Property: Kaohsiung's Pre-Sale Housing Market Polarizes – Units Priced Over NT$500k Rise 10%, Sub-NT$200k Transactions Less Than 10%

As floor prices for pre-sale homes in Kaohsiung continue to rise, real estate agencies have analyzed transaction data to reveal pricing trends in the city’s pre-sale apartment market during the first half of this year. Pre-sale units priced below NT$200,000 per ping accounted for less than 10% of all transactions, meaning over 90% of deals started from the NT$300,000 range. The NT$400,000–490,000 per ping price band had the highest share at 32.7%.

Conversely, the proportion of high-end pre-sale units priced at NT$500,000–590,000 and above NT$600,000 per ping increased by over 10%, highlighting a clear M-shaped polarization in Kaohsiung’s pre-sale housing market.

Li Chia-ni, Manager of the Trend Center at Taiwan House Group, explained that Kaohsiung has recently benefited from industrial investments, major infrastructure projects, and regional development. Combined with rising land and construction costs, new project prices have continued to climb. In areas with strong development potential and superior location advantages, home prices are no longer merely catching up but are now supported by industrial growth, infrastructure, and land value, pushing pre-sale price levels higher.

Currently, high-priced units dominate the pre-sale market, with the average price for pre-sale apartments reaching approximately NT$440,000 per ping. For buyers who only consider new homes, rising prices mean they must either increase their budgets or shift to the relatively more affordable second-hand housing market.

Li noted that driven by industrial growth, one end of Kaohsiung’s housing market features luxury pre-sale developments in prime areas like Asia New Bay and the Museum Special Zone, with per-ping prices reaching the NT$800,000 range. On the other end, compact high-end units with strong location and product advantages are also commanding prices in the NT$700,000 range, attracting affluent buyers and tech elites. This trend further increases the share of high-priced transactions and deepens the market’s polarization.

Notably, although sub-NT$200,000 per ping pre-sale apartment transactions in Kaohsiung accounted for less than 10% in the first half of the year, they showed a slight increase. Further analysis reveals that such transactions occurred in seven administrative districts, including Siaogang, Daliao, and Luzhu. Surprisingly, the highest number of such transactions was recorded in urban districts, with Lingya District standing out.

Yang Ping-jui, owner of Taiwan House’s Kaohsiung Hsinjieh franchise, pointed out that low-priced pre-sale projects have become rare in Kaohsiung’s current market, with limited supply mostly concentrated in peripheral areas. Low-priced transactions in urban areas may result from developers acquiring land earlier, different product positioning, price discounts, lower floors, or unique unit layouts.

Yang added that Lingya District, a mature urban core with well-developed amenities, hosts established living zones like the Cultural Center and City Hall commercial areas. Buyers here are primarily local residents and families upgrading their homes. The district’s average pre-sale price is around NT$429,000 per ping. All sub-NT$200,000 transactions in the first half of the year were concentrated in a single development.

Even within the same community, prices vary due to differences in building block, orientation, and floor level. Moreover, low per-ping prices do not necessarily mean low total prices. If the main units are 3–4 bedroom family-sized apartments with larger floor areas, the total price may still exceed NT$10 million despite lower per-ping rates, posing a significant barrier for some first-time buyers.