Hong Kong’s luxury home rents are projected to rise by about 5 percent in 2026 as expat relocation demand continues to strengthen, with further increases expected into 2027.
According to JLL's latest Hong Kong Residential Sales Market Dynamics released on Tuesday, expatriate relocations to Hong Kong handled by relocation specialist Dwellworks Hong Kong increased 20 percent year-on-year in the first half of this year and expect relocation demand to increase by at least 10 percent in 2027.
Joyce Lam, director of operations at Dwellworks Hong Kong noted that while relocation volumes remain below pre-pandemic levels, the current pace of growth is the strongest seen in the past three years.
She added that the majority of these moves originate from the financial sector.
Lam pointed out that in terms of location origin, finance-sector arrivals typically come from Europe and the United States, alongside some APAC presence from Singapore and Japan. Meanwhile, arrivals in the technology sector are driven primarily by mainland China, gaining momentum since the second half of 2025.
Norry Lee, senior director of projects strategy and consultancy at JLL in Hong Kong, highlighted that a key driver behind the influx of expatriates is the revival of the city's initial public offerings market.
The surge in fundraising activity has subsequently fuelled hiring demand across investment banking, legal, audit, and compliance functions.
Lee said that another key driver is the expansion of the city’s wealth management sector while Hong Kong became the world's largest cross-border wealth management center last year, adding that the sustained influx of talent is underpinning residential leasing demand and placing further upward pressure on rents.
