KE Holdings Inc. Announces Third Quarter 2022 Unaudited Financial Results

BEIJING–(BUSINESS WIRE)–KE Holdings Inc. (�Beike” or the “Company”) (NYSE: BEKE and HKEX: 2423), a leading integrated online and offline platform for housing transactions and services, today announced its unaudited financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2022.

Business and Financial Highlights for the Third Quarter of 2022

• Gross transaction value (GTV)¹ was RMB737.1 billion (US$103.6 billion), a decrease of 11.3% year-over-year. GTV of existing home transactions was RMB449.0 billion (US$63.1 billion), an increase of 18.7% year-over-year. GTV of new home transactions was RMB261.5 billion (US$36.8 billion), a decrease of 36.2% year-over-year. GTV of home renovation and furnishing was RMB2.0 billion (US$0.3 billion), compared to RMB66 million in the same period of 2021. GTV of emerging and other services was RMB24.7 billion (US$3.5 billion), a decrease of 41.7% year-over-year.
• Net revenues were RMB17.6 billion (US$2.5 billion), a decrease of 2.8% year-over-year.
• Net income was RMB716 million (US$101 million), compared to net loss of RMB1,766 million in the same period of 2021. Adjusted net income² was RMB1.9 billion (US$0.3 billion), compared to adjusted net loss of RMB888 million in the same period of 2021.
• Number of stores was 41,398 as of September 30, 2022, a 23.3% decrease from one year ago. Number of active stores³ was 39,713 as of September 30, 2022, a 19.7% decrease from one year ago.
• Number of agents was 402,630 as of September 30, 2022, a 21.9% decrease from one year ago. Number of active agents⁴ was 372,718 as of September 30, 2022, a 20.4% decrease from one year ago.
• Mobile monthly active users (MAU)⁵ averaged 42.4 million for the three months ended September 30, 2022, compared to 46.1 million in the same period of 2021.

Mr. Stanley Yongdong Peng, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Beike, commented, “In the third quarter of 2022, we stayed focused on driving operational excellence at each of our business lines, solidifying our competitive moats and building out our fledgling wings for the long term. Facing a challenging macroeconomic environment, we derived strong resilience from every homelinker—those who stay with us, share the same value, and always strive to enterprise. Our total GTV recovered by 15.3% quarter-over-quarter and our operating metrics recorded in all-fronts recovery driven by efficiency and productivity bolster across our businesses.”

“In the third quarter, our existing home sales outperformed the market, fueled by our strength in ACN as well as benefitting from our efforts to accelerate the development of this business through optimized empowerment of service provider and platform operations. Our new home sales maintained a healthy momentum as we further promoted our commission-in-advance model and collaborated with selected developers. At the same time, we assisted customers to identify and minimize risks associated with construction delays and contributed to healthy industry governance. Our home renovation and furnishing services are progressing on track and continuing to outpace the rest of the industry, with rapidly growing orders and improving average selling price supported by the traffic referrals from our core businesses and our full-service business model which includes home furnishing.”

“We are steering our Company prudently through the current market cycle while remaining fortified to playing a better role in building up a healthy housing market,” concluded Mr. Peng.

Mr. Tao Xu, Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer of Beike, added, “During the third quarter, we achieved net revenues of RMB17.6 billion, representing a narrowed year-over-year decline of 2.8%, and a 27.7% increase compared with the second quarter of 2022. Despite the macro headwinds, our operating efficiency and profitability improved significantly in the third quarter, and we maintained a strong cash position and operating cash flow. All of these have enabled our fundamentals to remain intact and strengthened our sustainable operations amidst external challenges. These results did not come about overnight. They are the results of our rapid and resolute implementation of a series of risk-control, cost-management and efficiency-enhancing measures launched a year ago in the face of market adjustment. We’re confident that all these strengths, along with an all-out effort from everyone in the Company, will make us well positioned for the long-term sustainable growth.”

