Henderson Land (0012) plans to launch a project in Cheung Sha Wan in the first quarter of this year which will have a total of 700 flats.

The news came as Wheelock Properties executive director Ricky Wong forecast that the property market will stabilize in the first half and rise in the second half of the year.

Meanwhile, the number of property agency branches shrank to 243 in January, the most significant drop in 10 years to a six-year low of 6,805.

The number of agents continued to drop to 39,309, the 10th consecutive month of decline, and the lowest in nearly four years.

In property deals, the number of new property sales over HK$100 million rose 40 percent yearly to 60 last year, about 70 percent lower than the highest level in 2021, according to a property agency.

New property transactions totaled 10,500, 14.9 percent higher than in 2022, but still the second lowest in the last 10 years. Nineteen sales in Hong Kong Island accounted for over 30 percent of transactions over HK$100 million.

House 12 of Mount Nicholson Phase 1, which sold for HK$577 million, was the highest transaction, followed by a house at Central Peak II for HK$400 million, and a triplex house at Dukes Place for HK$287 million.

The month of January saw 30 transactions over HK$30 million, 25 percent higher than December, supported by China's reserve ratio cut. There were seven sales at The Peak and Southern region, four more than a month earlier.

(The Standard)

Hong Kong property deals surge to their highest since August as stable interest rates lure buyers

Hong Kong property transactions post third straight monthly rise, as confidence boosted by stable funding costs and the government’s migration programme

Experts say that buying activity indicates buyers’ expectations that interest rates have peaked and some are buying in anticipation of interest rate cuts

The number of property transactions in Hong Kong surged 17 per cent in January to 4,399 deals from a month ago, with total sales rising 12.5 per cent to HK$37.79 billion (US$4.83 billion), according to data compiled by a local property agency.

The surge comes amid the US Federal Reserve’s decision to hold interest rates steady on Thursday morning, the fifth time since September.

It was Hong Kong’s third straight monthly rise, as buyers’ confidence was lifted by the stable funding costs and the government’s migration programme, which allows eligible persons to pursue residency in Hong Kong through capital investment in the form of financial assets.

“Interest rates have peaked and the impact on the property market will further be reflected in the registration of property deals at the end of February and March,” an agent said.

“It shows that interest rates have peaked and in anticipation of interest rate cuts, some buyers have taken advantage of the low price to enter the market and second-hand transactions have returned to the 2,000 level,” the agent added.

The agent also attributed the rise to the Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (CIES), launched by the government in December, which offers a faster route to residency for people who invest at least HK$30 million (US$3.84 million) in the stock market or other assets.

“The overall property market transaction volume returned to the level of more than 4,000 transactions,” the agent said. “The number of property deals in January was also the highest in five months since the 4,660 deals recorded in August, while the value of property sales was the highest since June.”

On Thursday, HSBC, Hong Kong’s largest lender, said it was keeping its prime rate unchanged at 5.875 per cent, while deposit rates were kept steady at 0.875 per cent per annum. Hang Seng Bank also kept its rates steady.

HSBC’s decision followed that of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), which left the city’s base rate at 5.75 per cent, hours after the Federal Reserve kept its target range at 5.25 to 5.5 per cent in the first policy decision of the year. The pause, the fifth since the world’s most powerful central bank began raising the cost of money in March 2022, was in line with market expectations.

In lockstep with the Fed, the HKMA had hiked interest rates by a cumulative 5.25 per cent since March 2022 to keep the local currency’s peg with the US dollar, but, in the process, pushed borrowing costs to a 22-year high, dampening appetite for investments.

Meanwhile, the CIES would continue to benefit the sector, experts say. This scheme will drive portfolio diversification and ultimately boost deal volumes in the overall commercial market, according to another property agency.

Sales of residential property – both new and lived-in – in January saw hefty increases. There were 2,285 second-hand homes that changed hands, rising by about a quarter from December, while total sales hit HK$18.68 billion on the back of a 41.6 per cent increment, the first agency noted. Meanwhile, new home sales volume rose to 994 in the month to a value of HK$9.31 billion, up 4.5 per cent and 7.3 per cent, from December, respectively.

