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Hong Kong’s property recovery is as chaotic as its reopening

For the city to reclaim its position as Asia’s pre-eminent financial centre, it needs to ensure a rebound in commercial real estate

    • Realtors are pinning their hopes on the return of mainland enterprises, after the border reopening. But instead of offices, Chinese companies seem more keen on industrial buildings.
    • Realtors are pinning their hopes on the return of mainland enterprises, after the border reopening. But instead of offices, Chinese companies seem more keen on industrial buildings. PHOTO: EPA-EFE
    Published Thu, Mar 9, 2023 · 10:30 AM

    AS HONG Kong’s commercial landlords and real estate agents are finding out, a border reopening and the return of Chinese visitors do not necessarily spell a universal boom to the city.

    Restaurants, especially in the business district of Central, are full. The Clockenflap Music and Arts Festival is drawing crowds. In the evenings, people swarm in and out of shops in Causeway Bay, once home to the world’s most expensive retail space.

    Meanwhile, apartment sales are picking up, with the city’s biggest developers offloading hundreds of flats within days. It’s a huge relief after a painful 2022, when transaction volumes sank to the lowest in decades.

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