Third Quarter 2022 Financial Results

Net Revenues

Net revenues decreased by 2.8% to RMB17.6 billion (US$2.5 billion) in the third quarter of 2022, compared to RMB18.1 billion in the same period of 2021. The decrease was primarily attributable to the decline in total GTV. Total GTV was RMB737.1 billion (US$103.6 billion) in the third quarter of 2022, representing a 11.3% decrease compared to RMB830.7 billion in the same period of 2021 due to the disruption on the recovery of the market caused by the resurgence of COVID-19 in certain regions and that the market for new home transactions remained weak as many real estate developers were facing liquidity and delivery challenges, which was partially offset by the recovery of the market for existing home transactions especially in top-tier cities. The smaller contraction of net revenues compared to that of GTV was primarily attributable to the higher contribution of GTV from businesses with higher monetization rate such as home renovation and furnishing.

• Net revenues from existing home transaction services increased by 16.6% to RMB7.2 billion (US$1.0 billion) in the third quarter of 2022, compared to RMB6.1 billion in the same period of 2021, primarily due to a 18.7% increase in GTV of existing home transactions to RMB449.0 billion (US$63.1 billion) in the third quarter of 2022 from RMB378.2 billion in the same period of 2021.

  Among that, (i) commission revenue increased by 15.6% to RMB6.1 billion (US$0.9 billion) in the third quarter of 2022 from RMB5.3 billion in the same period of 2021, primarily due to an increase in GTV of existing home transactions served by Lianjia stores of 18.6% to RMB219.7 billion (US$30.9 billion) in the third quarter of 2022 from RMB185.3 billion in the same period of 2021; and

  (ii) the revenues derived from platform service, franchise service and other value-added services, which are mostly charged to connected stores and agents on the Company’s platform, increased by 23.3% to RMB1.0 billion (US$0.1 billion) in the third quarter of 2022, from RMB0.8 billion in the same period of 2021, mainly due to a 18.9% increase of GTV of existing home transactions served by connected agents on the Company’s platform to RMB229.3 billion (US$32.2 billion) in the third quarter of 2022 from RMB192.9 billion in the same period of 2021. The higher growth rate of revenues derived from platform service, franchise service and other value-added services compared to that of the GTV of existing home transactions served by connected agents was primarily attributable to the increased penetration level of value-added services.

• Net revenues from new home transaction services decreased by 31.3% to RMB7.8 billion (US$1.1 billion) in the third quarter of 2022 from RMB11.3 billion in the same period of 2021, primarily due to the decrease of GTV of new home transactions of 36.2% to RMB261.5 billion (US$36.8 billion) in the third quarter of 2022 from RMB410.1 billion in the same period of 2021. Among that, the GTV of new home transaction services completed on Beike platform through connected agents, dedicated sales team with the expertise on new home transaction services and other sales channels was RMB215.7 billion (US$30.3 billion), compared to RMB337.6 billion in the same period of 2021, while the GTV of new home transactions served by Lianjia brand was RMB45.8 billion (US$6.4 billion) in the third quarter of 2022, compared to RMB72.6 billion in the same period of 2021.
• Net revenues from home renovation and furnishing were RMB1.8 billion (US$0.3 billion) in the third quarter of 2022, compared to RMB60 million in the same period of 2021, primarily because the Company completed the acquisition of Shengdu Home Renovation Co., Ltd. (“Shengdu”), a full-service home renovation service provider in China, and began to consolidate its financial results during the second quarter of 2022 and the organic growth of the GTV for home renovation and furnishing business.
• Net revenues from emerging and other services increased by 45.8% to RMB801 million (US$113 million) in the third quarter of 2022 from RMB550 million in the same period of 2021, primarily attributable to the increase of net revenues from rental property management services which was partially offset by the decrease of net revenues from financial services.

Cost of Revenues

Total cost of revenues decreased by 16.3% to RMB12.8 billion (US$1.8 billion) in the third quarter of 2022 from RMB15.3 billion in the same period of 2021.

• Commission – split. The Company’s cost of revenues for commissions to connected agents and other sales channels was RMB5.7 billion (US$0.8 billion) in the third quarter of 2022, compared to RMB7.6 billion in the same period of 2021, primarily due to the decrease in the GTV of new home transactions completed through connected agents and other sales channels in the third quarter of 2022 compared with the same period of 2021.

