Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that a total of 4,100 building units and parking spaces were purchased and sold in the second quarter of 2018 as per Stamp Duty record, and the total value of transactions was MOP24.79 billion, down by 25.5% and 24.4% respectively quarter-to-quarter. Purchase and sale of residential units decreased by 571 quarter-to-quarter to 3,056 units and the total value dropped by 20.8% to MOP19.26 billion.

Transaction volume of pre-sale residential units reduced drastically by 1,115 quarter-to-quarter to 496 units and the transaction value fell by 62.5% to MOP4.68 billion. Meanwhile, purchase and sale of existing residential units increased by 544 to 2,560 units, amounting to MOP14.58 billion, up by 23.3%.

In terms of average price per square metre of usable area, the average prices of pre-sale residential units (MOP153,044) and existing residential units (MOP98,134) increased by 11.0% and 5.0% respectively quarter-to-quarter. On the other hand, the overall average price of residential units (MOP107,571) dropped by 4.2% quarter-to-quarter due to a decrease in the proportion of relatively high-priced pre-sale residential units in the total transaction volume. The average prices of residential units in Taipa (MOP115,926) and Coloane (MOP129,259) fell by 1.2% and 6.2% respectively while the average price of those in the Macao Peninsula (MOP103,326) grew by 4.0%.

The existing residential units purchased and sold were mainly in NATAP, with 319 units; 317 units were in Baixa da Taipa and 209 in Areia Preta & Iao Hon. The average prices per square metre were MOP119,059, MOP99,040 and MOP92,290 respectively.

As regards pre-sale residential units, 169 transacted units were in NATAP, 133 in Baixa da Taipa and 99 in Coloane; the respective average prices per square metre were MOP155,162, MOP162,839 and MOP134,958.

Moreover, the average price of office units fell significantly by 40.0% quarter-to-quarter to MOP116,523 per square metre following a surge in the corresponding average price last quarter. The average price of industrial units went up by 22.3% to MOP63,889 per square metre.

In the second quarter of 2018, there were 3,349 real estate purchase and sale contracts signed, and the number of properties involved (3,741) fell by 5.4% quarter-to-quarter. Meanwhile, 3,428 mortgage contracts were signed, and the number of properties involved (7,334) rose by 76.3%.

As regards construction in the private sector, there were 21,190 residential units in the design stage, 8,860 under construction and 1,148 under inspection as at the end of the second quarter. During the quarter, 607 residential units were issued the construction permit, with a total floor area of 47 thousand square metres; meanwhile, 1,004 residential units with a total floor area of 118 thousand square metres were issued the licence of use, with 57.0% of the units being studio flats and 23.1% being three-bedroom units.