Hong Kong property investors are increasingly acquiring hotels and office buildings to convert into student accommodation as the city's student bed shortage is projected to nearly double within the next four years, according to a report by Real Estate Asia.
Data from a June report by Jones Lang LaSalle Ltd. (JLL) indicates that the student housing deficit will reach 147,200 beds by the 2029–2030 academic year, up from 76,300 beds in 2025–2026, while only about 16,300 beds were in the development pipeline as of late April.
Commercial Acquisitions, Office Deals, and Residential Shifts
Hotel-to-Student Housing Conversions: China Resources Longdation Company Ltd. acquired the 583-room Hotel COZi Oasis in Kwai Chung for $953 million in March to repurpose the asset into student housing providing approximately 900 beds. Tom Ko, executive director and head of capital markets for Hong Kong at Cushman & Wakefield (C&W), pointed to government "academic town" initiatives and strong accommodation demand:
"The accommodation sector is a key growth area."
Surge in Large Commercial Transactions: C&W data showed that major nonresidential property deals exceeding $100 million totaled $23.2 billion in the first half of the year, marking an 84% increase year-on-year driven by owner-occupiers and asset repurposing.
Owner-Occupier Office Demand: Rating and Valuation Department figures cited by Knight Frank revealed that second-quarter office transactions rose to 297 deals from 271 in the first quarter, while total transaction value shifted to $4.16 billion from $4.86 billion. Notable acquisitions included the University of Hong Kong purchasing an entire office building on Connaught Road West for $4 billion and DBS Bank (Hong Kong) Ltd. acquiring six full floors at The Center in Central for $2.62 billion. Antonio Wu, head of capital markets for Greater China at Knight Frank Hong Kong Ltd., noted:
"The wider implication is a selective recovery of well-located assets with scale, strong specifications or strategic relevance."
Residential Liveability and Stamp Duty Policies: Mass- to mid-market residential activity continues to benefit from the February 2025 policy raising the $100 flat stamp duty threshold to properties valued up to $4 million (up from $3 million). In the ultra-luxury segment above $100 million, mainland Chinese buyers remain the primary driver, with over 60% of buyers working in financial services. Letizia Casalino, executive director at Okay Property Agency Ltd., described the shift in buyer priorities:
Vietnam has been ranked 50th out of 88 surveyed countries and territories in the Global Real Estate Transparency Index (GRETI) 2026 released by JLL, as reported by the Vietnam Investment Review (VIR).
Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie has finalized the sale of her 11,000-square-foot historic estate in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles for $24.75 million, according to reports from Yahoo Entertainment and TMZ.
Cambodia's nationwide residential property price index (RPPI) fell by 3.67% year-on-year in nominal terms (and 4.87% after inflation adjustment), according to official data from the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) compiled by Global Property Guide.
