今明两年，买房牢记7个字：“买大，买少，不买高”，保证不会错！

Core Insights - The Chinese real estate market is undergoing a significant transformation, moving from a rapid growth phase to a more rational and stable phase by 2025 [1] - Key strategies for homebuyers in this new environment include "buy big, buy less, and don't buy high," which reflects a deeper market insight [1] Market Trends - In Q1 2025, new residential prices in 70 major cities decreased by 0.8% month-on-month, while second-hand residential prices fell by 1.2% [3] - In 2024, the total sales area of commercial housing dropped by 5.3% year-on-year, and sales revenue decreased by 7.8% [3] - Real estate development investment saw a year-on-year decline of 9.6%, indicating that the market is still in an adjustment phase [3] Pricing and Affordability - The advice "don't buy high" warns buyers against overpriced properties that do not align with local income levels and regional development potential [4] - The national average housing price-to-income ratio was 9.8:1 at the beginning of 2025, with some second-tier cities reaching as high as 18:1, significantly above the internationally recognized reasonable range [4] - Urbanization rate in China is projected to reach 66.2% in 2024, with population inflow concentrated in 19 city clusters, making these areas more attractive for investment [4] Property Size and Community - The recommendation to "buy big" aligns with the growing trend of remote work, with 85.3% of buyers preferring larger homes [6] - The average living space for a three-person household in first-tier cities increased from 87 square meters in 2020 to 98 square meters in 2025 [6] - Larger homes show stronger price resilience, with properties over 140 square meters experiencing only a 3.2% price drop compared to an 8.7% drop for homes under 90 square meters [6] Investment Quality and Financial Management - The strategy "buy less" emphasizes the importance of quality over quantity, as there are currently 65 million vacant homes in China, leading to a vacancy rate of 16.8% [8] - Holding multiple properties incurs high costs and liquidity risks, with the average selling period for owners of multiple properties in second-tier cities reaching 127 days [8] - Recommendations for different income groups include varying down payment ratios and property types to ensure financial safety and avoid excessive debt [8] Conclusion - The Chinese real estate market has shifted from a broad increase to structural opportunities, with savvy buyers focusing on living quality and rational investment decisions [9] - The strategies of "buy big, buy less, and don't buy high" encourage a return to the residential nature of properties, steering clear of speculative investments [9]