Investors matter when prices are dispersed: the effects of investor activities on housing price dispersion

Abstract Housing price dispersion highlights the individual differences in capital gains by capturing the varying prices among comparable properties. We examine the impact of investors’ activities on housing price dispersion within the Hong Kong private housing market, based on micro-level transacti...

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Main Authors: Ziqing Yuan, K. W. Chau, Xian Zheng
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Springer Nature 2025-06-01
Series:Humanities & Social Sciences Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-05260-6
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author Ziqing Yuan
K. W. Chau
Xian Zheng
author_facet Ziqing Yuan
K. W. Chau
Xian Zheng
author_sort Ziqing Yuan
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Housing price dispersion highlights the individual differences in capital gains by capturing the varying prices among comparable properties. We examine the impact of investors’ activities on housing price dispersion within the Hong Kong private housing market, based on micro-level transactions. Our results indicate that investors’ activities can significantly lower price dispersion in housing markets, even after accounting for trading volumes. The reduction effect of investment activities on price dispersion varies across boom-bust cycles, being more pronounced in cooler markets. We address the roles of housing investors in facilitating the price discovery process and reducing price dispersion by providing liquidity and mitigating information asymmetry. This suggests that well-informed investors can play a welfare-enhancing role by improving information efficiency. We also demonstrate that nearby investment activities can indirectly influence local price dispersion through information spillover effects. Our findings have profound implications for facilitating information efficiency and the potential for reducing price dispersion.
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series Humanities & Social Sciences Communications
spelling doaj-art-1b68404444bf474685e654c651cdac212025-08-20T02:37:13ZengSpringer NatureHumanities & Social Sciences Communications2662-99922025-06-0112111410.1057/s41599-025-05260-6Investors matter when prices are dispersed: the effects of investor activities on housing price dispersionZiqing Yuan0K. W. Chau1Xian Zheng2School of Finance, Shanghai University of International Business and EconomicsDepartment of Real Estate and Construction, The University of Hong KongSchool of Economics, Jinan UniversityAbstract Housing price dispersion highlights the individual differences in capital gains by capturing the varying prices among comparable properties. We examine the impact of investors’ activities on housing price dispersion within the Hong Kong private housing market, based on micro-level transactions. Our results indicate that investors’ activities can significantly lower price dispersion in housing markets, even after accounting for trading volumes. The reduction effect of investment activities on price dispersion varies across boom-bust cycles, being more pronounced in cooler markets. We address the roles of housing investors in facilitating the price discovery process and reducing price dispersion by providing liquidity and mitigating information asymmetry. This suggests that well-informed investors can play a welfare-enhancing role by improving information efficiency. We also demonstrate that nearby investment activities can indirectly influence local price dispersion through information spillover effects. Our findings have profound implications for facilitating information efficiency and the potential for reducing price dispersion.https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-05260-6
spellingShingle Ziqing Yuan
K. W. Chau
Xian Zheng
Investors matter when prices are dispersed: the effects of investor activities on housing price dispersion
Humanities & Social Sciences Communications
title Investors matter when prices are dispersed: the effects of investor activities on housing price dispersion
title_full Investors matter when prices are dispersed: the effects of investor activities on housing price dispersion
title_fullStr Investors matter when prices are dispersed: the effects of investor activities on housing price dispersion
title_full_unstemmed Investors matter when prices are dispersed: the effects of investor activities on housing price dispersion
title_short Investors matter when prices are dispersed: the effects of investor activities on housing price dispersion
title_sort investors matter when prices are dispersed the effects of investor activities on housing price dispersion
url https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-05260-6
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AT xianzheng investorsmatterwhenpricesaredispersedtheeffectsofinvestoractivitiesonhousingpricedispersion