China's real estate market sees first trading boom in 2025

In the first months of 2025, China's real estate market has shown the signs of booming, with multiple cities across the country experiencing a notable uptick in transactions and land auction fervor.

In Beijing, data showed that from January to February, over 24,000 second-hand residential units were registered, marking a nearly 30 percent year-on-year increase.

"From the current influx of new clientele and the proactive attitude of homeowners listing their properties, we expect March to potentially outpace February in transaction volume," said Hu Deping, a real estate agent in Chaoyang District, Beijing.

The enthusiasm in the housing market has also resonated in the land auction sector. Recent statistics showed that the total land acquisition by the top 100 real estate companies in the first two months of this year surged by 26.7 percent year on year, with an average premium rate of 13.4 percent.

This trend is evident in Shanghai, where the volume of second-hand property transactions in February, including commercial and residential units, doubled compared to last year, soaring by 123 percent to over 16,700 units, particularly gaining momentum in the final two weeks of the month. The first round of residential land auctions in Shanghai this year saw all four parcels sold, totaling over 15.9 billion yuan.

"In this year's land auctions, we are gradually witnessing new benchmarks for floor prices in various regions. The developers' land acquisition activities subtly indicate their growing confidence in the market's future," said analyst Lu Wenxi from Shanghai Zhongyuan Real Estate.

Experts anticipate that in the coming months, as the sales momentum continues to stabilize and the successful release of premium land plots boosts market dynamics, developers' eagerness and confidence in acquiring land will persist.

"The 2025 market is expected to experience a structural recovery following a period of stabilization, with favorable policies injecting new growth momentum into the market," said Tang Daizhong, an associate professor at Tongji University's School of Economics and Management.

China's real estate market sees first trading boom in 2025

China's real estate market sees first trading boom in 2025

Protests against federal immigration enforcement are spreading across the United States, with the latest demonstration unfolding directly in front of the White House.

Early Saturday, more than a hundred demonstrators gathered there, demanding changes to the Trump administration's immigration policies and accountability for recent shootings involving federal agents.

Immigrant rights and civil rights groups said this weekend's rallies mark a coordinated national response. Demonstrations are planned or already underway in major cities including Philadelphia, as well as across states such as North Carolina, Florida, Texas, and Washington, D.C., where organizers are calling for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to be removed from local communities.

The nationwide protests follow a deadly week in which three people were shot by federal agents in two days.

In Minneapolis, Minnesota, a 37-year-old woman, Renee Good, was killed during an enforcement operation by the ICE. A day later in Portland, Oregon, a man and a woman were wounded during a separate federal operation.

In the aftermath, Minnesota state officials accused the Trump administration of blocking their investigation by denying access to key evidence and prematurely drawing conclusions before a full review could be completed.

On Friday, Donald Trump defended the Department of Homeland Security's actions, sharply criticizing Minnesota leaders and calling them corrupt.

Local leaders have pushed back. During a Saturday news conference, the mayor of Minneapolis described ICE agents' actions as reckless.

Officials in both Minneapolis and Portland continue urging demonstrators to remain peaceful as protests intensify nationwide.

According to a 50501 Movement statement issued Friday, at least 32 people died in ICE custody in 2025.

Nationwide protests erupt in US after ICE shootings