James Macdonald was appointed as Head of Savills Research, China in 2007. He has overall responsibility to ensure the successful delivery and expansion of Savills research capabilities as well as to consolidate and integrate all research activities across Mainland China. The research team covers a wide range of cities and assets classes.
The increased capabilities of the Research department will support the continuing expansion of the company in one of the world’s fastest developing nations, securing Savills' position as a dominant player in the China real estate market.
Originally from London, UK, James has lived and worked in Shanghai since 2002. Since joining Savills that year, James has been actively involved in the growth of the Research department, advising and liaising with, numerous international and domestic developers and financial institutions.
The residential market witnessed a peak in both transaction prices and volumes in 1H/2016, due to the cancellation of purchase restrictions. The western part of the city enjoyed the largest increase in transaction prices.
Both residential transaction volumes and average prices rose in Q2/2016 due to a combination of favourable policies and the Spring Housing Fair
Domestic investors have become the top bidders in the early stages of negotiation in recent deals.
On the back of stimulation policies by the government, followed by the loosening of housing loans and cutting of interest rates five times this year, Beijing’s mass-residential market remained positive in the last quarter of 2015.
Shanghai has recorded spectacular growth in residential prices over the last year with many analysts concerned that the market was overheating; similar to what has been seen in Shenzhen.