IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/pal/palcom/v12y2025i1d10.1057_s41599-025-05260-6.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

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

Author

Listed:
  • Ziqing Yuan

    (Shanghai University of International Business and Economics)

  • K. W. Chau

    (The University of Hong Kong)

  • Xian Zheng

    (Jinan University)

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Ziqing Yuan & K. W. Chau & Xian Zheng, 2025. "Investors matter when prices are dispersed: the effects of investor activities on housing price dispersion," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 12(1), pages 1-14, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:palcom:v:12:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-025-05260-6
    DOI: 10.1057/s41599-025-05260-6
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1057/s41599-025-05260-6
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1057/s41599-025-05260-6?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bolt, Wilko & Demertzis, Maria & Diks, Cees & Hommes, Cars & Leij, Marco van der, 2019. "Identifying booms and busts in house prices under heterogeneous expectations," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 234-259.
    2. Shleifer, Andrei & Vishny, Robert W, 1992. "Liquidation Values and Debt Capacity: A Market Equilibrium Approach," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 47(4), pages 1343-1366, September.
    3. Craig Burnside & Martin Eichenbaum & Sergio Rebelo, 2016. "Understanding Booms and Busts in Housing Markets," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 124(4), pages 1088-1147.
    4. Genesove, David & Han, Lu, 2012. "Search and matching in the housing market," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(1), pages 31-45.
    5. Julia Freybote & Philip A. Seagraves, 2017. "Heterogeneous Investor Sentiment and Institutional Real Estate Investments," Real Estate Economics, American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association, vol. 45(1), pages 154-176, February.
    6. Michael Bailey & Eduardo Dávila & Theresa Kuchler & Johannes Stroebel, 2019. "House Price Beliefs And Mortgage Leverage Choice," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 86(6), pages 2403-2452.
    7. Jing Wu & Yongheng Deng, 2015. "Intercity Information Diffusion and Price Discovery in Housing Markets: Evidence from Google Searches," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 50(3), pages 289-306, April.
    8. Daniel Broxterman & Tingyu Zhou, 2023. "Information Frictions in Real Estate Markets: Recent Evidence and Issues," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 66(2), pages 203-298, February.
    9. L. Li & K. W. Chau, 2024. "Information Asymmetry with Heterogeneous Buyers and Sellers in the Housing Market," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 68(1), pages 138-159, January.
    10. Monika Piazzesi & Martin Schneider & Johannes Stroebel, 2020. "Segmented Housing Search," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 110(3), pages 720-759, March.
    11. David Genesove & Christopher Mayer, 2001. "Loss Aversion and Seller Behavior: Evidence from the Housing Market," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 116(4), pages 1233-1260.
    12. Elliot Anenberg & Edward Kung, 2014. "Estimates of the Size and Source of Price Declines Due to Nearby Foreclosures," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 104(8), pages 2527-2551, August.
    13. L. Li & K. W. Chau, 2019. "What Motivates a Developer to Sell before Completion?," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 59(2), pages 209-232, August.
    14. C. Y. Yiu & K. F. Man & S. K. Wong, 2008. "Trading Volume and Price Dispersion in Housing Markets," Journal of Property Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(3), pages 203-219, December.
    15. David M. Cutler & James M. Poterba & Lawrence H. Summers, 1991. "Speculative Dynamics," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 58(3), pages 529-546.
    16. Charles Leung & Youngman Leong & Siu Wong, 2006. "Housing Price Dispersion: An Empirical Investigation," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 32(3), pages 357-385, May.
    17. Anglin, Paul M & Rutherford, Ronald & Springer, Thomas M, 2003. "The Trade-Off Between the Selling Price of Residential Properties and Time-on-the-Market: The Impact of Price Setting," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 26(1), pages 95-111, January.
