Asset managers look to sell Hong Kong buildings as higher rates bite
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HONG KONG : Asset managers are increasingly looking to dispose of their commercial buildings in Hong Kong as rising interest rates take a toll on mortgage payments, which for some have now exceeded rental income. Some of the sales plans also come as mortgage loansare due to be refinanced, which is made more difficult when equity in the asset drops, people in credit and property markets said.
While Hong Kong reopened its borders this year after the pandemic, the recovery in the city's commercial property sales and rental markets has been weaker than expected due to rising interest rates and a sluggish global and China economy. Office prices have dropped over 30 per cent since their peak in 2019 following anti-government protests and COVID-19, with many international firms scaling back or exiting the financial hub.