China shifts toward selling completed homes

China plans to move gradually from selling homes before they're built to selling completed homes, and cities are rolling out stricter sales rules.

According to CGTN (October 18, 2026):

• Under a plan announced on August 28, projects on land transferred after that date prioritize the sale of completed homes. Projects with construction permits from before that date keep the old pre-sale rules.
• All project funds, including developer loans and sale proceeds, go through accounts at a designated lead bank.
• Cities have raised the pre-sale threshold to the structural topping-out of a building.
• On October 15, Hangzhou and Shenzhen announced new sales rules, joining Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Wuhan and Tianjin.

CGTN also reported that second-hand home transactions signed online from January to September 2026 rose 10.7% year on year, citing the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.

Sources

• CGTN: China's property recovery gains traction as new policies take effect

FangScout summarizes public reports and official announcements for readers outside China. It is not legal, tax or investment advice. Get the weekly briefing →