疫情重創 Expedia中環中心全層尋頂租

需求弱+機構減成本 甲廈現頂租潮

疫情對商廈租賃市場影響漸浮現。旅遊行業相關生意受衝擊，消息指，網上旅行服務供應商Expedia，現租用中環中心全層，據悉正放頂租，市值呎租約70元；另同廈一家手遊公司，全層單位亦於市場尋求頂租。因需求弱加上機構減成本，勢令甲廈空置率上升。

疫症令個別行業生意大受打擊，故要作出節省成本計劃。翻查資料，Expedia於2019年租用中環中心中低層全層單位，面積約2.5萬平方呎，租期至2022年6月，目前租約尚有兩年。據了解，該公司有意放棄現有據點，並於市場放頂租，估計市值呎租約70元。

手遊公司中環中心單位放租

Expedia主力提供網上服務及資料，旗下的Hotel.com、trivago等，均是不少旅客訂購外國酒店及機票，及作格價之選，一直以來業務甚為理想。不過，疫情從今年初爆發，及後蔓延至歐美國家，全球紛紛封關，旅遊業停頓，生意受嚴重衝擊。事實上，該集團今年首季收入按年跌15.3%，虧損13億美元。

事實上，疫情影響營商環境，甲廈租務顯得淡靜，個別租客亦於市場放頂租。以中環中心為例，有其他租客亦在放租盤。據悉，騰訊 (00700) 旗下從事手機遊戲業務的子公司Riot Games，2018年租用中環中心51樓數個單位，呎租約95元；去年更擴充業務，租用該廈全層，面積達約2.5萬平方呎。惟租客近期於市場放頂租，按目前市場呎租約90元。

另外，同區散業權商廈，如皇后大道中9號、美國銀行中心，亦有個別面積較細放頂租單位。

跨國公司省成本 旺角搬九龍灣

九龍區租務方面亦較為淡靜，不少跨國公司縮減業務。據悉，一家日本電子公司，原租用旺角新世紀廣場單位，面積約1.1萬平方呎，呎租約35元。該機構最近轉租九龍灣One Kowloon單位，面積約7,000平方呎，租金較便宜外，亦縮減單位寫字樓面積，作為節省成本。

據代理行早前報告指，4月份寫字樓市場的租賃需求仍然相對疲弱，新租賃成交的樓面按月減少14%。因此寫字樓市場租金均見調整，4月整體市場租金按月下跌3%。中環寫字樓空置率於4月底升至4.6%，為2014年1月以來最高。

(經濟日報)

甲廈租金連跌11個月受疫症影響重返2016年中水平

隨着本港疫情減退，商廈交投反彈，但市場前景未明朗，租售價仍然受壓。根據代理行資料指出，甲廈租金連跌11個月，由去年中高位累挫20.9%，重返2016年中水平。該代理行指出，隨着政治問題重現，短期內商廈交投及租售價繼續受壓。

代理行的報告指出，5月份甲廈租金、以至售價，都雙雙連跌第11個月，當中甲廈租金由去年中的高位累挫20.9%，重返2016年中水平，是各類商廈租售價中表現最差。

高位累挫20.9%

報告指出，5月份指標甲廈售價按月跌0.9%，連跌11個月後，累計挫12.4%，上月核心區跌幅最大為上環，按月挫逾4%，最新平均呎價約25434元，已經跌穿2017年5月，即美利道地王批出後的水平。至於租金繼續跑輸售價，甲廈租金按月更挫2.5%，拖累租金表現走弱。由去年6月份的高位計算，甲廈租金累積跌幅已達20.9%，單計今年首5個月，跌幅亦達14.8%。

上月甲廈租金以金鐘及尖沙嘴跌幅最大，兩區甲廈租金按月分別挫4.2%及4.6%。上月各區繼續錄多宗低價租務成交，包括金鐘力寶中心2座一個單位，以每方呎約40元租出，另外中環中心一個中層戶亦僅以每方呎58元獲承租。

代理表示，雖然本港疫情已經減退，但早前啟德商業地招標再遇流標，已經反映發展商對商廈後市表現十分審慎，事實上，寫字樓市場前景仍然不明朗，因為政治市重臨，一方面國安法制定，本港社會運動捲土重來，另一方面中美關係惡化，香港獨立關稅區地位或被撤銷，這將為未來帶來很大不確定性。

