A divorce registration office is not a typical place to seek clues about demand for real estate. Then again, China’s is not a typical real estate market.

The divorce office in Shanghai’s Xuhui district was overwhelmed with happily married couples on Monday. For the previous week, rumours had circulated that starting from September, the government was about to impose a 70 per cent downpayment requirement for mortgages, from which unmarried homebuyers would be exempt.

Local media described a flow of new divorcees holding hands as they exited the office. Though the office normally operates until 4:30pm, the registrar abruptly closed its doors at 4pm, posting a notice attributing the closure to stating that due to “numerous” applicants and the need to maintain “service quality”. Shanghai home sales rose 93 per cent in floor area terms for the week ending August 28, compared with the previous week. The Shanghai government has denied that it is considering new mortgage restrictions.