本港写字楼租金大幅下调，核心商业区中环的租金跌至吸引水平，令部分企业放慢撤出中环的步伐。中环指标甲级商厦国际金融中心二期 (IFC 2)，首批大型租户之一的法国巴黎银行 (BNP Paribas，下称法巴)，现租用该厦4层，原打算明年租约到期时放弃其中3层，把有关部门搬迁至鰂鱼涌太古坊运作。据悉，法巴最终决定只减租一半楼面，并已续租其中两层共逾4.6万方呎楼面。

原拟四层弃其三 迁太古坊

法巴目前正租用国际金融中心二期60至63楼共4层作为香港总部，每层租用面积 (Lettable Area) 约23295方呎，合共约93180方呎，有关租约明年2月到期。今年初市场已有消息传出，法巴会在租约到期后，放弃续租大部分国际金融中心二期的楼面，把办公室搬迁到鰂鱼涌太古坊非核心商业区，以节省租金开支。

市场人士透露，大业主今年初曾把国际金融中心二期60、61及62楼3层推出市场放租，合共租用面积69885方呎楼面，意向呎租约160元，3层总月租逾1118万元，即每层月租约372.7万元。不过，近期60楼一层已经不在放租名单中。据悉，有关楼层并非成功预租，而是法巴决定续租60楼及63楼两层，合共约46590方呎，市场估计续租每月逾600万元，呎租约130元，租期4年。

根据资料显示，法巴早在2006年起，已经承租国际金融中心二期5层半楼面作为香港总部；2011年缩减至租用59至63楼共5层，合共总租用楼面达11.65万方呎。

法巴于2018年续租5层楼面至2024年2月，为期6年，月租高达2096.55万元，呎租达180元。不过，法巴突然在2021年初提早3年退租59楼全层，目前只留下4层，随着公司决定不续租61楼及62楼，明年法巴位于国际金融中心二期的香港总部只会餘下两层，较17年前减少逾一半规模，以法巴最新续租的呎租130元计算，较5年前大跌27.8%。

逾半商厦租户未来2年不扩充

自内地和本港通关后，由于环球经济不景，本港写字楼市道未见明显回勇，空置率不减之餘，租金亦反弹乏力。虽然市场普遍预期营商环境不会再变差，但重拾增长需时，因此企业对租用商厦持审慎态度。据一间外资代理行发布的香港写字楼租户调查研究报告，受访本港写字楼租户中，有超过一半企业表明未来两年不会就现时办公空间进行搬迁或扩充，只会保留现有的规模运作。

以国际金融中心二期为例，近期成交多为续租个案，如东莞银行现时租用的国际金融中心二期25楼4至11室，租用面积约11000方呎，在2021年以每月约154万元租用3年，呎租约140元，租约于明年1月到期。

据了解，东莞银行已续租上述楼面多3年，至2027年初，以市值呎租约120元计，涉及月租约132万元，料每月租金开支可减22万元，降幅约14.3%。

(信报)

更多国际金融中心写字楼出租楼盘资讯请参阅：国际金融中心写字楼出租

更多中环区甲级写字楼出租楼盘资讯请参阅：中环区甲级写字楼出租

珠宝金行频进驻核心街道 租金高位跌70% 吸引「新品牌」首度插旗

今年开关以来，市面上率先回復回復过往药妆店林立情景，新一波则是珠宝金行「发力」，频抢租核心区最旺位置，有见租金高位跌70%，「新品牌」及「新面孔」首度在黄金地段插旗。

今次「主角」都尚未进场，名字陌生，因此更加令人期待，一家叫「老铺黄金」的内地过江龙首次抵港，成为焦点，一掷约150万承租「名店街」最当眼的单边巨铺，位处「珠宝段」的海防道单边，足见其野心及魄力。