後市仍不明朗

代理認為，準買家將傾向採取觀望態度，短期內商廈成交量因而受壓，但下半年而言，由於市場將有多個新盤待推，包括長沙灣一個全新甲廈項目可望快將推售，加上中概股紛紛回歸香港利好股市，對商廈市場有正面影響，預期下半年寫字樓成交量將會顯著回升。

(星島日報)

太子翻新商廈全幢放售 

興勝創建於2017年斥約1.66億購入的太子荔枝角道99號The Edward，以招標形式出售，包括大廈命名權及管理權。截標日期為下月23日。

物業剛於今年5月完成翻新工程，現為一幢15層高商廈，每層建築面積約1730至2290方呎，總建築面積約28380方呎。

物業適合作教育中心、醫療或美容中心、安老院舍、共居生活或公司總部等。市場估值約3.7億，平均呎價約13000元。

(星島日報)

Hong Kong developers feel the pain from Covid-19, social unrest as rental incomes shrink and tenants surrender office space

Hong Kong developers are feeling the pain from Covid-19 and the anti-government protest movement, with shrinking rental incomes and tenants surrendering office space as the economy spirals into a recession.

Henderson Land Development, the third largest builder in Hong Kong, said total rental income across its portfolios, mainly in the office sector, had dropped around 10 per cent as a result of the health pandemic.

Some of the real estate developer’s tenants in the International Finance Centre (IFC) office towers were considering reducing the size of their offices or ending their leases, said Martin Lee Ka-shing, co-chairman of Henderson Land, speaking at the company’s annual general meeting on Monday.

“But overall there is still strong demand for office space in the International Finance Centre,” said Lee. “Once a tenant ends their lease, many clients show up quickly intending to rent the office space.”

The developer’s rental income from office space in China had also dropped more than 2 per cent, or around HK$20 million, said co-chairman Peter Lee Ka-kit. He said the Chinese government’s swift response to the virus outbreak had helped minimise the losses.

Henderson Land, which owns retail space in more than 20 shopping malls across Hong Kong, said it would continue to provide rental relief to beleaguered retail tenants.

“We have been providing rent relief to [shopping mall] tenants facing operating difficulties since February, with rent reductions ranging from 20 to 60 per cent, and we will continue to do so. We hope to get through these difficult times together with our tenants,” said Martin Lee.

Retail sales in Hong Kong have been pummelled by a double whammy of first the anti-government protests which started last summer, followed by the outbreak of the coronavirus earlier this year. They have been declining for 15 consecutive months, dropping 36.1 per cent year on year in April, according to government statistics released a week ago.

Hang Lung Properties also warned that its financial results for 2020 may be adversely affected by Covid-19, in a filing to the stock exchange after the market closed on Friday.

“The outbreak of Covid-19 has increased uncertainty in the operating performance across the Group’s portfolio of investment properties. If the weak economic environment and leasing market [persist], the appraised values of the Group’s investment properties in Hong Kong and mainland China will likely decrease and a revaluation loss will be reflected in the 2020 financial statements of the Group,” the developer said.

Commercial property agents have warned that the rent of premium, grade A, offices in areas like Causeway Bay and Wanchai could plunge as much as 20 per cent this year.

Amid the gloomy outlook for Hong Kong’s economy, several big companies have called time on their retail space or office leases as they look to make cuts.

Online travel agency Expedia Group is said to be planning to surrender its lease on 25,000 square feet of office space at The Center in Central, due to expire in June of 2022, according to a report on Monday from the Hong Kong Economic Times.

(The Standard)

Secondary home sales tick up over weekend

Property agency recorded 13 secondary transactions at ten blue-chip housing estates over the past weekend, up by 18 percent week-on-week.

Among them, Kornhill in Quarry Bay, Laguna City in Kwun Tong, and Caribbean Coast in Tung Chung recorded no deals.

In May, secondary transactions at ten major estates surged 64 percent month-on-month to 375, according to property agent.

In the primary market, Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) has collected about HK$4.5 billion after selling 680 out of 699 units of Wetland Seasons Park Phase 2 in Tin Shui Wai.

SHKP expects to obtain the pre-sale consent for Wetland Seasons Park Phase 3 next quarter, which offers 318 units.

In the commercial property market, rents of Grade A office buildings went down 2.5 percent month-on-month in May, and selling prices 0.9 percent, according to another property agency.

Property agent expects a significant rally in office building transactions in the second half as more US-listed Chinese companies are set for secondary listings in Hong Kong.

(The Standard)