• Commission and compensation – internal. The Company’s cost of revenues for internal commission and compensation was RMB4.6 billion (US$0.7 billion) in the third quarter of 2022, compared to RMB6.0 billion in the same period of 2021, primarily due to the decrease in the fixed compensation costs of Lianjia agents, dedicated sales team with the expertise on new home transaction services and other front line operation staff along with the drop in the headcount, and the decrease in variable commission as a result of the decreased GTV of new home transactions completed through Lianjia agents and dedicated sales team with the expertise on new home transaction services.

• Cost of home renovation and furnishing. The Company’s cost of revenues for home renovation and furnishing was RMB1.3 billion (US$0.2 billion) in the third quarter of 2022, compared to RMB60 million in the same period of 2021, which was primarily attributable to the increase of net revenues from home renovation and furnishing.

• Cost related to stores. The Company’s cost related to stores decreased by 17.6% to RMB822 million (US$116 million) in the third quarter of 2022 compared to RMB997 million in the same period of 2021, mainly due to the decrease in the number of Lianjia stores along with market downtrend in the third quarter of 2022 compared to the same period of 2021.

• Other costs. The Company’s other costs decreased by 41.7% to RMB407 million (US$57 million) in the third quarter of 2022 from RMB699 million in the same period of 2021, mainly due to a decrease of business taxes and surcharges along with the decrease of net revenues, the decreased funding costs and provisions related to financial services and the decreased offline activities costs.

Gross Profit

Gross profit increased by 72.8% to RMB4.8 billion (US$0.7 billion) in the third quarter of 2022 from RMB2.8 billion in the same period of 2021. Gross margin was 27.0% in the third quarter of 2022, compared to 15.2% in the same period of 2021. The increase in gross margin was primarily due to: a) a shift of revenue mix towards the existing home transaction services with higher contribution margin than some other revenue streams, b) a higher contribution margin for existing home transaction services led by the increased net revenues from existing home transaction services and the decreased fixed compensation costs for Lianjia agents, c) a higher contribution margin for new home transaction services as a result of an increased number of projects with higher margins, and a relatively lower percentage of fixed compensation costs of net revenues from new home transaction services, and d) a relatively lower percentage of costs related to stores and other costs of net revenues in the third quarter of 2022 compared to the same period of 2021.

Income (Loss) from Operations

Total operating expenses decreased by 29.9% to RMB3.5 billion (US$0.5 billion) in the third quarter of 2022 from RMB5.1 billion in the same period of 2021.

• General and administrative expenses decreased by 26.4% to RMB1,777 million (US$250 million) in the third quarter of 2022 from RMB2,412 million in the same period of 2021, mainly due to the decrease of provision for credit loss along with the decreased accounts receivable balance, and the decrease of personnel costs and overheads along with the reduction of the headcount, as well as the decrease of conferences and travel expenses, which was partially offset by the increase of share-based compensation in the third quarter of 2022 compared to the same period of 2021.

• Sales and marketing expenses were RMB1,258 million (US$177 million) in the third quarter of 2022, compared to RMB1,202 million in the same period of 2021, mainly due to the increase in sales and marketing expenses for home renovation and furnishing services as the financial results of Shengdu were consolidated since the second quarter of 2022, which was partially offset by the decrease of the brand advertising and promotional marketing expenses and personnel costs for housing transaction services.

• Research and development expenses decreased by 51.2% to RMB509 million (US$72 million) in the third quarter of 2022 from RMB1,043 million in the same period of 2021, mainly due to the decrease of personnel costs and share-based compensation as a result of decreased headcount in research and development personnel in the third quarter of 2022 compared to the same period of 2021.

Income from operations was RMB1.2 billion (US$0.2 billion) in the third quarter of 2022, compared to loss from operations of RMB2.3 billion in the same period of 2021. Operating margin was 6.9% in the third quarter of 2022, compared to negative 12.7% in the same period of 2021, primarily due to a) a relatively higher gross profit margin, and b) the decrease of total operating expenses along with the relatively flat net revenues, primarily due to personnel severance and optimized resource utilization in the third quarter of 2022 compared to the same period of 2021.

