Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that a total of 3,151 building units and parking spaces were purchased and sold in the third quarter of 2018 as per Stamp Duty record, and the total value of transactions was MOP17.86 billion, down by 23.1% and 28.0% respectively quarter-to-quarter.
Purchase and sale of residential units decreased by 673 quarter-to-quarter to 2,383 units and the total value dropped by 24.5% to MOP14.54 billion. Transaction volume of pre-sale residential units reduced by 279 quarter-to-quarter to 217 units and the transaction value fell by 60.7% to MOP1.84 billion. Meanwhile, purchase and sale of existing residential units decreased by 394 to 2,166 units, amounting to MOP12.70 billion, down by 12.9%.
In terms of average price per square metre of usable area, the overall average price of residential units (MOP103,844) dropped by 3.5% quarter-to-quarter. Among them, the average price of residential units in Taipa (MOP98,315) fell by 15.2%, mainly due to a significant decline of 23.3 percentage points in the proportion of relatively high-priced pre-sale residential units (3.7%) in the total transaction volume. Meanwhile, the average price of residential units in Coloane (MOP119,437) dropped by 7.6% while the price of those in Macao Peninsula (MOP104,606) rose by 1.2%.
The average price of existing residential units rose by 1.5% quarter-to-quarter to MOP99,573 per square metre. Transactions were mainly in NATAP (420 units), Baixa da Taipa (277 units) and Areia Preta & Iao Hon (183 units), and the respective average prices per square metre were MOP138,553, MOP101,629 and MOP92,969.
The average price of pre-sale residential units fell by 5.5% quarter-to-quarter to MOP144,606 per square metre. Transactions were mainly in Móng Há & Reservatório (86 units), Coloane (72 units) and Conselheiro Ferreira de Almeida (17 units), and the respective average prices per square metre were MOP156,055, MOP127,665 and MOP157,640.
Moreover, the average price of office units rose by 1.5% quarter-to-quarter to MOP118,293 per square metre while that of industrial units fell by 15.1% to MOP54,215 per square metre.
In the third quarter of 2018, there were 3,945 real estate purchase and sale contracts signed, and the number of properties involved (4,188) rose by 11.9% quarter-to-quarter. Meanwhile, 4,194 mortgage contracts were signed, and the number of properties involved (5,194) fell by 29.2%.
As regards construction in the private sector, there were 20,838 residential units in the design stage, 7,538 under construction, and 2,223 under inspection (including 2,087 in Taipa) as at the end of the third quarter. During the quarter, 525 residential units were issued the construction permit, with 60.2% of the units being studio flats and 16.6% being one-bedroom units; meanwhile, 786 residential units, all located in Macao Peninsula, were issued the licence of use, with 80.7% of the units being studio flats and 18.6% being one-bedroom units.