China's property market recovery boosted by new "quality homes" standards

优质住宅”新标准提振楼市复苏

SHANGHAI, May 10 (Xinhua) -- China's property market is showing renewed signs of recovery, with both new home sales and second-hand transactions increasing, fueled in part by a rising demand for high-quality housing spurred by newly introduced national standards for "quality homes."

上海5月10日电（新华社）— 中国房地产市场重现复苏迹象，新房销售与二手房交易量双双增长。这在一定程度上得益于新出台的国家“优质住宅”标准提振了市场对高品质住房的需求。

Released by China's Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the upgraded national standards for residential projects, which came into effect on May 1, cover seven aspects that include living environment, building space, structure, indoor environment and building equipment.

住房和城乡建设部发布的升级版住宅国家标准已于5月1日正式实施。新标准涵盖居住环境、建筑空间、结构、室内环境及建筑设备等七大方面。

Among the most notable provisions are a minimum ceiling height of three meters for new residential buildings, mandatory elevators in structures with four or more floors, and enhanced sound insulation for walls and floors.

其中尤为引人注目的规定包括：新建住宅层高不低于3米；四层及以上住宅须设电梯；同时强化墙体及楼板隔音。

Many industry insiders believe that meeting these new standards for a "quality home" is becoming a key selling point for properties that are up to standard, drawing increased interest from prospective buyers.

业内普遍认为，满足“优质住宅”新标准正成为楼盘的关键卖点，显著提升了其对潜在买家的吸引力。

MARKET REVIVAL

市场复苏

During the recent five-day May Day holiday, which marked the first public holiday after the new standards were implemented, China's real estate market in many regions maintained the recovery momentum seen in the first quarter of 2025, with several first- and second-tier cities posting robust transaction figures.

在最近为期五天的五一假期（新标准实施后的首个公共假期）期间，多个一二线城市公布的交易数据强势，中国许多地区的房地产市场稳住了2025年第一季度的复苏势头。

In Shanghai, one of China's most important regional real estate markets, total home sales during the holiday, including new and second-hand properties, rose 36 percent year on year. New home transactions were up 12 percent, while second-hand home sales surged by 44 percent.

作为中国最重要的区域房地产市场之一，上海在假期期间（包括新房和二手房在内的）住房总成交量同比增长36%。其中，新房成交量增长12%，而二手房成交量则大幅飙升44%。

Similarly, south China metropolis Shenzhen recorded 826 new commercial housing subscriptions from May 1 to 5, with 317 units completing online contracts, up 23.89 percent year on year.

此外，华南大都市深圳在5月1日至5日期间，实现新房认购826套，网签317套。其中，网签量同比增长23.89%。

According to the data released by the China Index Academy, during the May Day holiday, Beijing saw a total of 302 new residential properties signed online, covering 34,200 square meters, marking year-on-year increases of 114 percent and 107 percent, respectively.

根据中国指数研究院发布的数据，五一假期期间，北京新房网签量为302套，总成交面积达3.42万平方米，同比分别大幅增长114%和107%。

In Yantai, a coastal city in east China's Shandong Province, demand for high-quality homes was on full display during the May Day holiday. All 100 units of the first phase of a residential project named Boshiyayuan were sold on May 1, its launch day.

在中国东部山东省的沿海城市烟台，五一假期期间对高品质住宅的需求得到了充分展示。一个名为博世雅苑的住宅项目一期100套在5月1日开盘当天全部售出。

"This project impressed us with its planning, layout and amenities," said a homebuyer surnamed Zheng. "Each unit has a private elevator, and the community features a basketball court, gym, swimming pool, yoga studio and communal dining hall. Even the aluminum front door with high-level insulation met our expectations."

“这个项目的规划、布局和设施给我们留下了深刻的印象，”一位郑姓购房者说。“每个单元都有一部私人电梯，社区设有篮球场、健身房、游泳池、瑜伽馆和公共餐厅。就连高隔热的铝制前门也符合我们的预期。”

More and more homebuyers like Zheng are increasingly shifting their focus from simply "having a place to live" to seeking "livable quality," according to Ding Zuyu, president of the property research institution CRIC.

房地产研究机构克而瑞总裁丁祖宇表示，越来越多像郑这样的购房者将注意力从简单的“有地方住”转向寻求“宜居品质”。

Expectations for intelligent home systems, eco-friendly designs, thoughtful architecture and well-rounded facilities are driving a new wave of residential consumption.

对智能家居系统、环保设计、周到建筑和完善设施的期望正在推动新一轮住宅消费浪潮。

Guan Chong, general manager of the Shanghai branch of Jinmao, a Hong Kong-listed developer, said quality homes and well-designed communities offer homeowners a low-carbon, healthy and eco-friendly lifestyle, and such products have already been launched in major cities including Shanghai, Beijing and Nanjing -- and have received positive feedback from homebuyers.

香港上市开发商金茂上海分公司总经理关冲表示，优质的住宅和精心设计的社区为业主提供了低碳、健康和环保的生活方式，此类产品已经在上海、北京和南京等主要城市推出，并收到了购房者的积极反馈。

"Many of our homeowners have experienced technology-driven living and chose to purchase or upgrade to another similar property," the executive said. "This clearly demonstrates that quality homes will always have a place in the market and can effectively unleash demand for better housing."

