China’s major property markets are showing signs of renewed activity in May, with both Shanghai and Beijing reporting stronger buyer interest, higher transaction volumes, and faster decision-making.
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Shanghai and Beijing Property Markets Signal Recovery
In Shanghai, the resale home market has remained robust, as more potential buyers tour properties and move ahead with purchase decisions.
According to the Shanghai Real Estate Trading Center, 924 resale homes were sold over a recent four-day period in May 2026, marking a 13.8 percent increase year on year.
The wider April data also showed strong momentum, with 28,742 resale homes sold citywide, up 22.3 percent from the same period last year. Local property agencies say buyer activity has continued to improve. One branch near Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s Xuhui campus reported 26 groups of potential buyers over three days, 1.3 times the level recorded a year earlier.
Many sellers are also looking to trade up, selling their current homes in order to purchase more suitable properties, including homes with elevators.
In Beijing, the new housing market has also seen stronger momentum. Official April data showed online contract signings for new commercial residential properties rising 21 percent year on year to 4,000 units.
Second-hand residential property signings reached around 17,000 units, up 20 percent. Developers in Beijing are increasingly using real-scene demonstration areas, allowing buyers to inspect actual construction sites, landscaping, and decoration standards before making decisions.
Industry insiders say the active second-hand housing market is also helping new home sales, as more homeowners sell existing properties and upgrade to new homes. Overall, recent figures suggest improving confidence and stronger replacement demand in key Chinese property markets. Thank you very much.
I’m Pat McCarthy, ESI News Chief China–Europe Correspondent. If you have any news-related requirements, please feel free to get in touch.
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