Hong Kong Mortgage Surge and Mainland China Housing Recovery in H1 2026

In the first half of 2026 Hong Kong’s residential mortgage market recorded a four‑year high, with 22,296 new loans totalling HK$111.28 billion – a 25.9% rise year‑on‑year. The volume of new‑home mortgage registrations reached 41,707, up 44.4%, while the four major banks expanded their share of the market to 78%, the highest in three years. Mortgage rates remained capped at 3.25%, and use of mortgage‑insurance fell to a ten‑year low, reflecting stronger borrower equity; negative‑equity cases also dropped sharply.

Meanwhile, Beijing and Shenzhen showed synchronized improvement in both transaction volumes and prices. A Beijing‑based agency reported a 43% year‑on‑year increase in second‑hand sales over a recent six‑month period, with high demand for quality homes. Analysts say the markets retain resilience and self‑adjustment capacity, and expect further recovery to be driven by quality supply.

These parallel trends indicate a broader easing of housing‑market pressures across the Greater China region.