Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that a total of 2,818 building units and parking spaces were purchased and sold in the third quarter of 2017 as per Stamp Duty record, and the total value of transactions was MOP15.62 billion, down by 38.6% and 48.1% respectively quarter-to-quarter. Purchase and sale of residential units totalled 2,088, a decrease of 1,474 units; the total value amounted to MOP12.41 billion, down by 51.6%. Among them, pre-sale residential units purchased and sold reduced drastically by 63.3% to 251, and the total value dropped by 67.9% to MOP 2.42 billion. Meanwhile, purchase and sale of existing residential units totalled 1,837, amounting to MOP9.99 billion, down by 36.2% and 44.8% respectively.
As regards the average price per square metre of usable area, the overall average price of residential units decreased by 4.8% quarter-to-quarter to MOP99,276 in the third quarter of 2017. Among them, the average price of residential units in Taipa (MOP110,247) fell by 8.5%, mainly due to a smaller proportion of high-value transactions for pre-sale residential units and units of buildings completed within 5 years or less. Meanwhile, the average price of residential units in Coloane (MOP130,875) dropped by 1.4% while the price of those in Macao Peninsula (MOP93,334) rose by 3.3%.
The average price of pre-sale residential units increased by 4.5% quarter-to-quarter to MOP145,075 per square metre. Most of the residential units purchased and sold were in Baixa da Taipa (103), followed by Coloane (51) and NATAP (35), and the respective average prices per square metre were MOP173,218, MOP132,587 and MOP135,316.
The average price of existing residential units decreased by 2.5% quarter-to-quarter to MOP91,939 per square metre. Many of the residential units purchased and sold were in Baixa da Taipa (222), Areia Preta & Iao Hon (147) and NAPE & Aterros da Baía da Praia Grande (165), and the average prices per square metre were MOP95,915, MOP83,999 and MOP143,646 respectively.
The average price of industrial units increased by 13.6% quarter-to-quarter to MOP57,746 per square metre and that of office units rose by 4.6% to MOP120,763.
In the third quarter of 2017, a total of 3,430 real estate purchase and sale contracts were signed, and the number of properties involved (3,513) fell by 14.7% quarter-to-quarter. Meanwhile, 3,222 mortgage contracts were signed, and the number of properties involved (3,566) went down by 33.8%.
As regards construction in the private sector, as of the third quarter of 2017, there were 20,324 residential units in the design stage, 10,024 under construction and 839 under inspection. In the third quarter, only 4 residential units were issued the construction permit, with a total floor area of 1,696 square metres. Moreover, 569 residential units with a total floor area of 68,474 square metres were issued the licence of use; 56.8% of them were two-bedroom units and 29.0% were three-bedroom units.