According to data from major banks in Hong Kong, there were 51 transactions recorded in 35 large housing estates across the city, representing an increase of over 45% compared to the previous week, marking a new high for the past six months.
The enhanced attractiveness of the new "eased" measures for overseas talents, particularly the "first exemption, then imposition" arrangement for stamp duty on property purchases, has significantly reduced the entry costs, attracting property purchases by overseas talents, including those from the mainland.
Compared to the previous "imposition first, refund later" scheme, the new policy is more popular. The increase in overseas talents has stimulated both the property sales and rental markets.
Cases of overseas talents entering the market can be observed in both the primary and secondary markets.
For instance, GRANDE MONACO recorded a new transaction last weekend with the buyer being a mainland professional who benefited from the "first exemption, then imposition" policy. The buyer decided to purchase for self-occupation due to the favorable location and layout of the project. Additionally, a high-floor unit F at Tower 6 of Langham Place, Olympian City, was also purchased by a mainland professional at a high price.
In addition to the impact of the "eased" measures, some property developers have introduced preferential policies specifically targeting professionals, further encouraging them to invest in real estate. These measures have indeed produced immediate results, attracting more professionals to buy property in Hong Kong.
According to Chief Executive Carrie Lam, a total of 70,000 talents have arrived in Hong Kong since the beginning of the year, doubling the original target of 35,000 talents arriving annually. These figures indicate that the government's proactive policy of "attracting and retaining talents" has achieved certain results.
However, while the "eased" measures help alleviate the downward trend in property prices, the current market rebound is likely to be short-term, and the property prices for November and December in the fourth quarter are still challenging.
Some property market analysts expect that the price decline in the fourth quarter may narrow to around 1.5% to 2%, but the overall property prices for the year may still decline by 2% to 3%. Standard & Poor's recently published a report lowering its forecast for Hong Kong residential property prices, anticipating a decline of 5% to 10% for the year.