这位高管表示：“我们的许多房主都经历过技术驱动的生活，并选择购买或升级到另一处类似的房产。”“这清楚地表明，优质住宅将永远在市场上占有一席之地，并且可以有效释放对更好住房的需求。”

QUALITY-DRIVEN TRANSFORMATION

质量驱动转型

On the supply side, changes are also underway. So far this year, industry insiders have observed a trend of "downsizing and upgrading" on the land supply side, which signals a significant increase in the availability of high-quality homes in the near future.

在供给端，变化也在进行。今年到目前为止，业内人士观察到土地供应端出现“瘦身升级”的趋势，这预示着近期优质住宅的供应量将显著增加。

Many cities have proactively adjusted their land supply structures by reducing overall volume and focusing on premium plots. A growing number of "small but refined" parcels are being released to better support high-quality residential development.

不少城市主动调整土地供应结构，减少总量，聚焦溢价地块。越来越多的“小而精”地块正在释放，以更好地支持高品质住宅发展。

In Hangzhou, capital city of east China's Zhejiang Province and a major regional property market, for example, about 90 percent of residential land parcels sold this year have a planned construction area of less than 90,000 square meters. These plots typically feature complete supporting infrastructure and moderate floor area ratios, making them well-suited for building quality housing.

例如，在中国东部浙江省省会杭州，也是一个主要的区域性房地产市场，今年出售的住宅用地中，约90%的规划建筑面积在9万平方米以下。这些地块通常具有完善的配套基础设施和适中的容积率，非常适合建造优质住房。

According to industry insiders, the new standards have the potential to drive further transformation in the real estate sector.

业内人士表示，新标准有可能推动房地产行业进一步转型。

"The new standards raise the ceiling height by 20 centimeters, an adjustment that takes into account the increasing average height of Chinese residents and significantly improves the space," said Zeng Yu, senior architect at the China Academy of Building Research.

中国建筑科学研究院高级建筑师曾宇表示：“新标准将天花板高度提高了20厘米，这一调整考虑到了中国居民平均身高的增加，并显著改善了空间。”

Zeng explained that the added height not only enhances the vertical dimension of indoor space, but also improves natural lighting and ventilation. This change, Zeng noted, boosts convenience and functional flexibility, while providing greater capacity for diverse interior design, technological upgrades and evolving lifestyle needs.

曾解释说，增加的高度不仅增强了室内空间的垂直维度，还改善了自然采光和通风。曾指出，这一变化提高了便利性和功能灵活性，同时为多样化的室内设计、技术升级和不断变化的生活方式需求提供了更大的容量。

Yu Tian, marketing general manager of Poly Developments and Holdings Group's Shanghai branch, believes the new national standards will have a significant impact on the development of the real estate sector.

保利发展控股集团上海分公司营销总经理余天认为，新国标将对房地产板块的发展产生重大影响。

"These new standards encourage property developers to focus on product standards, research and development, and iteration, continuously increasing the use of new products, materials, technologies, next-generation information technologies and smart construction methods. This more segmented and diverse market will unlock the potential of demand for upgraded housing," Yu added.

“这些新标准鼓励房地产开发商专注于产品标准、研发和迭代，不断增加新产品、新材料、新技术、下一代信息技术和智能建筑方法的使用。这个更加细分和多样化的市场将释放升级住房的需求潜力，”余补充道。

He Xinyu, general manager of Chengdu Ruihetai research institute of industrial and urban development, echoed this view. "In the long term, the new standards will guide the real estate sector to shift from its previous focus on high turnover to a focus on high quality, pointing the way forward for both real estate companies and their upstream and downstream partners," said He.

成都瑞和泰产业与城市发展研究院总经理何新宇附和了这一观点。“从长远来看，新标准将引导房地产行业从之前的注重高周转转向注重高品质，为房地产企业及其上下游合作伙伴指明了前进的方向，”何说。

The introduction of these new standards also opens a pathway for the renovation of older properties. By aligning with the new norms, outdated residential buildings can be transformed through improvements such as the installation of elevators, noise reduction measures, senior-friendly renovations and better amenities. This could lead to significant value increases for older communities.

这些新标准的引入也为旧物业的翻新开辟了道路。通过与新规范保持一致，过时的住宅建筑可以通过改进进行改造，如安装电梯、降低噪音措施、老年人友好型翻新和更好的便利设施。这可能会导致老年社区的价值大幅增加。

Chen Jie, a professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, said that, as a result, these initiatives are expected to boost the market value of second-hand homes, benefiting both homeowners and prospective buyers by improving the overall quality of the housing stock.

上海交通大学教授陈杰表示，因此，这些举措有望提振二手房的市场价值，通过提高住房存量的整体质量，使房主和潜在买家都受益。

For the first time, the phrase "quality homes" featured in the government work report unveiled during this year's "two sessions," the annual meetings of China's top legislature and top political advisory body.

在今年的“两会”期间，“优质家园”首次出现在政府工作报告中，这是中国最高立法机构和最高政治咨询机构的年度会议。

Guided by this trend, nearly 10 provincial-level regions, including Beijing, Shandong, Shanxi, Jiangsu, Guizhou and Sichuan, have focused on building high-quality housing systems by leveraging their regional characteristics. These efforts span the entire value chain, from standard-setting and land supply to construction techniques.

在这一趋势的引导下，北京、山东、山西、江苏、贵州、四川等近10个省级区域，借助区域特色，着力打造高品质住房体系。这些努力跨越了整个价值链，从标准制定和土地供应到建筑技术。