjusts its policy based on the Fed’s decisions in order to keep the local currency’s peg to the US dollar.

The agent said they are standing pat on its forecast for the year, which has home prices remaining stable or declining by up to 5 per cent.

The recent surge in the bellwether Hang Seng Index (HSI), meanwhile, could boost the property market’s prospects in the coming months, another agent said.

“Usually, the HSI is highly correlated with residential prices, but with a two- to three-month time lag,” the agent said. “If the HSI remains at its current level or continues to improve, we expect prices for the secondary market to stabilise.”

(South China Morning Post)

 

中環甲廈租金按年跌9.1% 外資代理行:空置率達12.6%

有外資代理行最新發表的香港每月物業市場報告指,港島區整體甲廈租金回落,整體空置率達到12.6%新高。隨着零售銷貨進一步下跌,舖租繼續面臨下行壓力。

2024年4月,港島區整體甲廈平均租金回落至每方呎64.2元,按年跌5.2%,整體空置率在4月份達到12.6%新高,中環甲廈租金跌幅最顯著,按年跌9.1%。

呎租跌至64.2

香港寫字樓錄內地企業查詢,一般而言,面積5000方呎以下,擁海景及裝修最受捧,由於市場缺乏新需求,該行預計港島區甲廈短期內空置率維持高位,今年全年租金將跌幅3%以內。

九龍區寫字樓租賃勢頭低迷,4月份平均月租按月跌1.7%,至每方呎22.8元,連續第三個月下跌,交易以平均面積3000方呎或以下細交易為主。九龍東租賃較活躍,4月份交易以搬遷為主,該行預計租戶謹慎,短期內仍面臨供過於求和需求疲弱。

九龍區商廈呎租22.8

零售業銷售持續疲弱,3月份零售業總銷售額按年大跌7%至312億,兩年來最差,最近主要零售街舖租賃活動顯示出更強勁的勢頭。 儘管主要零售街舖租賃增加,隨着零售銷售進一步下跌,舖租面臨壓力,許多零售商指黃金周銷售數字令人失望,旅客消費下跌、人民幣疲弱及內地經濟緩慢反彈,對旅遊業復甦構成挑戰。

(星島日報)

 

鄧成波家族兩市區商場 叫價10

政府積極推動盛事,從而吸引更多旅客來港消費,核心區商舖受惠外,民生區商場出租情況亦較之前有所提升,今年度本港基座商場易手個案頻仍,鄧成波家族趁勢推售兩個市區商場項目,涉及意向價共約10億元。

銀城廣場6層樓面放售

有本港代理行代理表示,鄧氏家族放售物業為旺角銀城廣場及荔枝角美孚廣場。其中,銀城廣場位處旺角西洋菜南街最旺地段,屬遊客必到打卡潮地及購物熱點,推售樓層分布於地庫、1至3及5至6樓,面積合共約30,128平方呎,意向價約5億元,該項目現有租客為夾公仔、營養保健產品及電腦產品等,相信日後將可吸引更多人氣旺店,成為潮流產品集中地。

美孚廣場逾4萬呎 零售租戶為主

至於另一個項目為美孚廣場,坐落於美孚新邨4期,美孚新邨為香港規模最大的私人屋苑之一,粗略估計邨內人口已有約4萬,本土消費強勁。放售項目總面積約46,357平方呎,租客以民生、餐飲及零售行業為主,主要大型租客有麥當勞、薩莉亞及渣打銀行等,為區內居民提供多元化生活所需服務,項目意向價同為5億元。

資料顯示,今年度本港先後錄得多宗大手基座商場易手個案,涉及成交金額約48億元,反映市區基座商場有價有市,當中最大宗買賣成交為荃灣愉景新城基座商場易手,由新世界發展 (00017) 以約40.2億元沽出,並由華懋集團成功購入。

該代理指,雖然北上消費情況熾熱,但訪港旅客數字有所提升,最新4月份訪港旅客人次為340萬人次,較去年同期增長約兩成,累計今年首4個月共錄得1,462萬旅客訪港,按年同期對比增長1倍,加上近期政府大力進行推廣,積極推動盛事活動,預料下半年將舉行106項盛事,全年共有214項盛事,勢必吸引到更多本地居民及旅客留港消費,對本港市區商場舖位有所帶動。

因此市場對本港零售消費市道逐步恢復信心,加上是次兩個推售商場項目分別位處核心區及民生消費區,可迎合不同財團及投資者需要,而商場單一業權發展,租戶選擇更多元化,發展潛力更高,料可吸引其作為長綫投租之選,預料推售反應理想。

(經濟日報)