Monetary authority says confidence in housing market improves

Aries Un, MNA Saturday, MAY 16, 2026

Macau’s de facto central bank has issued a statement saying the two measures designed to prop up the housing market have provided “positive stimulants”.

Both measures, one seeks to raise mortgage ratio to 80 per cent from 70 per cent previously and the other to remove transfer stamp duty for deals up to MOP6 million (US$740,000), took effect on 1 January this year.

Following their implementation, the Monetary Authority of Macao reported a year-on-year rise of 24.7 per cent in new home loans for the first quarter of 2026. This amount was about MOP520 million.

Over half of this amount carried a loan-to-value ratio of over 70 per cent.

In a broader context, new mortgage approvals related to residential properties, not just property acquisition, climbed 18.2 per cent to MOP3.34 billion from a year earlier.

These figures reflect the positive impact of the two measures on the residential mortgage market, AMCM said, adding that loan applicants were provided with greater flexibility based on personal financial situations.

“The banking industry has actively supported the SAR government’s policies, with banks granting the full requested amounts in the vast majority of applications,” it continued.

Below is a data comparison of new residential mortgage loans compiled by MNA.