On the Market:

Properties for sale and lease

As we enter the final quarter of 2018, the leasing market has taken on a slightly slower pace, with fewer new arrivals coming to settle their families into their new schools and jobs. As yet, the market has not seen any signs of a downward turn in rental levels, which have remained mainly stable or even marginally higher over the peak season. There continues to be speculation around various factors that could contribute to a more significant shift in market sentiment, including the impending vacancy tax, the US-China trade war and rising interest rates. The Hong Kong Government rejected all five tenders for the Mansfield Road site on The Peak that it received on the basis that none of the tendered premiums met its reserved price for the site. This incident might be a sign that market sentiment is taking a different direction.

There are many properties that appeal to the expat community in the New Territories, and families are often keen to explore the options open to them by looking at places other than on Hong Kong Island, especially as more international schools open in the northern part of the territory. Rentals in Clearwater Bay and Sai Kung appear to be narrowing the gap between values on HK Island and in the New Territories.