商厦市场继续吹淡风，湾仔指标甲厦会展广场办公大楼新录1宗买卖，一个海景单位以近1.3亿易手，平均每呎1.63万，较高位回落逾50%，造价重返2011年水平。
上址为会展广场办公大楼中高层7至9室，建筑面积7952方呎，以1.296亿易手，平均每呎1.63万易手，物业位处中高层，饱览海景，属大厦优质单位，同类型单位2019年高峰期呎价普遍逾3.5万，是次呎价较高位回落逾50%，造价重返2011年水平。
持货17年升值逾26%
原业主于2007年以1.02422亿购入单位，持货17年，帐面获利约2717.8万，物业升值逾26%。
市场人士透露，由于商厦单位向来沿用建筑面积，并没有标準计算方法，该单位再对上一手业主，将建筑面积改为9000方呎，放盘买卖或出租均以「发水」后的面积计算，实用率则由71%跌至62.7%。不过，在早年土地註册文件，仍然沿用原有面积。若果以面积9000方呎计算，今番成交呎价为1.44万。
单位面积「增加」，表面上令单位叫座，不过，此举动影响日后买卖，更令后来业主坐失高位套现的机会，该单位多年前曾以2.94亿易手，平均每呎3.27万 (以面积9000方呎计算)，不过，买家随后发现单位实用率较其他单位低，随即取消交易。
属中高层海景户
该商厦一个低层07室单位，建筑面积约1184方呎，近日以每方呎15794元易手，涉资1891万，物业交吉交易。
该单位由内地机构持有自用多年，由于早前购入价每呎约6400元，涉资757.76万，帐面获利1133万，物业升值约1.5倍。
(星岛日报)
更多会展广场办公大楼写字楼出售楼盘资讯请参阅：会展广场办公大楼写字楼出售
更多湾仔区甲级写字楼出售楼盘资讯请参阅：湾仔区甲级写字楼出售
观塘海滨道135号宏基资本大厦顶楼27及28楼两层，连8个私家车位，由宏基资本持有，每层面积各约12029方呎，总建筑面积约24058方呎，现以部分交吉及连约出售，意向价1.8亿，平均呎价约7480元。
部分连约出售
有代理表示，物业为最顶两层优质户，业主持有10多年首度公开放售，望维港及邮轮码头景，间隔方正实用，该厦大堂独特，电视台经常到此拍摄取景，大厦距牛头角港铁站仅5分鐘步程。
区内近期频录全层成交，今年7月，俊汇中心28及29楼连天台，以1.33亿易手；今年9月，敬业街41号云讯广场两层楼面，以2.05万易手。
(星岛日报)
更多宏基资本大厦写字楼出售楼盘资讯请参阅：宏基资本大厦写字楼出售
更多云讯广场写字楼出售楼盘资讯请参阅：云讯广场写字楼出售
更多观塘区甲级写字楼出售楼盘资讯请参阅：观塘区甲级写字楼出售
写字楼面临挑战 租金未见底
写字楼需求是经济脉搏的直接反映,如今宏观经济形势仍然充满不确定性，近年来不少企业选择缩减办公空间，扩张的公司却寥寥可数，过往香港IPO (首次公开招股) 市场畅旺,尚可带动写字楼需求，然而这一情况已经发生显著变化。
根据CBI发布的《香港IPO新股及上市申请- 2024年上半年洞察及回顾》报告，「2024年上半年，香港IPO市场以中小型新股主导，公司估值较上年同期低27%，只有约131亿港元，期内有114家公司申请上市，按年下跌13%，IPO市场延续疲弱气氛。」
此外，随着内地与香港的经济合作日益增强，两地经济亦相互牵动，由于现时内地经济发展放缓，营商环境不稳，导致来港设办事处的中资企业减少，继而影响香港写字楼需求；而早前美国眾议院通过了至少25项关于限制中国在经济、政治及科技领域的法案，不禁使人担忧中美地缘政治挑战或会对香港作为国际金融中心的地位造成影响。
另一方面，办公模式的转变亦为写字楼市场带来挑战。经历疫情后，不少公司已具备让员工在家办公的经验及技术支援能力，在不影响工作效率的情况下，笔者相信未来会有更多僱主推行居家办公，有关数字将继续增加；同时，自由座位 (Hot Desk) 办公模式也在兴起，即员工可以自由选择座位，轮流共用办公桌，据了解，一些外资地产代理公司已经取消了固定座位，採取混合办公及hot desk模式，这样一来公司毋须配置一对一的办公桌数量，便能满足员工办公需求，从而可租用更小的办公室以降低运营成本。另外，东南亚及内地相对廉价的劳动力也在吸引机构将部分工作外判，进一步导致租用面积的减少。
差餉物业估价署《香港物业报告2024》中指出，截至2023年底，本港私人写字楼空置率升至14.9%，空置量则按年升逾5%至196万平方米。整体私人写字楼空置率维持在双位数同时，近两年还陆续有新的商业楼面供应，报告中预测2024及2025年的私人写字楼落成总量达29.2万平方米，中西区将成为新落成甲级写字楼的主要供应地区，落成量分别佔预计总供应量的43%和40%。
有本港代理行数据资料显示，截至2024年8月29日，港岛十大甲级商厦放租的总楼面面积超过124万平方呎，库存累积加新供应，市场人士认为目前写字楼市场租金仍未见底，租客议价空间将进一步增大，或会吸引部分企业趁低进行升级搬迁及洽谈更长租约期。
减息对楼市影响 有待观察
美国联储局于9月19日宣布降息半厘，是近四年以来首次，随后，金管局将贴现窗基本利率下调50基点，降至5.25厘，本地眾多银行亦跟随减息步伐，将现行最优惠利率 (P) 水平，由年利率5.875厘调低至5.625厘。市场人士认为减息对楼市的正面影响毋庸置疑，但市场需要时间来消化这一变化，其具体影响仍有待观察。
(经济日报)
Home prices languish at eight-year lows
Hong Kong's private home prices fell for a fourth straight month in August to a fresh eight-year low, data from the Rating and Valuation Department showed.
