In the housing market, new properties sometimes experience delays before they are
sold. Such delays reflect the preferences of buyers in respect of the homes’ characteristics.
Therefore, it is important for managerial purposes to identify the causes of housing
sales delays. After analyzing the delays in sales of housing in Beijing City, China, the
principal finding of this study is that delays are largely explained by the dwellings’ characteristics
and location. Policy implications of the research findings, particularly those related
to means of reducing the delays, are discussed
