According to "Hong Kong Property," it is reported that large banks have raised the cash rebate for high-value mortgages to 1%. Centaline Mortgage's Wang Meifeng expects there is still room for further increases in rebates

Market news recently reported that major banks have raised mortgage cash rebates to as high as 1%. Wang Meifeng, Managing Director of Centaline Mortgage, stated that major banks have successively increased cash rebates in recent months, reversing the situation where small and medium-sized banks offered higher rebates than large banks last year. Currently, the rebates offered by major banks to mortgage customers have caught up with or even surpassed those of some small and medium-sized banks, further increasing the attractiveness of large bank mortgages. The beginning of the year is typically the most active period for banks in terms of mortgage lending, and with the property market stabilizing and entering an upward trajectory, property transactions are also smooth, greatly boosting banks' confidence in undertaking mortgage business. This has prompted banks to increase their enthusiasm to accelerate their mortgage business goals, hoping to enhance competitiveness and attract customers in the early stages of the year.

Regarding the future trend of rebates, Wang Meifeng analyzed that in the past, for example, in 2023, the cash rebates for bank mortgages reached highs of 2% to 3%. Currently, the rebate levels offered by banks generally range from 0.3% to as high as 1%, which is still below the high levels, indicating that there is still room for adjustment as banks become more active in mortgage lending.

The future trend of mortgage rebates will depend on the competitive situation among banks and changes in funding costs. A further decline in U.S. interest rates this year would benefit Hong Kong interbank offered rates gradually falling. A decrease in interbank rates means lower funding costs for banks, which would provide greater room for banks to increase mortgage incentives.

She pointed out that currently, large banks remain restrained in breaking through the 1% rebate level, and future developments will depend on market competition. If a bank in the market takes the lead in further increasing rebates to strengthen competitiveness, it is expected that other banks will follow suit, leading to an overall increase in cash rebate levels.

Local media reported that HSBC has increased its mortgage rebate to 1% starting today (9th), while the other three major banks have not followed suit and remain around 0.7%, making HSBC's rebate level the highest among major banks at present