China's property slowdown had been felt elsewhere, but not in Shanghai and Beijing. South China Morning Post relayed that it was through foreign investments that these two top-tier cities have managed to create a bubbly that bucked the trend of the Chinese property market slowdown.

Beijing and Shanghai are important as investors to the Chinese economy. Shanghai has a total of 105 billion yuan (US$15.2 billion) in properties that have been dealt through December alone. These deals were good for about 61 percent, up from a high of 24 percent through 2017. In 2017, the city managed to close deals that amounted to around 120 billion yuan.

Beijing, meanwhile, made a number of investments that was good for a 30 percent share of offshore investors' transactions. This was a good distance from last year's 2.2 percent share. This year's volume had already surpassed that, enough for a 36 percent rating or an amount of 56 billion yuan in transactions. This was also a record value rating for the city.

That these cities had managed to outperform their old selves wasn't a surprise, as they had been traditionally favored by most foreign players. Elsewhere, however, it isn't looking as rosy.

Another SCMP report said the property slowdown most Chinese cities are facing. Hong Kong, in particular, faces an uphill climb as housing markets get caught in a slowdown. This as the trade war between the US and China, among others, weigh heavily on the transactions between investors and property dealers.

Hong Kong deals big in shop rents, specifically in the Central district. However, this year, it's facing a 10 percent slump in growth; overall office rents have been analyzed to have a further cold season and home prices are to follow suit, dropping by 40 percent for the first time in two years.

Retail property demand was also weak near the end of the year. Vacancy rates have been rising steadily, posting ratings of 7.1 percent in the recent quarter, up from a manageable 4.3 percent in a period measured from April to June. Prices in the shops of the district was dropped to invite investors. A 1.8 percent rating was meted and shops cost HK$836 per square foot by the recent quarter.

As a number of factors bear down the recently booming market, it is all expected to normalize once issues are taken cared of. So far, however, only two cities remain standing amidst China's seasonal 'storm.'