(South China Morning Post)

租金續跌 商戶追求優質寫字樓

去年全年甲廈租金持續下跌，業內人士認為，漸吸引企業追求更高質素寫字樓，作出搬遷以作整合業務。

據一間外資代理行每月統計商廈租金走勢，由於市場氣氛疲軟和寫字樓的需求有限，12月份港島區甲級寫字樓整體平均租金進一步下跌至每平方呎64.7元，按月下跌1.4%。至於中環超甲廈跌幅最多，達3.5%，而整體中環甲廈呎租為95.5元，按月亦跌1.7%。

中環去年跌幅最多 約1成

縱觀2023年，中環在分區市場錄得較大的寫字樓租金跌幅，整體租金平均下跌10.2%。

隨着租金下跌，中環指標超甲廈，仍吸引金融機構租用，以作為升級。消息指，中環國際金融中心二期錄得全層租務，涉及物業62樓全層，面積約2.3萬平方呎，以每平方呎約130元租出。該廈向來為全港甲廈指標，高峰期極高層單位呎租高見200元，如今已回調逾3成。

據悉，新租客為富蘭克林鄧普頓 (Franklin Templeton)，屬美資基金，該機構原租用中環遮打大廈全層，亦屬區內超甲廈，相信有見國際金融中心二期租金回落，現再進行升級，兼樓面上有少許擴充。

法巴棄租國際金融中心二期全層 美資基金頂上

翻查資料，是次涉及的國際金融中心二期62樓，曾由法國巴黎銀行租用，2006年起已租用5層多樓面，合共逾11萬平方呎，2018年曾進行續租，惟2021年法國提早退租59樓全層。

另其他地區方面，消息稱，銅鑼灣利園二期錄全層租務，涉及30樓全層，面積約1.5萬平方呎，以每呎約50元租出，由於租客為半零售行業，租金水平略較高，新租客為美容集團，該集團主打醫學美容，銅鑼灣區亦於世貿中心設據點，料是次租用利園二期全層，屬擴充業務。

事實上，近1年多本港甲廈租務需求疲弱，多個行業如金融服務業擴充個案不多，相比之下，美容業生意仍穩定，故有擴充空間。

該行指出，盡管甲級寫字樓租金呈下跌趨勢，租戶追求優質寫字樓的趨勢依然存在。來自多個行業的公司利用租金優惠來整合他們的寫字樓空間。後市上，該行指空置率創新高，加上不利供需動態的影響下，愈來愈多業主開始減租或提供靈活的租賃方案以吸引租戶。預計寫字樓空置率將維持高位，今年港島區整體甲級寫字樓租金將下跌約3%。

(經濟日報)

更多國際金融中心寫字樓出租樓盤資訊請參閱：國際金融中心寫字樓出租

更多遮打大廈寫字樓出租樓盤資訊請參閱：遮打大廈寫字樓出租

更多中環區甲級寫字樓出租樓盤資訊請參閱：中環區甲級寫字樓出租

更多利園寫字樓出租樓盤資訊請參閱：利園寫字樓出租

更多世貿中心寫字樓出租樓盤資訊請參閱：世貿中心寫字樓出租

更多銅鑼灣區甲級寫字樓出租樓盤資訊請參閱：銅鑼灣區甲級寫字樓出租

九龍區首季租務料增 租金微升

有外資代理行指，九龍區租務較為理想，預計租金全年有溫和升幅。

該行指，受節日影響，寫字樓需求持續疲軟。九龍區平均每月每平方呎租約22元，寫字樓租賃交易的面積以平均3,000平方呎或以下為主。九龍東的寫字樓租務活動依然活躍，工程公司是12月份的寫字樓市場的需求動力。

藥業商租 AIRSIDE 1萬呎

盡管市場表現平靜，但政府和基礎設施企業的需求不斷增加，支持上個月的租賃市場活動。租務上，新商廈仍是焦點，消息指，啟德 AIRSIDE 商廈租賃加快，一間總部設於尖沙咀的藥業公司，承租該廈中層樓面，涉及約1萬平方呎作擴充，平均呎租逾40元。

展望未來，該行預計，九龍區寫字樓租賃市場將在2024年第一季逐步增長。隨着市場需求進一步改善，預計第二季將有更正面的表現，料全年九龍區寫字樓租金將溫和上升1%至3%。

(經濟日報)

更多AIRSIDE寫字樓出租樓盤資訊請參閱：AIRSIDE 寫字樓出租

更多啟德區甲級寫字樓出租樓盤資訊請參閱：啟德區甲級寫字樓出租