    18. De Long, J Bradford & Andrei Shleifer & Lawrence H. Summers & Robert J. Waldmann, 1990. "Noise Trader Risk in Financial Markets," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 98(4), pages 703-738, August.
    19. Marco Giacoletti & Stijn Van Nieuwerburgh, 2021. "Idiosyncratic Risk in Housing Markets [Credit supply and house prices: Evidence from mortgage market segmentation]," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 34(8), pages 3695-3741.
    20. Charles Ka Yui Leung & Jun Zhang, 2011. ""Fire Sales" in Housing Market: Is the House- Search Process Similar to a Theme Park Visit?," International Real Estate Review, Global Social Science Institute, vol. 14(3), pages 311-329.
    21. Monika Piazzesi & Martin Schneider, 2009. "Momentum Traders in the Housing Market: Survey Evidence and a Search Model," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 99(2), pages 406-411, May.
    22. Patrick Bayer & Kyle Mangum & James W. Roberts, 2021. "Speculative Fever: Investor Contagion in the Housing Bubble," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 111(2), pages 609-651, February.
    23. Merlo, Antonio & Ortalo-Magne, Francois, 2004. "Bargaining over residential real estate: evidence from England," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 56(2), pages 192-216, September.
    24. Ben-Shahar, Danny & Golan, Roni, 2019. "Improved information shock and price dispersion: A natural experiment in the housing market," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 70-84.
    25. Patrick Bayer & Christopher Geissler & Kyle Mangum & James W Roberts & Andrew Karolyi, 2020. "Speculators and Middlemen: The Strategy and Performance of Investors in the Housing Market," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 33(11), pages 5212-5247.
    26. Leung, Charles Ka Yui & Zhang, Jun, 2011. "“Fire Sales” in housing market: is the house-searching process similar to a theme park visit?," MPRA Paper 29127, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    27. Jeremy C. Stein, 1995. "Prices and Trading Volume in the Housing Market: A Model with Down-Payment Effects," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 110(2), pages 379-406.
    28. Yi Fan & Maggie Rong & Wayne Xinwei Wan & Zhenping Wang, 2023. "A Tale of Two Cities: Mainland Chinese Buyers in the Hong Kong Housing Market," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 27(6), pages 2205-2232.
    29. Christo Pirinsky & Qinghai Wang, 2006. "Does Corporate Headquarters Location Matter for Stock Returns?," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 61(4), pages 1991-2015, August.
    30. Yuming Fu & Wenlan Qian, 2014. "Speculators and Price Overreaction in the Housing Market," Real Estate Economics, American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association, vol. 42(4), pages 977-1007, December.
    31. John P. Harding & John R. Knight & C.F. Sirmans, 2003. "Estimating Bargaining Effects in Hedonic Models: Evidence from the Housing Market," Real Estate Economics, American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association, vol. 31(4), pages 601-622, December.
    32. Yuming Fu & Wenlan Qian & Bernard Yeung, 2016. "Speculative Investors and Transactions Tax: Evidence from the Housing Market," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 62(11), pages 3254-3270, November.
    33. Glaeser, Edward L. & Nathanson, Charles G., 2017. "An extrapolative model of house price dynamics," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 126(1), pages 147-170.
    34. Kuang Kuang Deng & Jie Chen & Zhenguo Lin & Xianling Yang, 2022. "Differential Selling Strategies Between Investors and Consumers: Evidence from the Chinese Housing Market," Journal of Real Estate Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(1), pages 80-105, January.
    35. Huazhu Zheng & Jiao Qian & Guihuan Liu & Yongjiao Wu & Claudio O. Delang & Hongming He, 2023. "Housing prices and household consumption: a threshold effect model analysis in central and western China," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-16, December.
    36. Liang Peng & Thomas G. Thibodeau, 2017. "Idiosyncratic Risk of House Prices: Evidence from 26 Million Home Sales," Real Estate Economics, American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association, vol. 45(2), pages 340-375, April.
    37. Maury, Tristan-Pierre & Tripier, Fabien, 2014. "Search strategies on the housing market and their implications on price dispersion," Journal of Housing Economics, Elsevier, vol. 26(C), pages 55-80.
