EICN Beijing: China’s property sector—what’s next

Over the years, housing has been a cornerstone asset for Chinese households, constituting about two-thirds of their total wealth. A significant price decline could lead to substantial wealth contraction, triggering chain reactions on the demand side. Meanwhile, the persistent fall in housing prices implies reduced value in critical financial collateral, impacting society’s credit derivative ability and potentially causing systemic financial risks.

Despite being a historical driver of China’s GDP growth, the real estate industry faces ongoing challenges, evident in recent national statistical data despite meeting economic growth expectations in 2023. This has hampered confidence among residents and businesses, failing to align with the economic recovery post-reopening. As we enter 2024, the struggling real estate market will continue to be one of the biggest drags on China economy. Looking ahead to this year, the central economic work conference’s macro policies on last December regarding real estate seem to remain focused on risk prevention. Measures on both the supply and demand sides of the real estate market may continue, but in the overall context of relatively low inflation, the reversal of expected confidence, for both developers and buyers, relies not only on real estate industry policies but also on the strength of macro policies.

At this event, industry leaders and policy experts will join us to discuss the implications of China’s recent policies for the property sector as well as the broader economy, and the feasibility of resolution strategies currently on Beijing’s agenda. Join us to unravel how China’s real estate can navigate current challenges.