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

Ongoing Israeli military operations in Gaza and the West Bank have led to multiple deaths, arrests, and rising tensions, as both sides report violence and economic fallout.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued a statement on Monday, saying that during operations in the southern Gaza Strip that day, IDF troops killed three "militants" who had crossed the "yellow line" of the military ceasefire. The statement added that IDF forces would remain deployed in the area and would continue operations to eliminate threats.

On the same day, the Palestinian Ministry of the Interior in the Gaza Strip issued a statement saying that Mahmoud Al-Astal, head of the police investigation department in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, was shot and killed. According to sources, Al-Astal was a key member of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas). A Palestinian armed group in Gaza, backed by Israel, claimed responsibility for the shooting on Monday.

According to a report by the official Palestinian news agency on Monday, Israeli forces continued their raids across several areas of the West Bank and around Jerusalem, arresting more than 20 Palestinian residents and injuring one person. In some areas, the Israeli forces also conducted house searches, imposed roadblocks, and leveled farmland. Meanwhile, large numbers of Israeli Jewish settlers, under the protection of the Israeli military, entered Palestinian farmlands to graze livestock, damage olive trees, and assault Palestinian shepherds while attempting to seize animals, leading to clashes with local residents.

The Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture released a comprehensive report on Monday, saying that in 2025, the agricultural sector in the West Bank suffered systematic attacks by Israeli forces and Israeli Jewish settlers, resulting in direct economic losses exceeding 103 million U.S. dollars, an intensity rarely seen in recent years.

Tensions escalate as IDF operations continue in Gaza, West Bank