Based on data from the Centaline Mortgage Research Department and the Hong Kong Land Registry, August 2026 recorded 31 reverse mortgage registrations. This represents a monthly decrease of 8 cases, a drop of 20.5%, marking the lowest figure in four months. For the first eight months of 2026, a total of 261 registrations were recorded, which is 3 more than the 258 cases during the same period in 2025, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 1.2%.

In terms of market share for reverse mortgages, all 31 registrations in August were underwritten by BOC HONG KONG (02388). According to records for the first eight months of 2026, BOC HONG KONG ranked first with 256 registrations, capturing approximately 98.1% of the market. Shanghai Commercial Bank secured second place with 5 registrations, holding a 1.9% market share.

Data from the Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation Insurance Limited shows that August 2026 saw a total of 125 reverse mortgage applications received. This figure rose by 6.8% month-on-month, marking the third consecutive month of growth and reaching a new high in over two years. Wang Meifeng, Managing Director of Centaline Mortgage, analyzed that the recent sustained activity in reverse mortgage applications is primarily attributed to the rebound in property prices and valuations from their lows in the first half of the year. Property owners are inclined to seize this window of relatively stable valuations to apply, locking in higher valuations to secure larger monthly annuities. Additionally, the optimization measures for reverse mortgages introduced in March have further reduced interest costs while increasing the monthly annuity amounts, enhancing the plan's attractiveness.

Data indicates that the first eight months of 2026 saw 727 reverse mortgage applications, a 14.8% increase compared to 633 applications during the same period in 2025. This reflects that the recovery in property prices and the optimization measures have driven application volumes back to higher levels. Since the Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation launched the reverse mortgage scheme in July 2011, the plan has received a cumulative total of 9,664 applications as of August 31, 2026. Among these, single-person applications account for the highest proportion at 65.7%, while two-person and three-person applications represent 34.2% and 0.1%, respectively.