Adjusted income from operations⁶ was RMB2.1 billion (US$0.3 billion) in the third quarter of 2022, compared to adjusted loss from operations of RMB1.4 billion in the same period of 2021. Adjusted operating margin⁷ was 12.0% in the third quarter of 2022, compared to negative 7.9% in the same period of 2021. Adjusted EBITDA⁸ was RMB2.3 billion (US$0.3 billion) in the third quarter of 2022, compared to negative RMB550 million in the same period of 2021.

Net Income (Loss)

Net income was RMB716 million (US$101 million) in the third quarter of 2022, compared to net loss of RMB1,766 million in the same period of 2021.

Adjusted net income was RMB1,888 million (US$265 million) in the third quarter of 2022, compared to adjusted net loss of RMB888 million in the same period of 2021.

Net Income (Loss) attributable to KE Holdings Inc.’s ordinary shareholders

Net income attributable to KE Holdings Inc.’s ordinary shareholders was RMB723 million (US$102 million) in the third quarter of 2022, compared to net loss attributable to KE Holdings Inc.’s ordinary shareholders of RMB1,765 million in the same period of 2021.

Adjusted net income attributable to KE Holdings Inc.’s ordinary shareholders⁹ was RMB1,895 million (US$266 million) in the third quarter of 2022, compared to adjusted net loss attributable to KE Holdings Inc.’s ordinary shareholders of RMB887 million in the same period of 2021.

Net Income (Loss) per ADS

Diluted net income per ADS attributable to KE Holdings Inc.’s ordinary shareholders¹⁰ was RMB0.60 (US$0.08) in the third quarter of 2022, compared to diluted net loss per ADS attributable to KE Holdings Inc.’s ordinary shareholders of RMB1.50 in the same period of 2021.

Adjusted diluted net income per ADS attributable to KE Holdings Inc.’s ordinary shareholders¹¹ was RMB1.57 (US$0.22) in the third quarter of 2022, compared to adjusted diluted net loss per ADS attributable to KE Holdings Inc.’s ordinary shareholders of RMB0.75 in the same period of 2021.

Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Short-Term Investments

As of September 30, 2022, the combined balance of the Company’s cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and short-term investments amounted to RMB57.5 billion (US$8.1 billion).

Business Outlook

For the fourth quarter of 2022, the Company expects total net revenues to be between RMB14.5 billion (US$2.0 billion) and RMB15.0 billion (US$2.1 billion), representing a decrease of approximately 15.7% to 18.5% from the same quarter of 2021. This forecast considers the potential impact of the recent real estate related policies and measures, the increased reported cases of COVID-19 in certain regions and the tentative corresponding restrictive measures, all of which remain uncertain and may continue to adversely affect the Company’s operations. Therefore, the Company’s ongoing and preliminary view are contingent on the business situation and market condition.

Share Repurchase Program

As previously disclosed, the Company established a share repurchase program under which the Company may purchase up to US$1 billion of its Class A ordinary shares and/or ADSs over a 12-month period. From the launch of the share repurchase program on September 1, 2022 to September 30, 2022, the Company in aggregate purchased approximately 3.3 million ADSs in the open market pursuant to the share repurchase program, certain of which were settled in early October 2022.

Conference Call Information

The Company will hold an earnings conference call on 7:00 AM U.S. Eastern Time on Wednesday, November 30, 2022 (8:00 PM Beijing/Hong Kong Time on Wednesday, November 30, 2022) to discuss the financial results.

For participants who wish to join the conference using dial-in numbers, please complete online registration using the link provided below at least 20 minutes prior to the scheduled call start time. Dial-in numbers, passcode and unique access PIN would be provided upon registering.

Participant Online Registration: https://s1.c-conf.com/diamondpass/10027008-ovb98p.html

A replay of the conference call will be accessible through December 7, 2022, by dialing the following numbers:

United States:			+1-855-883-1031
Mainland, China:			400-1209-216
Hong Kong, China:			800-930-639
International:			+61-7-3107-6325
Replay PIN:			10027008

A live and archived webcast of the conference call will also be available at the Company’s investor relations website at https://investors.ke.com.

