Chinese Mainland Buyers Drive Sharp Rise in London Home Ownership, Report Says
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The number of homes in London owned by individuals from the Chinese mainland jumped nearly 85% between 2020 and 2025, with the largest increase in Tower Hamlets, home to China’s controversial proposed “mega embassy.”
The rise represents around 3,700 more homes held by owners from the mainland, taking the total to just below 8,200, according to a report published Thursday by London-based leasing and real estate agency Benham and Reeves. Over the same period, the number of residential properties owned by individuals from Hong Kong increased by 23%, with the total reaching nearly 12,900.
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- Homes in London owned by Chinese mainland individuals rose nearly 85% from 2020 to 2025, reaching just below 8,200.
- Tower Hamlets saw the fastest increase in Chinese mainland ownership at 153.9%, and Hong Kong-owned homes in London grew by 23%, totaling nearly 12,900.
- The UK approved plans for Europe’s largest Chinese embassy in Tower Hamlets, despite local council rejection.
- Benham and Reeves
- Benham and Reeves is a London-based leasing and real estate agency. They published a report on Thursday detailing the increase in homes owned by individuals from the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong in London. This report analyzed UK Land Registry data from January 2020 to December 2025. Marc von Grundherr, a director at Benham and Reeves, commented on the increase in buyer activity in Tower Hamlets.
- 2018：
- The Chinese government purchased the Royal Mint Court in Tower Hamlets for £255 million.
- Between January 2020 and December 2025：
- Number of homes in London owned by individuals from the Chinese mainland jumped nearly 85%, adding around 3,700 homes.
- Between January 2020 and December 2025：
- Number of residential properties owned by individuals from Hong Kong increased by 23%, reaching nearly 12,900.
- Between January 2020 and December 2025：
- Tower Hamlets recorded a 153.9% increase (1,119 homes) in Chinese mainland ownership.
- Between January 2020 and December 2025：
- Homes held by Hong Kong buyers in Tower Hamlets increased by 43%, from 1,752 to 2,506 units.
- Week of January 20, 2026：
- UK government published approval of China’s proposed super-embassy in Tower Hamlets.
- January 22, 2026：
- Report by Benham and Reeves published with updated figures.
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