According to the latest data from mReferral Mortgage Brokerage Research Department and the Land Registry, the number of existing property mortgage registrations in Hong Kong for January 2026 reached 8,022 cases. This represents an increase of 2,940 cases (57.9%) compared to the 5,082 cases recorded in December 2025, marking the second consecutive month of growth and reaching a new high in over two and a half years (31 months). Meanwhile, pre-sale property mortgage registrations for the same month totaled 381 cases, an increase of 78 cases (25.7%) from the 303 cases in December 2025, also rising for the second straight month and hitting a three-month peak.
Compared to the same period last year, the number of existing property mortgages in January this year surged by 3,821 cases (91%) from the 4,201 cases recorded in January 2025, setting a new high for the first month of the year in nearly four years. In contrast, pre-sale property mortgage registrations in January this year decreased by 15 cases (3.8%) compared to the 396 cases from the same period last year.
Cho Tak-ming, Chief Vice President of mReferral Mortgage Brokerage, stated that the significant rise in existing property mortgages in January was partly driven by buyers of new Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) flats, such as those in On Lai Court and On Wah Court, completing their transactions. He noted that mortgage interest rates are currently maintained at reasonable levels, Hong Kong property prices have significantly stabilized, and the latest number of negative equity cases has decreased by over 30% quarter-on-quarter, hitting a new low in nearly nine quarters. These multiple positive factors are helping to boost the confidence of both end-users and investors to enter the market.
It is anticipated that transaction volumes will see a steady increase this year, with the numbers for both existing and pre-sale property mortgages expected to maintain their growth momentum.
Regarding market share for existing property mortgages, BOC Hong Kong (02388) secured the top position for the sixteenth consecutive time, ranking first with a market share of 30.4%. HSBC followed in second place with a 22.2% share. Hang Seng Bank moved up one rank to third place with a 13.7% share, while Standard Chartered Bank dropped one rank to fourth with an 8% share. BANK OF E ASIA (00023) ranked fifth with a market share of 4.8%.
In the market share for pre-sale property mortgages, HSBC climbed one rank to claim the top position with a 26.8% share. BOC Hong Kong fell one rank to second place with a 23.9% share. Hang Seng Bank and Bank of Communications tied for third place, each with an 11.3% share. Standard Chartered Bank ranked fourth with a 10.5% share, and BANK OF E ASIA held the fifth position with a 3.1% share.
The combined market share of the four major banks for existing property mortgages in January 2026 increased by 6.5 percentage points to 74.3%, up from 67.8% the previous month.
Cho Tak-ming commented that with property prices stabilizing, the home-buying confidence of Hong Kong citizens has also significantly recovered. He expects major banks to adopt a more proactive stance towards mortgage business and continue to launch diverse mortgage plans and related incentives to attract high-quality customers and compete for mortgage business in the first half of the year. The gap in banks' mortgage market shares is anticipated to be readjusted.
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