Housing Construction Activity Shifts Towards Smaller Counties Amid Rising Costs USA: Recent data from the United States highlights a clear shift in housing construction patterns in the second half of 2025. Single-family building fell across most regions, with large metro core counties recording the steepest decline of 12.8%, while micro counties were the only segment to post growth, rising 1.6% for the seventh consecutive quarter. In terms of market share, small metro core co

Qatar Qatar: Qatar real estate market recorded a 29% year on year increase in total sales value, rising from approximately US$7.3 billion in 2024 to US$9.4 billion in 2025, according to data from Real Estate Regulatory Authority Aqarat. Land and villa transactions remained the dominant segments, contributing the largest share to overall sales despite a slight decline in their individual values. Apartment and building transactions also maintained steady activity, supporting ov

Saudi Fund Launches Social Housing Project in Djibouti SAUDI ARABIA: The Saudi Fund for Development has inaugurated a social housing project in Djibouti, reinforcing long-standing development cooperation between the two countries. Valued at over $30 million, the initiative involves the construction of 520 housing units aimed at improving living conditions for low-income communities. Beyond residential development, the project includes supporting infrastructure such as roads,

Construction Labour Force Falls as Retirements Drive Workforce Decline CANADA: Construction employment and labour force levels fell by 50,600 workers over the year to January 2026, according to BuildForce Canada, mainly due to retirements among workers aged 55 and above. This group accounted for most of the decline, while the number of women in the workforce also dropped significantly. In contrast, younger cohorts showed growth, with 15 to 24-year-olds increasing by 2.3% (4,5

Job Changes Deliver Highest Pay Gains in Construction Amid Labour Shortages USA: Construction workers are achieving the strongest pay increases in the labour market by switching jobs, with a 6.6% wage premium over those who remain with the same employer, according to ADP Research. This trend reflects a structural shortage of skilled labour, particularly in trades such as HVAC, plumbing and electrical work. Retirements and a shrinking pipeline of experienced workers are intens

Sharp Decline in New Home Sales Amid Affordability Pressures USA: New single-family home sales in the United States fell by 17.6% in January 2026 to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 587,000, reflecting weaker demand driven by high costs, adverse weather and ongoing affordability challenges. Although mortgage rates averaged around 6.1%, economic uncertainty, elevated construction expenses and tariff concerns continued to weigh on the market. Builders are increasingly offer

Construction Spending Falls in January Amid Decline in Residential Investment CANADA: Investment in building construction declined by 1.9% to $23.4 billion in January 2026, according to Statistics Canada. Residential spending fell by $504.3 million to $16.4 billion, mainly driven by a $255.2 million drop in the single-family segment, which was linked in part to weaker permit activity in the previous month. Overall, both residential and broader construction investment weakened

Building Construction Investment Rises in December Across Residential and Non-Residential Sectors CANADA: Building construction investment increased by 1.9% to $23.7 billion in December 2025, driven by growth in both residential and non-residential sectors. Residential investment rose 2.4% to $16.8 billion, supported by gains in multi-unit housing (up 2.6%) and single-family homes (up 2.3%). Ontario and Alberta led growth in multi-unit projects, while Ontario and British Colu

Eneco and Rabobank Launch GroenGebouw Leasing to Boost Sustainable Building Investments EUROPE: Eneco and Rabobank have joined forces to introduce Eneco GroenGebouw™, a leasing solution designed to help businesses adopt sustainable energy technologies without significant upfront investment. Under this model, Rabobank provides financing for systems such as solar panels, heat pumps, EV charging infrastructure, and battery storage, while Eneco delivers these solutions through a

Oman Secures US$1.9bn in Global REAL ESTATE Deals at MIPIM 2026 OMAN: Oman concluded its participation at the MIPIM 2026 property event in Cannes by signing 17 international real estate investment and development agreements worth over US$1.9 billion, signalling strong global investor confidence in the Sultanate’s urban transformation plans. Key accords include a memorandum of understanding with Türkiye’s Artas Holding for the Al Khuwair Downtown project and collaborations in

