London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Sky-high land prices force Hong Kong builders to look abroad

Sky-high land prices force Hong Kong builders to look abroad

Far East, Swire Properties and Nan Fung are among the builders who have announced new projects abroad as it becomes more difficult to buy land at home; At Kai Tak, the site of the city’s former airport, the land price has almost quadrupled to HK$19,636 per square foot in the last six years

Hong Kong’s sky-high land prices are prompting more and more Hong Kong’s developers to look beyond the world’s most expensive property market for opportunities.

Far East Consortium, Swire Properties and Nan Fung Development are among the builders who have recently announced projects in other countries – and even other sectors – as it becomes more difficult to buy land at home.

The cost of land in Hong Kong has skyrocketed in recent years because of a pronounced lack of supply. For instance, at Kai Tak, the site of the city’s former airport, the land price has almost quadrupled from HK$5,157 per square foot to HK$19,636 per square foot in the last six years.

“Hong Kong’s land is quite expensive. Usually only the big developers can win land tenders,” said Sam Chi-yung, strategist at Springwaters Financial Securities. “The relatively smaller developers may turn to other countries to seek opportunities.”

Far East said it had bought a 20-acre parcel of residential land in the centre of Manchester in the UK from Network Rail, on which it hopes to build more than 1,000 units. It marks the latest move by the developer to deepen its foothold in markets outside Hong Kong.

Swire Properties early this month said it would develop a luxury residential project in Jakarta, in its first foray into Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s largest economy.

Nan Fung Development said last week it would deepen its move into health care with a joint venture that will produce and sell cancer and arthritis medicines in mainland China.

Land use in Hong Kong

Hong Kong is looking for more space to house its future population. It seems the city is starved of space, and regularly earns a name for being crowded and densely populated.

Chinese Estates Holdings has bought sizeable stakes and bonds of Chinese developer Evergrande.

Sam said it was not just Far East investing in the UK’s property market at the moment.

“Britain’s currency value has been dropping amid Brexit so the projects will be comparatively more attractive. Several listed companies have bought commercial buildings in Britain,” he said.

Those companies include Wing Tai Properties, CK Asset Holdings and Nan Fung Development.

Far East already has a fairly diversified portfolio, with only a third of its revenue generated in Hong Kong.

Apart from Hong Kong and Manchester, it has projects in Gold Coast, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, London, Guangzhou and Singapore, which can provide more than 24,000 units, according to its website.

Its latest purchase takes its land investment in Manchester to more than £30 million (US$37.4 million) and increases its land bank. It has a development pipeline of about 3,800 homes there that it aims to deliver over the next five years.

It forms part of its Northern Gateway project, one of the largest residential schemes in the United Kingdom with more than 15,000 units.

“We have a strong belief in the population growth of Manchester and are encouraged by the demand of quality housing in the city which FEC [Far East Consortium] will be delivering,” said Chris Hoong, managing director of FEC.

Chiu was recently quoted by the newspaper Ming Pao as saying it would be difficult for Far East to significantly increase its land bank in Hong Kong as the prices had become decoupled from the people’s buying power.

The developer’s share price edged up 0.3 per cent to close at HK$3.8 on Monday after the announcement in the afternoon, then added another 0.3 per cent to HK$3.81 at noon on Tuesday.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×