Simon Henry, CEO of vproperty.mo, maintains that since the Macao property market is relatively nimble the speed with which it recovers may be faster than that of neighbouring regions. He thinks that subsequent to the recent property price slump there is not much room left for further decline and that property prices in Macao have just about hit rock bottom. Residents are currently waiting for specific measures to be taken after the Chinese New Year before they actually commit to purchasing so transaction numbers have fallen rather than risen, while the number of property surveys increases. He anticipates that after the expected policies are announced, mid-priced property sales will start to pick up in June, spurred by favourable news. However, before bad news is a thing of the past the market will not change too much, with the next three months crucial in whether investors will enter the market or not.

It is estimated that prior to the financial crisis investors and end-users each comprised half the number of property buyers, whereas currently end-users make up 80% and investors just 20%. It is anticipated, therefore, that there will be healthy transactions in low and mid-priced properties in 2009. Meanwhile, several casinos have laid off staff due to the financial crisis and as a result some of their workforce have departed Macao. Hence, the property rental market is in a situation where supply exceeds demand, with much pressure for rental prices to drop by an anticipated 20-30%.

He further points out that generally the end of the year is a particularly active time for launching new properties. While Macao has been left relatively intact by the economic crisis in 2008, developers have tended to delay the launch of new properties, which in turn will increase the number of new properties in stock. Simon Henry is optimistic about the Macao economy in the future and thinks that as long as overseas investors see signs of value emerge in Macao they will re-enter the market, with prices of high-end properties following suit. He therefore sees the period between now and June as the best time for property purchase, whereas after June it would be a good time to sell.