China’s property troubles worsen, ramping calls for bolder policy help

China’s real estate troubles are accelerating. Prospective home buyers are holding back on making purchases, leading to weak sales that compound the urgent need for policymakers to step up support for the industry.

New home sales for the top 100 developers dropped by about a third in June and July from a year ago, after double-digit growth earlier in the year, said Edward Chan, a director at S&P Global Ratings. With most apartments in China sold before they are completed, weak new home sales will likely lead to…