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Hong Kong | ReNews International Desk News
Hong Kong, named the world’s most expensive residential property market this year by Deutsche Bank, is expected to see home prices rise by around 15% by the end of the year, as developers accelerate new project launches and buyers return despite ongoing geopolitical and economic uncertainties.
Executives at property services firm Midland Realty said the outlook for the residential market has improved, with local banks not necessarily expected to match any potential US Federal Reserve rate increase immediately or by the same margin.
Dave Ma Tai yeung, CEO of Midland Residential, said improved market sentiment was likely to encourage developers to speed up the launch of new projects and support a further recovery in the residential market.
Midland data showed that first hand residential transactions rebounded to 1,100 units in August after falling to just over 800 units in June and July. Transactions in the secondary residential market have also been gradually stabilizing.
Ma expects first-hand property transactions to increase by 50% quarter on quarter to 5,100 units in the final quarter, while secondary market transactions could rise 10% to 12,700 units.
Rising residential rents are also providing room for property prices to catch up, according to Midland executives. Developers are continuing to offer attractive prices on newly launched homes, encouraging some buyers to shift from the secondary market.
Analysts noted that strong sales of new homes could also support the broader housing market by improving transaction volumes and eventually strengthening prices in the secondary market.
Interest rates remain another key factor. Hong Kong’s monetary policy has been closely linked to the US Federal Reserve since 1983 under the Linked Exchange Rate System. However, commercial banks retain discretion over when and how much they adjust prime and savings rates.
Market sources are also watching next week’s policy address by Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka chiu for possible measures affecting the luxury property segment, including a potential reduction in the stamp duty threshold for super luxury homes.
Demand for high end properties has remained strong despite a stamp duty increase introduced in February. More than 80 first hand residential transactions worth over HK$100 million, or about US$12.8 million, have already taken place this year.
According to Midland Research Centre, the number of such transactions in just over eight months has surpassed the total recorded throughout the previous year, suggesting that the luxury housing market has largely absorbed the impact of the higher stamp duty.

Hong Kong’s luxury residential market recorded higher prices and a sharp increase in ultra-luxury transactions in the first nine months of 2026, with mainland Chinese buyers continuing to support demand, according to property consultancy CBRE.

Luxury home prices rose 5.3% year to date and stood 11.3% above the market trough recorded in March 2025. CBRE said the market remained resilient despite greater volatility and uncertainty over interest rates. Activity in the top end of the market accelerated. There were 197 transactions involving properties priced above HK$100 million between January and September, a 109.6% increase from the same period last year. The value of those deals rose 54.9% year on year to HK$28.2 billion.

Mainland Chinese buyers remained a major presence in Q3, accounting for 72% of luxury residential transactions in the primary market and 68% in the secondary market. CBRE said sustained mainland demand and the limited supply of prime residential properties continued to support prices.

Eddie Kwok, the firm’s executive director of valuation and advisory services in Hong Kong, said the luxury market had held up despite interest-rate uncertainty and tighter capital controls. Kwok added that high-net-worth buyers, particularly those from mainland China, continued to drive activity in the ultra-luxury segment, while restricted new supply helped underpin values in prime locations.

Saudi Arabia’s real estate market is drawing investment amid global geopolitical and economic uncertainty, supported by strong domestic demand and efforts to increase housing supply. The Ministry of Municipalities and Housing said more than 15,000 residential plots were made available through the Sakani platform between January and the end of October 2026, alongside projects launched by private developers.

Developer Arada has entered the Saudi market through a partnership with local company XTOPIA, backed by a SAR 50 billion ($13.3 billion) portfolio of land and development opportunities. Their first project is a SAR 14 billion residential development in Riyadh’s Al Rimal district. Separately, Riyadh Region Municipality, the ministry and the National Center for Privatization & PPP have opened the expression-of-interest, prequalification and proposal stages for a joint investment project involving municipal land in northern Riyadh. The 50-year private-sector partnership is the municipality’s first under this model.

More land could help ease price pressures over the medium term if plot locations and sizes match demand. It may also generate work for developers, contractors, engineering firms and building-material suppliers, while supporting homeownership and urban growth beyond major cities.

Real estate developer Ahmed Omar Basoudan told that increasing supply alone would not resolve the market’s challenges. Housing must also be affordable, appropriately located and well serviced, with infrastructure and construction costs kept under control. He said the latest land releases and private projects reflected continued efforts to balance supply and demand as the Kingdom’s population and cities grew.