    38. Michael Bailey & Ruiqing Cao & Theresa Kuchler & Johannes Stroebel, 2018. "The Economic Effects of Social Networks: Evidence from the Housing Market," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 126(6), pages 2224-2276.
    39. Ralph B. Siebert & Michael J. Seiler, 2022. "Why Do Buyers Pay Different Prices for Comparable Products? A Structural Approach on the Housing Market," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 65(2), pages 261-292, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. William N Goetzmann & Christophe Spaenjers & Stijn Van Nieuwerburgh, 2021. "Real and Private-Value Assets [Gendered prices]," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 34(8), pages 3497-3526.
    2. DeFusco, Anthony A. & Nathanson, Charles G. & Zwick, Eric, 2022. "Speculative dynamics of prices and volume," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(1), pages 205-229.
    3. Han, Lu & Strange, William C., 2015. "The Microstructure of Housing Markets," Handbook of Regional and Urban Economics, in: Gilles Duranton & J. V. Henderson & William C. Strange (ed.), Handbook of Regional and Urban Economics, edition 1, volume 5, chapter 0, pages 813-886, Elsevier.
    4. Antonio Gargano & Marco Giacoletti & Elvis Jarnecic, 2023. "Local Experiences, Search, and Spillovers in the Housing Market," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 78(2), pages 1015-1053, April.
    5. Sun, Xiaojin & Tsang, Kwok Ping, 2019. "Large price movements in housing markets," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 1-23.
    6. Julien Pénasse & Luc Renneboog, 2022. "Speculative Trading and Bubbles: Evidence from the Art Market," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 68(7), pages 4939-4963, July.
    7. Lisi, Gaetano, 2011. "Price dispersion in the housing market: the role of bargaining and search costs," MPRA Paper 33863, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Leung, Charles Ka Yui & Ng, Joe Cho Yiu, 2018. "Macro Aspects of Housing," MPRA Paper 93512, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Gaetano Lisi, 2013. "Can the Mortensen-Pissarides Model Match the Housing Market Facts?," Journal of Economics and Econometrics, Economics and Econometrics Society, vol. 56(2), pages 78-92.
    10. Piazzesi, M. & Schneider, M., 2016. "Housing and Macroeconomics," Handbook of Macroeconomics, in: J. B. Taylor & Harald Uhlig (ed.), Handbook of Macroeconomics, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 0, pages 1547-1640, Elsevier.
    11. Giacoletti, Marco & Parsons, Christopher A., 2022. "Peak-Bust rental spreads," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(1), pages 504-526.
    12. Leung, Charles Ka Yui & Tse, Chung-Yi, 2017. "Flipping in the housing market," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 232-263.
    13. Daryl Fairweather & Matthew E. Kahn & Robert D. Metcalfe & Sebastian Sandoval Olascoaga, 2024. "Expecting Climate Change: A Nationwide Field Experiment in the Housing Market," NBER Working Papers 33119, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    14. Glaeser, Edward L. & Nathanson, Charles G., 2017. "An extrapolative model of house price dynamics," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 126(1), pages 147-170.
    15. Theresa Kuchler & Monika Piazzesi & Johannes Stroebel, 2022. "Housing Market Expectations," CESifo Working Paper Series 9665, CESifo.
    16. Lerbs, Oliver & Teske, Markus, 2016. "The house price-vacancy curve," ZEW Discussion Papers 16-082, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    17. Gabrovski, Miroslav & Ortego-Marti, Victor, 2019. "The cyclical behavior of the Beveridge Curve in the housing market," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 181(C), pages 361-381.
    18. Elliot Anenberg & Patrick Bayer, 2020. "Endogenous Sources Of Volatility In Housing Markets: The Joint Buyer–Seller Problem," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 61(3), pages 1195-1228, August.
    19. Gaetano Lisi, 2014. "Home-seekers in the Housing Market," International Real Estate Review, Global Social Science Institute, vol. 17(1), pages 47-62.
    20. Miroslav Gabrovski & Victor Ortego-Marti, 2021. "On the Positive Slope of the Beveridge Curve in the Housing Market," Working Papers 202113, University of California at Riverside, Department of Economics.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:pal:palcom:v:12:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-025-05260-6. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.nature.com/palcomms/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.