The residential property price index in August dropped by 1.7 percent to 292.1 from a month earlier, the data showed.
By falling 5.65 percent in four months, the decline has offset the gains made following the removal of all housing curbs on the primary market in February, and hit a new low in roughly eight years.
To put the decline in context, the index last month was 26.6 percent below the record high of 398.1 points set in 2021.
Small to medium-sized units less than 100 square meters in size saw their prices decline by 1.7 percent from July and about 13 percent from a year ago. And large flats more 100 square meters recorded a drop of 1.3 percent compared to July and a year-on-year decrease of 8.8 percent.
However, the rental market in the city maintained its bullish momentum.
The rental index rose for a sixth consecutive month to 201.8 points, up 1.2 percent from the previous month and 7 percent form a year ago to a nearly five-year high since September 2019.
The rental index has grown by 6.2 percent in the first eight months of the year.
A real estate consultancy predicts home prices in the city will drop 8 percent this year and slightly recover by 3 percent next year if the US maintains its expected pace of interest rate cuts.
Sixty-six percent or 970 of the 1,465 second-hand residential home transactions in August were profitable.
But the number of profitable deals fell by 0.3 percentage points month-on-month and for a second consecutive month to a nearly three-month low, according to the Land Registry and another real estate agency.
The real estate agency predicts the average profitable deals ratio in the secondary market will further drop in near future as low-price strategies implemented by developers on new projects drag prices lower in the market.
However, it expects the positive impact of interest rate cuts in the city will boost the market as soon next month.
(The Standard)
New Yuen Long flats are the cheapest in 10 years
The Parkland in Yuen Long, developed by Lai Sun Development (0488) launched its first price list yesterday, offering 50 new flats with units starting from as little as HK$2.43 million.
The discounted average price also came down to as low as HK$9,278 per square foot, levels last seen nearly 10 years ago in the area.
