Cushman & Wakefield Interpretation Report Highlights Five Areas of Opportunity for Real Estate Sectors
HONG KONG SAR -
Media OutReach Newswire - 12 March 2025 -Global real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield has released its
China's Two Sessions 2025: Interpreting the Government Work Report publication. The new study examines China's economic development goals and policy directions for 2025 as outlined in the
Report on the Work of the Government delivered by premier Li Qing, and highlights five key government tasks that will impact China's commercial real estate market.
Sabrina Wei, Cushman & Wakefield's Chief Policy Analyst and Head of Research, North China, said, "We should note that 2025 is the final year of the current Five-Year Plan period. In the objectives and policy measures stated in the new Government Work Report we see a focus on stabilizing expectations, expanding domestic demand, and accelerating green transition. As well, targets to implement more proactive fiscal policy, scientific and technological innovation, and revitalization of assets all inject new structural opportunities into commercial real estate."
Boosting Consumption to Promote Retail Industry Expansion and Upgrading The Government Work Report lists "vigorously boosting consumption" as the foremost major task for 2025. Given the uncertain external environment, tapping consumption potential and boosting domestic demand are viewed as crucial strategies to drive economic growth and to restore China's economy to sustained healthy growth. China's retail market is currently undergoing a period of change, where consumer pursuit of quality, social interaction, personalization and experience is becoming the mainstream. These demands are mandating retail operators to continue to grow and upgrade consumption scenarios. Additionally, the expansion of infrastructure REITs to include consumer infrastructure has greatly stimulated investor interest in the retail industry. According to Cushman & Wakefield, commercial retail projects' share of total real estate investment volume grew from 10% in 2023 to 14.85% in 2024 (Figure 1), and this trend is expected to further continue in 2025.
Figure 1: Comparison of property transaction volume by sector in the Chinese mainland capital market, 2023–2024New Productive Forces and Technological Innovation to Aid Structural Recovery in Office Demand The Government Work Report emphasizes the continued development of emerging industries such as commercial aerospace and the low-altitude economy, as well as the cultivation of future industries including biomanufacturing, quantum technology, AI, and 6G technology. The value of the low-altitude economy, for example, is forecast to reach RMB850 billion in 2025, with an average annual growth rate of more than 30%. China's high-tech industry has also begun to play a leading role on the global stage, with investors re-examining the value of Chinese technology companies. In the capital market, starting from the end of 2024, the performance of China's top ten technology companies has been notable. The stock price of China's top ten technology companies has grown by 57.39% from the end of 2023, as at the end of February 2025 (Figure 2).
Figure 2: Stock price growth trends of China's top ten technology companies and the seven American giants (base as at the end of 2023) Over the past two years, downward economic pressures have led to a drop in office leasing demand across the Chinese mainland. Office rents have fallen, and vacancy rates have risen in many cities. The government's renewed efforts to promote development of the "platform economy" can effectively drive new employment and expand consumption. In turn, this will support growth in demand for office premises and industrial parks. In addition, in May 2024, the State Financial Supervision and Administration Bureau issued the
Guidance on Banking and Insurance Industries Doing a Good Job in the Five Financial Tasks, which emphasized strengthening financial support for major national technological goals as well as for small and medium-sized technology enterprises. Cushman & Wakefield expects that office demand in the Chinese mainland through 2025 will grow compared to 2024, with office rental levels in some cities bottoming out and stabilizing in the second half of the year.
Special-Purpose Bonds to Accelerate Market Stabilization and Reactivation of Existing Assets This year's Government Work Report includes "ensure stability in the real estate market and the stock market" in the overall requirements and policy orientations for economic and social development. The detailed discussion on the real estate sector remains in the objective titled "Preventing and Defusing Risks in Key Areas." Key points regarding real estate include continuing efforts to stabilize the property market, adjusting restrictive measures according to local conditions, accelerating the renovation of urban...
