China’s Property Firms Shift Toward People-Centered Services
China’s property management industry is undergoing a fundamental transformation, moving beyond traditional building maintenance toward people-centered services that address residents’ daily needs—from housekeeping and elderly care to meal delivery and health support. The shift, documented in a new report by Xinhua News, reflects a broader policy push to embed property companies into the fabric of community life.
From Managing Buildings to Serving People
At the heart of this transformation is a case study from Beijing’s Wanguanzhuang South Community in Haidian District. Built in 1986, the community spans 140,000 square meters across 15 residential buildings—a typical old residential neighborhood. In 2024, residents voted through an owners’ assembly to bring in Beijing Taixin Property Management Co., Ltd.
Taixin Property quickly identified a pressing challenge: the “one-old-one-young” care dilemma facing many households. The company launched “property + housekeeping” and “property + elderly care” services, establishing a housekeeping service point offering cleaning, childcare, and repairs. For elderly, solitary, and empty-nest residents, the firm created standardized personal service files and provides day care, companionship, meal assistance, and one-stop elderly care services.
“From housekeeping to elderly assistance and home-based elderly care, we have achieved integration,” said Wang Xianfeng, General Manager of Taixin Property. The results are striking: resident satisfaction has reached over 90 percent, and property fee collection rates hit 95 percent—all while maintaining a property fee of just 1 yuan per square meter per month.
A National Policy Framework
The expansion is not happening in a vacuum. The State Council’s Urban Renewal 15th Five-Year Plan, issued on May 22, 2026, explicitly proposes a “Property Service Quality Improvement Action” and promotes “Property Services Entering Households,” encouraging qualified property companies to extend into elderly care, childcare, housekeeping, culture, health, and disability assistance. The plan, China’s first five-year special plan for urban renewal, was published on May 28.
At a State Council policy briefing on June 8, Chen Shaopeng, Director of the Building Energy Efficiency and Technology Department at the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, confirmed that during the “15th Five-Year Plan” period, the ministry will carry out the Property Service Quality Improvement Action and promote “Property Services Entering Households,” as reported by China Youth Daily.
Hainan Province has been particularly proactive. In June 2026, the province will launch “Property Services Entering Households” pilot programs in Haikou, Sanya, Danzhou, and Lingshui, with the initiative listed as a 2026 key work task by the Hainan Provincial People’s Government, according to CNR.
Industry-Wide Momentum
The trend extends far beyond Beijing. Communities across Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces have established convenience stations, senior canteens, and embedded elderly care centers. Major property companies are also pivoting. Poly Property Services launched a dedicated bottled water delivery service in 2023 with a 96 percent repurchase rate. China Overseas Property operates a senior canteen in Jilin City serving 300 people daily. Shimao Services’ subsidiary Chunxitang pursues a “medical-elderly care integration” model, connecting elderly care institutions with communities and training over 400 certified caregivers annually through its Chunxi College, as documented by Sohu.
Industry projections suggest the scale of this transformation is substantial. According to industry analysis, China’s property management industry will cover 34.5 billion square meters of managed area in 2026, with revenue approaching 2 trillion yuan.
A “Two-Way Embrace”
Industry experts describe the shift as a natural convergence of interests. “Property service companies providing livelihood services is a market-oriented behavior—it’s a ‘two-way embrace’ between companies seeking new growth points and residents seeking convenience at their doorstep,” said Liu Lin, Director of the Property Management Division at the Beijing Municipal Commission of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.
Liu emphasized that this is not simply doing more work: “The shift from ‘serving things’ to ‘serving people’ is an overall leap in service philosophy, service quality, and service variety.”
Wang Jing, Party Secretary of the Wanguanzhuang South Community Residents’ Committee, noted that property companies have natural advantages: they can achieve revenue-expense balance, have the longest contact with residents who trust them, and can establish detailed quality standards compared to market-based housekeeping services with high turnover.
Yang Xi, founder of Zhongwu Think Tank, added that property companies are “closest to residents, meet them daily, and have ready-made venues and teams—an inherent advantage no market-based institution possesses.”
Challenges and the Road Ahead
Despite the momentum, industry leaders caution against rushing in. Liu Lin warned that “we cannot ‘rush in blindly and spread too thin.’ Basic property services are the foundation; livelihood services are the extension. Services like elderly care and food supply have clear entry thresholds. Property companies cannot ‘work without certification or barge in as outsiders,’ and they need to make up for personnel training.”
Cross-sector talent shortages, data silos, and the need for service boundary definition, pricing standards, and acceptance criteria remain significant hurdles. The Urban Renewal plan analysis suggests that property companies should enter through standardized scenarios like cleaning and repairs while partnering with specialists for more complex services.
Life services are widely regarded as the property services industry’s “second growth curve.” As Yang Xi put it: “Whoever can first complete the closed loop and establish standards will gain the first-mover advantage in this blue ocean.”
For China’s 200 million urban households, the promise is simple: more services, closer to home, delivered by the people they already trust.