Exchange Rate

This press release contains translations of certain RMB amounts into U.S. dollars (“US$”) at specified rates solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise stated, all translations from RMB to US$ were made at the rate of RMB7.1135 to US$1.00, the noon buying rate in effect on September 30, 2022, in the H.10 statistical release of the Federal Reserve Board. The Company makes no representation that the RMB or US$ amounts referred could be converted into US$ or RMB, as the case may be, at any particular rate or at all. For analytical presentation, all percentages are calculated using the numbers presented in the financial statements contained in this earnings release.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

The Company uses adjusted income (loss) from operations, adjusted net income (loss), adjusted net income (loss) attributable to KE Holdings Inc.’s ordinary shareholders, adjusted operating margin, adjusted EBITDA and adjusted net income (loss) per ADS attributable to KE Holdings Inc.’s ordinary shareholders, each a non-GAAP financial measure, in evaluating its operating results and for financial and operational decision-making purposes. Beike believes that these non-GAAP financial measures help identify underlying trends in the Company’s business that could otherwise be distorted by the effect of certain expenses that the Company includes in its net income (loss). Beike also believes that these non-GAAP financial measures provide useful information about its results of operations, enhance the overall understanding of its past performance and future prospects and allow for greater visibility with respect to key metrics used by its management in its financial and operational decision-making. A limitation of using these non-GAAP financial measures is that these non-GAAP financial measures exclude share-based compensation expenses that have been, and will continue to be for the foreseeable future, a significant recurring expense in the Company’s business.

The presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered in isolation or construed as an alternative to gross profit, net income (loss) or any other measure of performance or as an indicator of its operating performance. Investors are encouraged to review these non-GAAP financial measures and the reconciliation to the most directly comparable GAAP measures. The non-GAAP financial measures presented here may not be comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies. Other companies may calculate similarly titled measures differently, limiting their usefulness as comparative measures to the Company’s data. Beike encourages investors and others to review its financial information in its entirety and not rely on a single financial measure. Adjusted income (loss) from operations is defined as income (loss) from operations, excluding (i) share-based compensation expenses, (ii) amortization of intangible assets resulting from acquisitions and business cooperation agreement, and (iii) impairment of goodwill, intangible assets and other long-lived assets. Adjusted operating margin is defined as adjusted income (loss) from operations as a percentage of net revenues. Adjusted net income (loss) is defined as net income (loss), excluding (i) share-based compensation expenses, (ii) amortization of intangible assets resulting from acquisitions and business cooperation agreement, (iii) changes in fair value from long term investments, loan receivables measured at fair value and contingent consideration, (iv) impairment of goodwill, intangible assets and other long-lived assets, (v) impairment of investments, and (vi) tax effects of the above non-GAAP adjustments. Adjusted net income (loss) attributable to KE Holdings Inc.’s ordinary shareholders is defined as net income (loss) attributable to KE Holdings Inc.’s ordinary shareholders, excluding (i) share-based compensation expenses, (ii) amortization of intangible assets resulting from acquisitions and business cooperation agreement, (iii) changes in fair value from long term investments, loan receivables measured at fair value and contingent consideration, (iv) impairment of goodwill, intangible assets and other long-lived assets, (v) impairment of investments, (vi) tax effects of the above non-GAAP adjustments, and (vii) effects of non-GAAP adjustments on net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interests shareholders. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as net income (loss), excluding (i) income tax expense (benefit), (ii) share-based compensation expenses, (iii) amortization of intangible assets, (iv) depreciation of property and equipment, (v) interest income, net, (vi) changes in fair value from long term investments, loan receivables measured at fair value and contingent consideration, (vii) impairment of goodwill, intangible assets and other long-lived assets, and (viii) impairment of investments.

Contacts

For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

In China:

KE Holdings Inc.

Investor Relations

Siting Li

E-mail: ir@ke.com

The Piacente Group, Inc.

Yang Song

Tel: +86-10-6508-0677

E-mail: ke@tpg-ir.com

In the United States:

The Piacente Group, Inc.

Brandi Piacente

Tel: +1-212-481-2050

E-mail: ke@tpg-ir.com

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