「老铺黄金」成焦点

「老铺黄金」成立于2009年，以「古法金」招徠，以足金为底材镶嵌钻石，完全颠覆业界以K金为底材的做法。

该新港中心地下至2楼复式巨铺，前身英国奢侈品品牌Burberry旗舰店，高峰时月租高达650万，最新租金高位跌约70%。

海防道弥敦道皆受捧

海防道将一连开设两家珠宝品牌，大鸿辉旗下海防店46号地铺，疫市以来短租3年，近期刚以每月40万租出，新租客为首次攻港的内地鐘錶店，大鸿辉执行董事曹展康则强调，现阶段未能透露租客名称。

上址旧租客运动鞋店 SKECHERS 于2016年，以约74.2万进驻，近年不敌疫情肆虐，于2020年6月撤走，铺位短租予口罩店逾3年。

毗邻上址的海防道45号地铺，亦由法国首饰店 SATELLITE PARIS 港区代理进驻，月租40万，该代理曾在海港城设专柜，有见核心铺租大跌，首次进驻街铺，对后市投以信心一票，旧租客麦蛋糕，去年续约时月租17万，业主补偿让旧租各离场，反映通关前后，铺位租值发生巨变。

尖沙咀弥敦道美丽都大厦地下G12号连1、2楼，位处加拿分道单边，上手长租客谢瑞麟珠宝金行，疫情前撤出，该铺以每月约30万租出，租客福泰珠宝，向来于深水埗、荃湾等民生区经营，首次进驻核心街道。

(星岛日报)

更多新港中心写字楼出租楼盘资讯请参阅：新港中心写字楼出租

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Secondary home deals rebound amid price cuts

Despite record rainfall last Friday, transactions in the secondary property market rebounded over the weekend thanks to more price reductions and fewer launches in the primary market.

A local property agency reported 13 deals at 10 major housing estates, up from three during the previous typhoon-hit weekend, to a 19-week high.

The agency said adverse weather over the previous weekend had affected real estate transactions but this weekend saw a release in buying power, as more owners lowered prices, enticing home buyers.

There are signs that prices have begun to stabilize and secondary transactions are expected to recover gradually, it said.

Meanwhile, another local agency saw weekend deals at 10 major housing estates rise to 14 from three the previous week to a 19-week high.

A three-bedroom flat at Taikoo Shing in Quarry Bay with an area of 689 square feet sold for under HK$10 million, after its price was reduced from HK$11.5 million in June to HK$9.9 million.

And in Tin Shui Wai, a three-bedroom flat at Kingswood Villas sold for HK$5.1 million or HK$8,100 per sq ft, marking a loss of HK$300,000 compared to its 2018 purchase price.

The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation was reportedly set to raise the H-plan mortgage rate cap by 0.5 percentage points to 4.125 percent on September 18. Other lenders are anticipated to follow suit, aiming to alleviate high borrowing costs.

A property agent expressed concerns that this might discourage potential buyers, worsening the overall market sentiment.

In the primary market, Henderson Land (0012) released 28 flats at Baker Circle Greenwich in Hung Hom yesterday, with the cheapest priced at HK$3.65 million, while Longfor (0960) will launch sales of four special flats at Upper RiverBank in Kai Tak today, three days later than originally planned, due to the heaviest rain on record last week.

CK Asset (1113) has added 10 more car-parking spaces to The Beaumont II in Tseung Kwan O with prices starting from HK$1.28 million, and five lots to Harbour Glory in North Point with the cheapest priced at HK$2.36 million.

This move followed a price reduction of up to 35 percent, which contributed to the developer's successful sales of 32 parking lots at both projects, generating a revenue of HK$52 million.

(The Standard)

Hong Kong luxury home market awaits return of affluent mainland Chinese buyers, as city’s talent scheme powers rentals

The city recorded 42 luxury home sales in the three months to June, down 37.3 per cent quarter on quarter, as high borrowing costs put off investors

The decline in Hong Kong luxury flat sales reflects the overall malaise in the city’s property market under the current high interest rate regime

Hong Kong’s luxury property market is still waiting for affluent mainland Chinese buyers to return, according to industry analysts, but the wait could take longer as high borrowing costs and economic uncertainty continue to weigh on investors’ appetite for the city’s high-end flats.

“We’ve had many inquiries from mainland Chinese investors, but they are still taking a wait-and-see attitude during the second quarter,” a property agent from an international agency said “Therefore, inquiry numbers were larger than transactions.”

