JLL: Hong Kong's real estate market ranks third in Asia for transparency.

Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) has published the 14th edition of its Global Real Estate Transparency Index (GRETI). The report shows that about two-thirds of markets worldwide have seen improvements in transparency over the past two years. Although mature markets continue to absorb the majority of global capital, the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region have become the main drivers of global transparency gains, thanks to accelerated digitalization and proactive government reforms. Hong Kong maintains its global ranking at 14th with a composite score of 1.97, unchanged from the previous edition, and continues to be classified as a transparent market. Hong Kong ranks third in Asia for transparency, behind Japan (12th globally) and Singapore (13th globally). Alex Barnes, Co-Head of Greater China at Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), said that Hong Kong continues to rank among the world's most transparent real estate markets, reflecting the maturity and resilience of its real estate market institutions. As global investors become more cautious, reliable market information, a clear regulatory environment, and technology-driven data will become increasingly important for maintaining market confidence and attracting capital inflows. Continued progress in emerging areas such as alternative assets, debt markets, and building performance will consolidate Hong Kong's competitiveness as a leading international real estate investment hub. The Asia-Pacific region recorded the most significant transparency improvement globally in this year's survey, accounting for half of the world's top ten most improved markets for transparency. India became the market with the largest improvement in transparency, driven by the expansion of digital infrastructure, improved availability of market data, and the continued development of the real estate investment trust (REIT) market. Vietnam, South Korea, Australia (itself already one of the world's most transparent markets), and Thailand also made significant progress by strengthening corporate governance standards, improving legal enforcement mechanisms, and increasing disclosure levels for alternative real estate. As a result, cross-border investment flows into the Asia-Pacific region rebounded significantly, with direct transaction volumes in major markets such as India and Vietnam reaching record highs. In the Middle East and North Africa region, several markets continued to advance institutional reforms and successfully attracted overseas capital inflows despite geopolitical challenges. Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Qatar all ranked among the world's fastest-improving markets for transparency, mainly benefiting from a number of national-level initiatives, including Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 program and the Dubai Land Department's REST program. These measures have helped enhance market transparency and further improved the institutional frameworks valued by international investors and lenders.