China has introduced measures to reform its housing sales system, requiring individual buildings in presale projects to be topped out before they can be sold and encouraging local governments to promote sales of completed homes, state news agency Xinhua reported on Friday.
The measures are part of efforts to reduce the risk of unfinished housing projects and protect homebuyers as authorities seek to stabilise China’s struggling property market.
Under the new rules, developers will have to complete the main structural work on individual buildings before offering them for presale. Local governments have also been urged to promote the sale of fully completed commercial housing units.
China has traditionally relied heavily on a presale model in which buyers purchase homes before construction is completed. The system helped developers raise funds and accelerate construction, but the property crisis has left many buyers facing delays and unfinished apartments.
The latest measures signal a further shift towards a model in which homes are sold closer to, or after, completion, potentially reducing risks for buyers but also increasing the amount of financing developers need before receiving sales revenue.
China’s property sector has remained under pressure following a prolonged downturn that began after regulators moved to curb excessive borrowing by developers. Falling sales, unfinished projects and weak demand have continued to weigh on economic growth and household confidence.
A Reuters poll published on Friday showed analysts expect China’s property investment to fall 20% in 2026, while sales by floor area are forecast to decline 10%. Home prices are expected to fall 3.4% this year.
The government has increasingly focused on completing stalled housing projects, reducing excess property inventories and restoring confidence among homebuyers rather than relying solely on measures aimed at reigniting a broad property boom.
The reforms are expected to put greater emphasis on delivery and construction completion as authorities seek to contain risks in the country’s property sector.
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