The number of so-called super prime residential sales – covering transactions worth US$10 million and above – fell 17.6 per cent in the second quarter, down from their peak level in the fourth quarter of 2021, according to data from the agency. Total consideration for these deals in the same period dropped 28.6 per cent from the high reached in 2021’s December quarter.

The city recorded 42 luxury flat sales in the three months to June, which amounted to a total of HK$6.54 billion (US$834 million). That reflected a 37.3 per cent quarter-on-quarter tumble in the number of deals and a 15.6 per cent decline in total consideration.

In the first half of the year, 1,318 luxury flats were sold, at an average price of more than HK$20 million, according to data from another international property consultancy. That number was down from the previous high of 1,717 such transactions during the same period in 2019.

Luxury residential sales in the first six months of the year were concentrated at The Peak and Kowloon Tong, upmarket areas traditionally favoured by affluent property buyers, according to data from both agencies.

The decline in Hong Kong luxury flat sales reflects the overall malaise in the city’s property market, which has struggled amid high interest rates and a recent surge in unsold inventory from newly developed projects.

Hong Kong’s “prime” homes – defined by the first agency as the top 5 per cent of the residential market in terms of value – lost 1.5 per cent of their value for the year.

“We don’t see a lot of reasons that support a luxury residential sales market recovery in the short term,” the agent said. “The recovery will need to wait until the US starts cutting interest rates. So we expect sales in the market will slowly pick up in the second quarter of 2024.”

The city’s luxury residential market, which gained momentum in the first quarter after its borders reopened, has since been hampered by high borrowing costs owing to the US Federal Reserve’s aggressive interest rate hike strategy. The one-month Hong Kong Interbank Offered Rate, a measure of the interest banks charge each other to borrow money, surged to 5.29 per cent in July from 0.2 per cent in May, largely freezing buying activity.

The priciest luxury home transaction recorded in July was a 4,470 sq ft town house at Twenty Peak Road by V, which sold for HK$860 million, or HK$181,435 per square foot. A flat measuring 7,111 sq ft at 59 Mount Kellett Road on The Peak was bought in the same month for HK$900 million, or about HK$126,564 per square foot.

In Kowloon Tong’s 36 LaSalle Road, a 7,083 sq ft house sold for HK$255 million.

“We haven’t heard of an influx of mainland or foreign buyers in the housing market,” another agent said.

“Capital is allocated and parked in risk-free assets, such as time deposits, under the [current] high interest rate environment,” the agent said. “The wealthy mainland buyers or end users are cautious about the high borrowing costs.”

Still, there is some optimism that Hong Kong’s luxury home rental market has turned a corner and is set to rise on the back of the government’s Top Talent Pass Scheme.

“The Top Talent Pass Scheme attracted many mainland talents to work in Hong Kong,” and this group of professionals has also gradually bought or rented houses, driving a large amount of rental transactions on Hong Kong Island, a recent report from a local property agency said.

The Hong Kong government said in July that it received more than 100,000 applications to various talent schemes and approved over 60 per cent of them, nearly double the number targeted.

The city’s luxury home rental market edged up 3.2 per cent year-to-date in July, according to data from the international property agency.

“Demand from the rental market is rather robust and dynamic,” the agent said. The agent indicated that luxury flat tenants are from the mainland and returning expats.

“Although the numbers are not as many as those pre-Covid, we are now seeing tenants coming from Singapore and Dubai,” the agent said.

A three-bedroom, one-suite flat with an area of 1,032 sq ft in 80 Robinson Road at Mid-Levels West was rented to a mainland professional for HK$61,000 per month or HK$59 per square foot, according to another local agency’s report.

Also at Mid-Levels West, a 1,310 sq ft flat in Azure was leased in April for HK$85,000 a month in April, or about HK$65.3 per square foot, according to the agency.

Although Hong Kong’s talent scheme is expected to appeal to a number of mainland Chinese and foreign professionals to lease luxury flats in the city, the agent said they remains “cautiously optimistic” about the prospects of the luxury residential rental market.