Event: Hong Kong’s

Hong Kong’s growing number of expatriates is boosting the city’s residential property leasing market with luxury rents likely to rise by about 5 per cent this year and continue their upswing in 2027, according to property consultancy JLL.The private residential rental index by the Rating and Valuation Department had surged by 18.5 per cent as of June to 205.8 from the Covid-19 pandemic trough in January 2023, which was 173.6, marking the first sustained breach of the 200 threshold.“Hong Kong’s residential leasing market has entered a renewed expansion cycle in 2026,” JLL said in a statement.“A principal driver is the influx of expatriate professionals attracted by resurgent [initial public offering] activity and asset management business growth. This influx is rooted in a broader financial-sector resurgence.”Relocation firm Dwellworks Hong Kong also disclosed that Europe and the US were the top sources of finance executives flocking into the city.Last year, the Hong Kong stock exchange led IPO fundraising globally with HK$285.8 billion (US$36.46 billion) and this momentum continued into the first half of this year with proceeds of HK$210.2 billion, just second to the Nasdaq.