In 2015, New World Development (0017) rolled out the first batch of The Parkhill involving 50 flats with a discounted average price of HK$9,807 per sq ft while Domus of Paliburg (0617) set a price of HK$2.39 million for checks.
The two projects are both located in Yuen Long.
Lai Sun's senior vice president Julian Poon Yui-man said the project's price is "highly attractive" and cheaper than any other project in the same area or the entire new homes market.
Poon said Lai Sun has developed multiple projects and will not calculate the profits of a single project.
"It is hard to say whether you will lose money or not in business," he said
The land price of the project is more than HK$4,000 per sq ft while construction costs were over HK$5,000 per sq ft.
The Parkland will open for sale as early as next week.
In other news, Swire Properties (1972) announced a new development named The Headland Residences yesterday.
The Chai Wan project offers a total of 850 flats, with home types spanning one- to four-bedroom units with sizes ranging from 400 to 2900 sq ft, as well as two special units. Director of residential business Adrian To Wai-yip expects to receive the first occupation license in 2025.
(The Standard)
Hong Kong home rents surge to near record highs as flat prices sink further
A seasonal influx of renters and bets on further declines in home prices are driving the trends, analysts say
Residential rents in Hong Kong jumped to the fourth-highest level on record last month while prices for lived-in homes slumped to an eight-year low, due to a seasonal influx of renters and bets that home prices will fall further, according to analysts.
The official index of residential rents in the city rose 1.13 per cent to 197.5 in August from July’s reading of 195.3, according to data released by the Rating and Valuation Department on Thursday. Rents have surged 6.8 per cent from a year earlier.
Meanwhile, secondary home prices in August sank 1.72 per cent month on month to an index reading of 292.1, the fourth straight monthly decline and the lowest reading since the gauge hit 287.6 in August 2016. Lived-in home prices have dropped 13.32 per cent year on year and 6.17 per cent since the end of 2023.
The figures do not reflect the market’s reaction to the half-point reductions in interest rates made last week by the US Federal Reserve and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority. Given that more policy easing is in the offing, home prices are likely to stabilise and rents are expected to moderate over the short to medium term, according to a property consultancy.
Still, another property agency estimates rents will increase by 9 per cent this year, propelling the index to a record.
So far this year, rents have risen by 6.18 per cent. The August reading is the fourth-highest on record, just 2.6 points or 1.29 per cent below a historic high of 200.1 in August 2019, and also just shy of July 2019’s 198.3 and October 2018’s 197.6.
Seasonal trends play a role in the rent increases, according to an agent.
“The summer period typically sees a rise in accommodation demand as incoming non-local university students prepare for the new academic year,” the agent said. “Some developers have even adjusted their strategies, shifting from sales to leasing in order to capture strong rental demand.”
For example, Henderson Land put 20 studio and one-bedroom units up for lease at Baker’s Circle in Hung Hom in August for HK$14,000 (US$1,800) and HK$19,000, respectively.
“In the medium term, the surge in residential rents may moderate as end users who are currently renting choose to purchase their own properties and developers convert more units from sale to rent, thereby increasing the supply of rental accommodation,” the agent said.
The surge in rents in August came amid the slowest home sales in Hong Kong since a series of property cooling measures were lifted in February.
Home sales slipped for the fourth consecutive month to 3,654 units in August, a 1.9 per cent decrease from July and a six-month low since 2,375 were sold in February. The value amounted to HK$28.47 billion, a 20 per cent slump from HK$35.7 billion in July.
“With developers offering more incentives and attractive pricing [on new homes], pressure is mounting on the secondary residential market,” another agent said. “With the US Federal Reserve rate cut, major banks in Hong Kong reduced the prime rate, which may provide support for the market.”
On the other hand, with the inventory of new flats still increasing, any upside on home prices is likely to be limited, the agent said.
As of July, Hong Kong developers had 22,300 unsold residential units, about 1.7 per cent more than the 21,900 they had at the end of 2023, according to another property agency.
Home prices are likely to fall by another 1 per cent this month, another agent said.
(South China Morning Post)