US Housing Shortage Deepens as Household Growth Outpaces Construction USA: New housing data analysis indicates that the US continues to face a widening housing supply gap. According to recent estimates, the shortage reached around 4.03 million homes in 2025, rising from 3.8 million in 2024. The gap has expanded as household formation increased more quickly than new housing construction. In 2025, about 1.41 million new households were formed, while housing starts totalled roug

Homebuilder Sales Ease in February Despite Stronger Buyer Traffic USA: A survey of U.S. homebuilders shows that sales softened in February 2026 after a strong start to the year, although buyer traffic improved to its highest level in 12 months. The share of builders reporting year-on-year order growth fell from 39% in January to 32%, while more firms noted stable or improving conditions in terms of enquiries. However, converting interest into actual sales remains difficult du

Building Permit Values Increase in Canada in December Driven by Residential and Institutional Growth CANADA: In Canada, the total value of building permits rose by 6.8% to $12.8 billion in December 2025, according to Statistics Canada. Residential construction intentions increased by $533.5 million to $8.0 billion, mainly driven by a $653.2 million rise in multi-unit projects, although single-family permits declined by $119.7 million. Growth in multi-unit housing was stronges

Existing Home Sales Edge Lower in February Across Canada CANADA: Existing home sales declined slightly in February 2026, falling by 1.3% month on month, according to the Canadian Real Estate Association. On a year-on-year basis, actual sales were down 8.1% compared with February 2025. Market activity remained subdued, particularly across the Ontario corridor between Windsor and Toronto, where conditions were notably slow. Overall, housing demand continued to weaken, reflectin

Karnataka Government Expands Housing Initiatives with New Targets and Increased Subsidies India: The government of Karnataka, India, announced that 419,000 houses have been completed since the current administration took office, with an investment of about USD 879 million, and set a target to complete 300,000 additional houses this year. The government will also sanction 100,000 houses under the Beneficiary-Led Construction (BLC) model, increasing subsidies from about USD 1,4

Housing growth in India India: Square Yards stated in a recent report that Tier II and Tier III cities are likely to drive the next growth cycle in the Indian housing market as rising property prices in major metropolitan areas have affected affordability. According to the report titled India's Next Real Estate Growth Cycle: The Rise of Tier 2 and Tier 3 Cities, housing prices increased significantly between 2022 and 2024 in major cities including the Mumbai Metropolitan Regi

Construction Output UK: The Office for National Statistics reported that construction output in Great Britain showed mixed performance in January 2026. Data from the latest release indicates that the construction sector recorded only limited growth, reflecting ongoing pressures in the broader economy and uneven performance across different construction segments. The figures are based on short term measures of output covering both new construction work and repair and maintenan

Pakistan Pakistan: The Government of Pakistan has expanded the Markup Subsidy and Risk Sharing Scheme for Affordable Housing Finance by increasing the maximum loan limit from Rs 3.5 million (US$37,900) to Rs 10 million (US$108,290). The customer markup rate has been standardised at 5% for all tiers, replacing the earlier structure where Tier 2 loans carried an 8% rate. The revised policy also increases eligibility criteria for property size, allowing houses of up to 10 marlas

Luxury Housing Boom in India Expected to Push Home Prices Higher INDIA: India residential property market is projected to see steady price growth as developers increasingly prioritise luxury housing projects. A Reuters poll of property analysts indicates that average home prices in India could rise about 5% annually through 2028, following an estimated 3.6% increase in 2025 based on the Reserve Bank of India House Price Index. Demand is being driven largely by affluent buyers

United States Housing Market Faces Affordability Pressures as Permits Decline in Early 2026 UNITED STATES: The United States housing market began 2026 under pressure as affordability concerns and macroeconomic uncertainty weighed on construction activity. Data from the National Association of Home Builders indicates that 2025 ended with declining building activity, with permits falling 3.6% and housing starts slipping 0.6% year-on-year, while total housing completions dropped