New Brand Finance data reveals 11 Chinese real estate brands ranked are valued at $39.0 billion in 2025
BEIJING, 1 July 2025 – Chinese real estate brands still dominate the global rankings with a total brand value of USD39.0 billion despite signs of their waning influence beginning to emerge, according to the Real Estate Services 25 2025 report from Brand Finance, the world’s leading brand valuation consultancy.
The report reveals that most Chinese real estate brands ranked saw their brand value decline this year as market challenges grow, opening the door for rising players from the US, and Middle East, to make their mark.
For the third year in a row, Vanke (brand value down 29% to USD7.4 billion) holds onto its title as the most valuable real estate brand in the rankings. Its continued lead highlights the brand’s resilience, even as China’s property sector faces ongoing challenges.
Vanke also claimed the title of the strongest real estate brand ranked in 2025, with a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 92.7/100 and a AAA+ rating. According to Brand Finance’s market research, this reflects the brand’s strong recognition and familiarity among Chinese consumers.
Dalian Wanda Commercial Properties (brand value up 12% to USD1.4 billion) has emerged as China’s fastest growing real estate brand ranked in 2025, driven by strategic restructuring, asset optimisation, and continued expansion. Despite a challenging property landscape, the brand strengthened its financial footing through a major equity deal, streamlined operations by relocating its headquarters, and reinforced its market presence with plans for 25 new Wanda Plazas - a chain of large, multi-functional shopping and entertainment complexes.
Scott Chen, Managing Director, Brand Finance China, commented:
“China’s real estate giants are still leading the pack globally although signs of strain are beginning to emerge. Many brands have seen their value slip this year as market pressures build. Vanke continues to show the power of trust and a solid reputation, while Dalian Wanda Commercial Properties’ adaptive strategies are helping it grow even in tough times. These brands are not just hanging on, they are showing what it takes to stay relevant and forward-looking in the rapidly changing real estate world.”
Global Insights
UAE’s Emaar (brand value up 58% to USD4.0 billion) has emerged as the fastest-growing real estate brand in 2025, propelling the brand to move up six positions to rank fourth overall, largely driven by strong demand in the Dubai property market.
Brand Finance also released its inaugural Commercial Real Estate 5 2025 sub-ranking as part of the Real Estate Services 25 2025 report. American brand CBRE (brand value at USD3.2 billion) made an impressive debut in the rankings, claiming top spot ahead of JLL (brand value at USD1.3 billion), and Cushman & Wakefield (brand value at USD619 million).
Brand Finance is the world’s leading brand valuation consultancy. Bridging the gap between marketing and finance, Brand Finance evaluates the strength of brands and quantifies their financial value to help organisations make strategic decisions.
Headquartered in London, Brand Finance operates in over 25 countries. Every year, Brand Finance conducts more than 6,000 brand valuations, supported by original market research, and publishes over 100 reports which rank brands across all sectors and countries.
Brand Finance also operates the Global Brand Equity Monitor, conducting original market research annually on 6,000 brands, surveying more than 175,000 respondents across 41 countries and 31 industry sectors. By combining perceptual data from the Global Brand Equity Monitor with data from its valuation database — the largest brand value database in the world — Brand Finance equips ambitious brand leaders with the data, analytics, and the strategic guidance they need to enhance brand and business value.
In addition to calculating brand value, Brand Finance also determines the relative strength of brands through a balanced scorecard of metrics evaluating marketing investment, stakeholder equity, and business performance, compliant with ISO 20671.
Brand Finance is a regulated accountancy firm and a committed leader in the standardisation of the brand valuation industry. Brand Finance was the first to be certified by independent auditors as compliant with both ISO 10668 and ISO 20671 and has received the official endorsement of the Marketing Accountability Standards Board (MASB) in the United States.
Brand is defined as a marketing-related intangible asset including, but not limited to, names, terms, signs, symbols, logos, and designs, intended to identify goods, services, or entities, creating distinctive images and associations in the minds of stakeholders, thereby generating economic benefits.
Brand strength is the efficacy of a brand’s performance on intangible measures relative to its competitors. Brand Finance evaluates brand strength in a process compliant with ISO 20671, looking at Marketing Investment, Stakeholder Equity, and the impact of those on Business Performance. The data used is derived from Brand Finance’s proprietary market research programme and from publicly available sources.
Each brand is assigned a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score out of 100, which feeds into the brand value calculation. Based on the score, each brand is assigned a corresponding Brand Rating up to AAA+ in a format similar to a credit rating.
Brand Finance calculates the values of brands in its rankings using the Royalty Relief approach – a brand valuation method compliant with the industry standards set in ISO 10668. It involves estimating the likely future revenues that are attributable to a brand by calculating a royalty rate that would be charged for its use, to arrive at a ‘brand value’ understood as a net economic benefit that a brand owner would achieve by licensing the brand in the open market.
The steps in this process are as follows:
1 Calculate brand strength using a balanced scorecard of metrics assessing Marketing Investment, Stakeholder Equity, and Business Performance. Brand strength is expressed as a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score on a scale of 0 to 100.
2 Determine royalty range for each industry, reflecting the importance of brand to purchasing decisions. In luxury, the maximum percentage is high, while in extractive industry, where goods are often commoditised, it is lower. This is done by reviewing comparable licensing agreements sourced from Brand Finance’s extensive database.
3 Calculate royalty rate. The BSI score is applied to the royalty range to arrive at a royalty rate. For example, if the royalty range in a sector is 0-5% and a brand has a BSI score of 80 out of 100, then an appropriate royalty rate for the use of this brand in the given sector will be 4%.
4 Determine brand-specific revenues by estimating a proportion of parent company revenues attributable to a brand.
5 Determine forecast revenues using a function of historic revenues, equity analyst forecasts, and economic growth rates.
6 Apply the royalty rate to the forecast revenues to derive brand revenues.
7 Discount post-tax brand revenues to a net present value which equals the brand value.
Brand Finance has produced this study with an independent and unbiased analysis. The values derived and opinions presented in this study are based on publicly available information and certain assumptions that Brand Finance used where such data was deficient or unclear. Brand Finance accepts no responsibility and will not be liable in the event that the publicly available information relied upon is subsequently found to be inaccurate. The opinions and financial analysis expressed in the study are not to be construed as providing investment or business advice. Brand Finance does not intend the study to be relied upon for any reason and excludes all liability to any body, government, or organisation.
The data presented in this study form part of Brand Finance's proprietary database, are provided for the benefit of the media, and are not to be used in part or in full for any commercial or technical purpose without written permission from Brand Finance.
