In light-weight of China’s reopening and easing of Covid rules, Hong Kong’s assets sector will be on a path to recovery in 2023, in accordance to property consultancy Colliers Hong Kong.
The retail market in particular will enjoy the “ideal benefit,” Hannah Jeong, Colliers’ head of valuation and advisory companies, told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Asia” on Thursday.
Nevertheless, there are nevertheless some likely headwinds this calendar year that may well undercut Hong Kong’s restoration, Colliers stated in its most current report. People include things like continued geopolitical stress and a potential world recession.
“We are wanting at a a lot more cautiously optimistic see for 2023,” Jeong added.
“There will be unique uncertainties from external variables but borders opening is undoubtedly the one of the booster[s] for lots of other sectors in just the house sector.”
Retail to be ‘first runner’
In accordance to Colliers, the retail sector — primarily the substantial avenue store phase — will be the “initial runner” in the post-Covid restoration in 2023 with both equally rents and selling prices.
“We are hunting at about an 8% boost yr-on-calendar year, in phrases of the retail rental effectiveness,” Jeong added.
She reported, even so, this is nonetheless about 25% to 30% reduce than pre-Covid concentrations.
Collier added in its report that in spite of China’s reopening, regional use will keep on being “an significant driver” for Hong Kong’s retail current market in the subsequent 12 months.
“The shifted procuring sample of the Mainlanders over the previous 3 decades may paint a new photo to the new retail marketplace sentiment,” it additional.
In the place of work sector, Quality A business office rents will bounce back again by 3% this yr, reported Colliers — many thanks to “pent-up demand from Chinese and overseas companies.”
Even so, Jeong reported that Hong Kong’s office environment market even now has a superior vacancy fee, at 14.7%.
“But it really is not it truly is not the stop of the planet simply because … when compared with other peer towns, 8% to 10% is a generally realistic amount,” she extra.
Household marketplace demand to dampen
Hong Kong’s property selling prices plunged to a 5-year lower in Oct as fascination charges hikes pushed up borrowing costs.
This resulted in a “softening of financial commitment demand,” explained Jeong, but the desire from homebuyers still exists.
“Homebuyers … [have been] employing this time when current market is softening, they can snatch the less costly flats,” she added.
“But in 2023, I think the interest rate … will proceed to go up. We are searching at stabilization at least in the 2nd 50 percent of this yr.”
Just last month, Hong Kong elevated curiosity prices by 50 foundation details to 4.75%, pursuing the U.S. Federal Reserve.
Substantial charges of borrowing will dampen household market place desire and a “unfavorable 5% to 10% downward adjustment” must that’s why be envisioned this 12 months, Jeong explained.
