Beijing: Active Luxury Residential Leasing Market in 2Q2010

July 19, 2010 - Beijing

Beijing's overall investment demand for residential property market is dampened by a series of tightened policies released by Chinese government at both state and local level.

However, the Beijing luxury residential leasing market turned active, with the overall vacancy rate continuing to decline and yielding increases in rental values, meanwhile capital values of prime new luxury properties should stay firm.

As of end-2Q10, the stock of luxury residential properties totaled 59,034 units, up 1.39% q-o-q; the net absorption of the luxury residential market totaled 1,910 units, and the overall vacancy rate fell to 23.21%, down 2.21 percentage points q-o-q; rents of luxury residential properties rose by 4.64% q-o-q, or 3.70% y-o-y, to RMB140.29 psm per month.

Shanghai market feels tightening measures

July 08, 2010 - Shanghai

Sales volume continued to decrease in the Shanghai luxury residential property market in Q2 2010, according to a recent report by Colliers.

Amid increased warnings of a possible bubble building in China, government tightening measures continued to decrease demand. Sales prices of high-end residential units also declined slightly.

Rounds of tightening measures implemented by the government in early 2010 and mid-April 2010 aimed to curb investment and speculative demand, caused transaction volumes to drop to the lowest level since 2006.

Market sentiment has also become increasingly cautious because of high prices, said the report.

Sales shrink in HK, but luxury prices predicted to rise

June 29, 2010 - Hong Kong

Residential sales transactions in Hong Kong experienced a contraction during May 2010, however prices of luxury residential units are still expected to increase by more than 10 per cent during the next 12 months.

The Colliers Residential Snapshot report noted that growing uncertainties in the prevailing European debt crisis and a new set of measures on new flat sales in Hong Kong saw number of residential sales transaction decline in May.

World's Most Expensive Street Rents

June 11, 2010 - Causeway Bay

At a rent of USD1,205.46 per square foot a year, Russell Street in Hong Kong's Causeway Bay is the most expensive luxury street front in the Asia-Pacific, according to a report by property consultancy Colliers International.

The survey of rents in 127 premier retail streets around the world showed Hong Kong was beaten by only Paris and New York.

"The high ranking of retail rents in Hong Kong can be explained by the support of strong retail sales," Simon Lo Wing-fai, director of research and advisory at Colliers International (Hong Kong), said.

Colliers launches its new global brand

May 05, 2010 - United States

Colliers International marks a key milestone today in launching its new global brand—a critical step in the integration of its global operating platform and service lines.

The rebranding, which includes a modernized logo and global media campaign, follows the announcement earlier this year that Colliers International and FirstService Real Estate Advisors (FirstService REA) are combining operations under the Colliers International brand.

This marks the final step in Colliers’ transition from a decentralized affiliate model to a more centrally owned and operated business with an industry-unique operating and partnership model.

2010 Top 25 Commercial Real Estate Brands Survey

April 14, 2010 - United States

CB Richard Ellis (CBRE) has been named the premier global brand in commercial real estate, according to a survey of worldwide real estate professionals by The Lipsey Company.

CB Richard Ellis has topped Lipsey’s annual ranking of commercial real estate brands for nine consecutive years.

The Lipsey survey measures commercial real estate professionals’ perceptions of the industry’s leading brands.

More than 50,000 U.S. and international professionals participated in the survey, including property owners, investors, lenders, brokers and property managers.

Singapore Home Prices to Lag Behind Hong Kong on Building Boom

February 03, 2010 - Singapore

A bungalow on Singapore’s Ocean Drive, a stretch of luxury homes lined with Bentleys and Ferraris, sold for a record S$30 million ($21 million) in October.

In Hong Kong, a duplex a third the size went for almost three times as much the same month.

Singapore’s luxury-home prices won’t match Hong Kong’s because an increase in building ahead of two casino projects in the city-state will see nine times the number of new apartments going up over the next three years than in Hong Kong, according to real estate broker Savills Plc.

Bright year for luxury property

January 26, 2010 - Shanghai

Shanghai’s high-end property market will remain stable this year despite cooling measures introduced by the government, real estate analysts have predicted.

Scarcity of supply, sanguine economic outlook, coupled with continuously strong investment demand from wealthy Chinese as well as some overseas buyers who expect steady appreciation of the Chinese currency over the medium term, will continue to render strong support to the price of luxury homes in the city.

In Retrospect: 2009

December 29, 2009 - Singapore

At the end of fourth quarter of 2008 with the onset of the global financial crisis after the Lehman Brothers collapse (and the fiasco of sub-prime loans), doomsday scenarios for global financial markets were making the headlines every other day.

Analysts were claiming that the year of 2009 would be an uphill struggle.

Over a year later, financial and real estate markets in Asia and SEA have moved ahead albeit a stuttering start to the year. Analysts have attributed it to many reasons.

Luxury home sales in Hong Kong - September

October 15, 2009 - Hong Kong

Luxury home sales in Hong Kong, or those worth more than HK$10 million ($1,3 million), almost tripled in September to 1,351 from a month earlier, the Land Registry said Oct. 5. In September 2008, 168 transactions were completed.

Prices for these homes climbed as much as 28 percent in the first nine months of this year, Colliers International Ltd. said Sept. 28.