US Housing Market Rapid Response US Existing Home Sales (Jan. 2025) The fall in existing home sales in January reflects weak deal-making at the end of last year due to the surge in mortgage rates. Given that borrowing costs have stayed above 7% since then, we expect... 21st February 2025 · 1 min read
China Economics Weekly China Weekly: Private sector support, property prices President Xi's meeting with top tech leaders underscores a shift back to a more constructive attitude toward private firms that has been underway since 2023. Meanwhile, data out this week showed that... 21st February 2025 · 4 mins read
US Housing Market Rapid Response US Housing Starts (Jan. 2025) The decline in housing starts in January is not a major concern, as it comes after a surge in starts in December and appears partly driven by the unseasonably harsh weather. Encouragingly, permit... 19th February 2025 · 2 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Saudi Arabia’s real estate boom not a concern (yet) Saudi Arabia’s real estate sector is in the midst of a boom and affordability among Saudi citizens for housing is becoming increasingly stretched, which may tempt the authorities to loosen lending... 19th February 2025 · 4 mins read
Canada Economics Update Canada Housing Watch (Feb. 2025) The plunge in the sales-to-new listings ratio in January is a downside risk to our view that house prices will recover this year, particularly amid anecdotal evidence that US tariff threats are... 18th February 2025 · 4 mins read
US Housing Market Chart Pack US Housing Market Chart Pack (Feb. 25) We think the window for further Fed interest rate cuts has closed, so mortgage rates should remain near their current 7% level this year, before a little more relief arrives in 2026. There will still... 18th February 2025 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Update Still optimistic on UK house prices, but downside risks growing A weaker economy than we previously thought could mean housing demand is a bit more subdued than we expect. But our forecast for mortgage rates to fall further than is widely anticipated suggests... 17th February 2025 · 5 mins read
Europe Economics Update High demand to spur construction in southern Europe Booming demand for housing has led to huge price rises in southern Europe over the past few years and will support rapid construction growth for some time to come. Moreover, there is little risk of a... 13th February 2025 · 3 mins read
UK Housing Market Update RICS Residential Market Survey (Jan. 2025) January’s RICS survey suggests that the recent rises in mortgage rates and the downbeat economic outlook weighed on housing demand at the start of this year. But bigger falls in mortgage rates than... 13th February 2025 · 4 mins read
UK Housing Market Update Rental supply to remain tight While it is possible that a fall in mortgage rates will trigger a modest increase in the number of rental properties over the next two years, we doubt this will offset the weakness in rental supply... 11th February 2025 · 4 mins read
UK Housing Market Rapid Response UK Halifax House Prices (Jan. 2025) The 0.7% m/m rise in the Halifax house price index in January is at odds with the muted 0.1% m/m increase in the Nationwide measure and suggests that the housing market continues to shrug off both the... 7th February 2025 · 3 mins read
Canada Chart Pack Canada Chart Pack (Feb. 2025) Our Canada Chart Pack has been updated with the latest data and our analysis of recent developments. The threat of US tariffs will hang over the economy for the foreseeable future, weighing on... 6th February 2025 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Update Southeast and West Coast apartments to benefit from high costs of home ownership Even if mortgage rates drop back slightly and house price growth cools over the next few years as we expect, renting will remain the more cost-effective option, supporting apartment demand. Southeast... 6th February 2025 · 3 mins read
UK Commercial Property Rapid Response S&P Global/ CIPS UK Construction PMI (Jan. 25) The headline CIPS construction PMI dropped to 48.1 in January, from 53.3 in December, indicating the first contraction in activity since February 2024. 6th February 2025 · 1 min read
US Commercial Property Update COVID five years on: How the pandemic continues to shape real estate markets Five years on from the start of the pandemic and the structural shifts it brought about continue to underpin real estate performance. Over the coming weeks, we will publish a series of pieces that... 5th February 2025 · 3 mins read
US Housing Market Rapid Response US Mortgage Applications (Jan. 2025) The steep rise in home purchase mortgage applications in January left applications at their highest level since June 2023. However, taking a step back, activity remains extremely depressed compared to... 5th February 2025 · 2 mins read
