Hong Kong villas: does 97 days on market create room to negotiate fees?

[gardensAndCorner]

I’m looking at a small sample of Hong Kong villas asking roughly HK$5,366,000 to HK$8,050,000. The price movement I’m seeing is -3.6%, while median marketing time is about 97 days, although differences in condition make the average figures noisy.

I can find plenty of asking data but very little reliable completed-sale information. My practical decision is whether to negotiate transaction fees on properties that have sat for a while, or assume buyers simply move to another listing when the total cost feels too high. What is actually happening at this price level?

 

[shareTheAtlas]

First separate the fee from the purchase price. Some costs may be fixed by the transaction or jurisdiction, while anything charged by a party to the deal may have different room for discussion. Ask for an itemised total before negotiating.

A 97-day listing alone would not persuade me there is flexibility. A recent price cut or an owner with a clear reason to sell would be more revealing.

 

[ellis_cedar]

You have already noticed that condition is making the averages noisy, but it is still unclear whether the villas belong in one location group. Nearby Hong Kong areas can draw different buyers, so combining them may distort both the 3.6% decline and the median 97-day marketing period.

I would separate the sample by tighter neighbourhood boundaries, then divide renovated homes from those requiring work. Condition is not just a price issue: a buyer relying on finance may react differently when repairs and transaction costs require substantially more cash at the outset. That could explain weak interest even where the seller is willing to discuss fees.

 

[kite.fresh]

I partly disagree that seller motivation matters more than time listed. Ninety-seven days can be useful, but only if you know the listing has genuinely remained available. Withdrawn and relisted stock can hide the real marketing period.

Completed sales are still the better comparison. Even a small set matched by neighbourhood, size and condition should be more useful than a larger pool of asking prices.

 

[XaviReed]

Build a simple property-by-property log: initial asking price, listing date, each price-cut date, current condition, whether it was withdrawn, and any completed figure you can verify. Also note new-listing volume so you can see whether buyers have alternatives.

For each property you pursue, request a written breakdown of every transaction cost and ask which items, if any, the relevant party will discuss. That turns a vague fee negotiation into a specific offer without assuming all charges are flexible.