China's sweeping measures to prop up the property sector will need time to show results

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China’s sweeping moves on Friday to increase support for real estate will take time to show results, analysts said. For real estate to see significant stabilization, homebuyers’ demand and confidence will need to improve after a market downturn of nearly three years, Edward Chan, director, corporate ratings, S&P Global Ratings, said during the firm’s webinar on Monday. S&P is still sticking to its base case from earlier in the month that China’s property market is likely still “searching for a bottom,” he said. A real estate construction site in Wanxiang City, Huai ‘an City, East China’s Jiangsu province, May 17, 2024.  Future Publishing | Future Publishing | Getty Images

BEIJING — China’s sweeping moves on Friday to increase support for real estate will take time to show results, analysts said.

Despite the news, S&P is still sticking to its base case from earlier in the month that China’s property market is likely still “searching for a bottom,” Edward Chan, director, corporate ratings, said during the firm’s webinar on Monday.

“The significance of the policy rollout last Friday was that the government is rolling out all these policies at one go, at the same day, at one time,” he said. “This shows the government is serious, as well as dedicated, in stabilizing the property sector.”

But he pointed out that for real estate to see significant stabilization, homebuyers’ demand and confidence will need to improve after a market downturn of nearly three years.

Hong Kong-listed property stocks surged late last week, but were barely changed on Monday, according to an industry index from financial database Wind Information.

Chinese authorities on Friday lowered down payment minimums to as low as 15%, versus 20% previously, in addition to cancelling the floor on mortgage rates nationwide.

Policymakers also sought to boost developers’ liquidity by releasing 300 billion yuan ($42.25 billion) in financing for local state-owned enterprises to buy unsold, completed apartments in order to turn them into affordable housing.

We believe Beijing is headed in the right direction with regard to ending the epic housing crisis. Chief China economist, Nomura

“Although some of these measures are unprecedented (e.g., the minimum downpayment requirement was never below 20% previously),

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