08 Sep 2025

The South Korean government introduced stricter mortgage regulations in Seoul this past week, alongside plans to increase affordable housing supply in the capital. The loan-to-value ratio in affluent areas such as Gangnam and Yongsan has been reduced to 40% from 50%. Authorities also outlined a strategy to utilise land owned by state-run developers and ease redevelopment rules to address the persistent housing shortage.Read more

08 Sep 2025

Emirati property developers have intensified efforts to attract British investors to Dubai, with the pound's strength against the dirham making property purchases significantly cheaper. The dollar-pegged dirham, hit by U.S. tariffs, has lost about 8% against sterling since January, effectively giving UK buyers a discount. Developers including Binghatti, Danube, Aldar and Damac have opened sales offices in London, introduced flexible payment options and even launched branded projects to target this demand. British buyers have since overtaken Indians as Dubai's top foreign investors.Read more

07 Sep 2025

In the past week, fresh data revealed a balanced but softening real estate market in Calgary. Home listings have surged, pushing inventories to the highest levels seen in years, while sales have slipped year-on-year. Benchmark and average house prices have largely eased, with apartments and row homes under the most pressure, though detached and semi-detached segments remain relatively stable. The shift toward a more balanced market is providing buyers with better negotiating leverage.Read more

06 Sep 2025

European prosecutors have initiated an inquiry into the 1.9 billion euro (USD 2.12 billion) Great Sea Interconnector project connecting Europe and the eastern Mediterranean. Developed by Greek operator IPTO, the project aims to link European and Cypriot transmission networks and later extend to Israel. It has faced repeated delays, raising questions about its cost and viability. Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides confirmed the investigation into possible criminal offenses but noted no specific targets have been identified. Upon completion, the cable is expected to be both the world's longest and deepest high-voltage subsea link.Read more

06 Sep 2025

The cumulative value of real estate transactions in Oman reached RO1.593 billion by the end of July, reflecting a year-on-year decline of 7.9 per cent. Despite this dip, the sector has shown notable resilience, supported by investor confidence, ongoing development projects, and government initiatives aimed at sustainability. While activity has slowed in some segments, demand in residential and commercial assets has provided balance. Analysts indicated that the market remains fundamentally strong and continues to adapt in line with the country's broader economic diversification strategy.Read more

05 Sep 2025

The Toronto housing market showed signs of slowing as home sales in the Greater Toronto Area fell for the first time in five months, while prices edged slightly lower. Monthly price declines or stagnation have continued since last November, keeping affordability a key challenge for average-income households. Despite modest reductions in borrowing costs, many buyers remain cautious. New listings are growing, and experts suggest that further interest rate relief could attract more buyers to the market, which currently has a healthy supply of homes.Read more

05 Sep 2025

Morocco is setting up judicial committees inside stadiums to quickly handle fan-related offences during the 2030 World Cup, which it will co-host with Spain and Portugal. Justice reforms include updates to penal and family codes, alternative penalties, multilingual judicial counters, and cooperation agreements with co-host nations. Alcohol consumption rules for fan zones are under review, and specialized judge training and mediation services will ease court workloads. The preparations complement infrastructure upgrades aimed at managing an expected increase in international visitors.Read more

05 Sep 2025

Blackstone has acquired the Centre d'Affaires, a landmark office property in Paris' Trocadéro district, for around EUR 700 million (USD 819 million). The building, which spans 41,000 EUR square meters, includes office spaces, 57 luxury apartments, cafes, and catering facilities. Originally purchased by Union Investments in 2003 for EUR 284 million, the property has seen strong interest from global investors due to its prime location and high-quality facilities. The transaction is expected to close by the fourth quarter of 2025, reflecting renewed confidence in Europe's premium office real estate.Read more

05 Sep 2025

Nomura has strengthened its presence in the United States by creating a commercial real estate platform and appointing senior executives from Barclays. Larry Kravetz has been named head of U.S. commercial real estate and CMBS, while Frank Gilhool will lead warehouse financing. The team also includes Andy DiPietro and other specialists to support expansion within securitised products and private credit. This development reflects Nomura's intention to reinforce its foothold in U.S. commercial real estate.Read more

05 Sep 2025

The New York Stock Exchange announced that it had begun delisting proceedings against Xinyuan Real Estate's American Depositary Shares, with trading in these securities suspended immediately. The action followed the company's failure to maintain the required global market capitalisation standard over a consecutive 30-day period. Xinyuan retains the option to appeal before the Exchange applies for formal delisting.Read more