(April 2): Hong Kong’s high-end home sales slowed sharply after rich buyers pulled back following a stamp duty hike, underscoring a cautious outlook for a standout segment of the property market.
The city recorded 13 transactions in March for homes valued above HK$100 million (US$12.8 million or $16.43 million), more than halving from a high of 28 deals in January, according to property database EPRC.
Business tycoons and finance veterans had been snapping up mansions and upscale apartments in the Asian financial hub in the months leading up to the surprise tax hike announced in February. The flurry of activity followed a prolonged slump exacerbated by distressed owners dumping properties at steep discounts. The recent pullback suggests even affluent buyers are recalibrating, raising doubts about whether record-breaking sales can be sustained.
The Hong Kong government increased stamp duty on residential property deals valued above HK$100 million to 6.5% from 4.25% in its budget in late February, after a surge in market activity. The measure is expected to affect only a small fraction of total transactions but generate around HK$1 billion of additional annual revenue.
Developers recorded a number of high-profile property transactions in the last few months, including a couple of mansions sold for HK$2.2 billion by Swire Properties Ltd. Alongside local and mainland Chinese buyers, global ultra-rich families have also been active in upmarket districts.
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The founding family of Mongolia conglomerate Mongolyn Alt LLC bought a mansion for HK$247 million in January through a holding vehicle, according to regulatory filings. Tselmuun Nyamtaishir, the company’s president, told Bloomberg News the founders plan to use the property as a retirement residence.
Analysts said transactions in the luxury segment are likely to stay muted in the near term due to the stamp duty increase, as well as inflation risks stemming from conflict in the Middle East that could keep interest rates elevated.
“Rich buyers are still taking time to process the impact of the stamp duty increase,” said Benny Sham, a research analyst at Midland Realty. “The recent conflict in the Middle East has also reversed the market expectation for further interest rate cuts this year, which could also prompt investors to stay on the sidelines,” he said.
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Some developers have begun offering more incentives to weather a potential slowdown in sales. For instance, Kerry Properties Ltd said the buyer of a HK$230 million unit at its Mont Verra project in the Kowloon area will receive a subsidy equivalent to 6.5% of the purchase price, matching the stamp duty, according to a regulatory filing in March.
Meanwhile, the city’s broader residential property market is showing tentative signs of recovery after a multi-year slump. Home prices have risen for nine months in a row, according to an index of private residential units. The gauge has climbed 7.4% from May but remains well below its peak.
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