China's '828' Policy Ends High-Leverage Era, Shifts Real Estate to Quality Competition
At the 2026 China Real Estate Enterprise Brand Value Evaluation Conference in Shanghai, industry experts stated that the '828' policy package enacted in late August marks the end of the high-leverage expansion era, shifting the industry toward presale of completed properties and project-based financing. Developers must now compete on product quality, delivery, and service. CITIC Securities analyst Zhu Jin noted Shanghai's market has stabilized, with other first-tier cities likely to follow. Ding Zuyu forecast the industry will enter a healthy development phase by the second half of 2028.
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Ding Zuyu: '828 New Policy' Marks New Cycle for Real Estate Brands, Recovery Seen by 2028
At the 2026 Real Estate Enterprise Brand Value Evaluation Results Conference in Shanghai, Ding Zuyu, Vice President of the China Real Estate Association and President of Shanghai E-House Real Estate Research Institute, released the 2026 real estate enterprise brand value research results. The study indicates that brand building in the real estate industry is characterized by 'total volume pressure, structural upgrade.' While average brand value and sales premiums continue to decline, the rate of change in the rankings is narrowing, and excess returns for top-tier companies are recovering. The brand landscape is consolidating around stable state-owned enterprises and high-quality private firms. Ding stated that the '828 New Policy' marks a watershed between the old and new eras of the industry, pushing it into a high-quality, high-resilience development cycle. Key trends include a focus on product strength and delivery, a dual-drive of product and service, diversified strategies, and the integration of AI into brand perception and marketing. Ding forecasts that after about two years of deep adjustment, the industry will enter a healthy, stable, and high-quality development phase by the second half of 2028.
Read sourceChina Real Estate Policy Shift Forces Brand Competition Back to Product and Service Quality
A news analysis from Xinhua Finance reports that China's real estate industry is undergoing a fundamental transformation following the '828' policy package enacted in late August, which mandates presale housing sales and project-based financing. At the 2026 China Real Estate Enterprise Brand Value Evaluation Conference, industry experts stated that the era of high-leverage expansion is over, and developers must now compete on product quality, delivery capability, marketing efficiency, and service. Zhang Qiguang, Vice President of the China Real Estate Industry Association, said the new policies establish a new development model requiring firms to precisely match housing to real demand and ensure timely, high-quality delivery. Analyst Zhu Jin from CITIC Securities predicted that Shanghai's market has already stabilized, with other major cities likely to follow. The report notes that brand value among top 10 firms rose slightly, while mid-tier firms saw declines, indicating a concentration of brand strength among stable state-owned and quality private developers. Ding Zuyu, Chairman of Shanghai E-House Real Estate Research Institute, forecast that after two years of adjustment, the industry will enter a healthy, stable phase by the second half of 2028, with asset management models becoming the ultimate direction for transformation.
Read sourceChina's '828' Policy Marks Industry Shift; Developers Urged to Rebuild Brand Competitiveness
At the 2026 China Real Estate Enterprise Brand Value Evaluation Conference, industry leaders discussed the impact of the '828' series of new policies, which they described as a watershed moment for the sector. Zhang Qiguang, Vice President and Secretary-General of the China Real Estate Association, identified three fundamental changes: a shift to a stock market where二手房 transactions account for 52%, a new institutional framework including off-plan sales and project bank systems, and AI technology penetration. He urged developers to strengthen product, delivery, marketing, and service capabilities. Ding Zuyu, Vice President of the association, stated the '828' policy marks the end of the extensive growth phase and the start of a high-quality development cycle. He emphasized that brand competition now hinges on product and service quality, with AI reshaping customer decision-making. Analysts from CITIC Securities noted a 'weak recovery, strong divergence' market, with first-tier cities like Shanghai showing a K-shaped recovery. They advised developers to focus on core cities, control leverage, and transition to an asset management model using REITs, predicting a healthy market by the second half of 2028.
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China Real Estate Policy Shift Reshapes Competition Toward Product and Service Quality
This article from East Money reports on the 2026 China Real Estate Enterprise Brand Value Evaluation Results Conference held on September 22, where industry experts analyzed the impact of the late-August real estate policy package. The policies mark an end to the high-leverage expansion era, shifting the industry toward existing-home sales, presale-free delivery, and project-based financing. China Real Estate Association Vice President Zhang Qiguang stated that developers must move away from luxury-focused strategies and match housing products to actual demand across income groups. CITIC Securities analyst Zhu Jin forecast that Shanghai's market has already stabilized, with Shenzhen, Beijing, and Guangzhou likely to follow. The report notes that brand value rankings are consolidating around stable state-owned enterprises and quality private firms, with the top 10 list showing 20% turnover. Profit margins continue to decline across tiers, but top-10 firms saw a 2.68% increase in excess returns. Experts predict that after two years of adjustment, the industry will enter a healthy development phase by the second half of 2028, with asset management models becoming the ultimate transformation direction for developers.
Read sourceCITIC Analyst: Shanghai Property Market Stabilized; Shenzhen, Beijing, Guangzhou Likely to Follow
At the 2026 China Real Estate Brand Development Summit on September 22, Zhu Jin, chief analyst for real estate, construction, and REITs at CITIC Securities, stated that China's real estate market is showing a 'weak recovery, strong divergence' trend. He noted that first-tier cities have seen transaction volumes stabilize first, with second-hand home prices rising in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. Shanghai is the most stable, with synchronized destocking of new and second-hand homes, a sales-to-supply ratio above 1, and recovering rents. Zhu described a 'K-shaped recovery' in Shanghai, where the low-price segment saw the largest gains, with increases spreading to higher price brackets since April-May. He concluded that Shanghai has already stabilized, and Shenzhen, Beijing, and Guangzhou will likely follow. Separately, Ding Zuyu, chairman of Purui Digital Intelligence, predicted that after the '828' policy, presales and project-oriented financing will reshape brand competition, pushing it back to product and service fundamentals. He forecast that after about two years of deep adjustment and clearing, the real estate industry will enter a healthy, stable, high-quality development phase by the second half of 2028, with resilient, product-focused, operationally stable, and multi-growth engine developers becoming the new backbone.
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