Where Chinese Investors is Flowing in Real Estate 2026

By Marcus Zhan, Director at GMA, Douyin Real Estate Specialist

Chinese outbound real estate investment reached $52 billion in 2025, according to Rhodium Group’s latest cross-border capital flow report. That number is on track to grow in 2026. The domestic property market in China is broken, and wealthy Chinese families are moving capital out. From Bangkok to Dubai to Tokyo, the Chinese buyer is now the most active international investor in residential real estate.

This is not a trend story. The buyers exist, the money is moving, and the markets are clear. The question for developers, brokers, and real estate funds is simpler: can Chinese investors find you? And when they do, do you have a strategy that actually converts them?

This article gives you the data on who is buying, where they are buying, how they research, and what marketing channels work in 2026. Every figure in this article comes from a named source. No filler. No guesswork.

Why Chinese Investors Are Buying Overseas Property

The domestic market pushed them out

Three years ago, real estate was the default wealth store for Chinese families. About 70% of Chinese household wealth was tied up in property. That made sense when prices doubled every five years. It stopped making sense after 2021.

The Chinese government launched developer deleveraging policies in 2020. Credit dried up. Evergrande defaulted on $300 billion in debt in 2021. Country Garden followed in 2023. By 2024, residential prices in China’s 70 major cities had fallen 10.6% year-on-year according to the National Bureau of Statistics. In some Tier 2 cities, the drop was closer to 20%.

Unsold residential inventory reached 740 million square meters by Q1 2025. Developers are offering discounts of 20-30% to move units. For existing Chinese homeowners, the wealth destruction is real and ongoing.

On top of price declines, rental yields in China are terrible. A 5-million-RMB apartment in Shanghai generates roughly 80,000 RMB per year in rental income. That is a 1.6% gross yield before taxes and management costs. In Beijing, the math is nearly identical. When you can earn 5-8% gross yield on a Bangkok or Dubai property, the comparison is not close.

Currency and portfolio diversification

The yuan depreciated 5.4% against the USD between 2022 and 2024. High-net-worth Chinese families want hard currency assets. A property in Dubai or Tokyo does two things at once: it produces yield in a stable currency, and it gives the family an international base.

The Evergrande collapse also created a deeper psychological shift. Chinese investors who watched developer bonds go to zero and pre-sold apartments never delivered are now deeply cautious about any domestic property exposure. Diversifying into overseas markets feels like insurance as much as investment.

Capital controls are a ceiling, not a wall

China limits individual overseas transfers to $50,000 per year. But Chinese buyers work around this through a mix of legal channels: offshore accounts (Hong Kong is the most common base), family members pooling transfers over multiple years, proceeds from overseas business operations, and in Southeast Asia, direct RMB payments through licensed developer channels.

The $52B Rhodium Group figure captures documented flows. The real number is higher. For developers and brokers, the practical implication is clear: be prepared to explain and support payment structures. Buyers who find a developer willing to work with their payment reality close faster and are more loyal.

3 Types of Chinese Real Estate Buyers in 2026

Not all Chinese real estate investors are the same buyer. After running campaigns for developers and brokers across Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, we have identified three profiles that drive about 80% of transactions.

Persona	Chinese Name	Profile	Budget	Key Motivation	Best Channel
Yield Hunter	收益猎人	35-50, business owner or executive, first overseas property	$300K-$800K	5%+ net yield, passive income in foreign currency	Douyin, WeChat
Family Insurer	家庭保险官	40-60, sending child abroad for education, planning to relocate	$500K-$2M	School catchment area, PR/visa pathway, family safety net	Douyin, WeChat, Little Red Book
New Wealth Entrepreneur	新财富企业家	30-45, tech or e-commerce founder, portfolio builder	$1M-$5M	USD-denominated assets, capital protection, global lifestyle	WeChat private networks, Douyin

Yield Hunter (收益猎人)

This buyer does the math before anything else. They want to see a net yield above 5%, a clear property management structure, and a proven tenant base. Thailand, Malaysia, and the UAE are their top markets because yields are real and professional property management companies are established.

They discover deals on Douyin. Short videos showing rental income projections, occupancy rates, and management fee breakdowns perform well with this audience. They validate on WeChat by searching the developer name and reading official account articles. They close in person during a site visit.

Marketing that works: transparent financial content. Not glossy renders. Actual yield calculations with occupancy assumptions, a named management company, and a track record. If your existing units are rented, show the income. This profile can spot a fabricated projection immediately.

Family Insurer (家庭保险官)

This buyer is purchasing safety. The property itself is secondary. The real purchase is access to a top school, a residency pathway, or a stable country to move to if conditions in China change.

The UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, and Singapore are the natural targets. Portugal’s Golden Visa collapse pushed many toward the UAE golden visa program and Malaysia’s MM2H (Malaysia My Second Home) scheme. The UAE’s 10-year residency visa for property purchases above 2 million AED is now one of the most searched terms among this profile.

Marketing that works: content that addresses anxiety directly. Which schools are within 500 meters of this property? What is the residency pathway? Is this neighborhood safe? How do I enroll my child in the local school system? Answer these questions in your marketing and you build trust with this buyer faster than any yield table will.

New Wealth Entrepreneur (新财富企业家)

The youngest and wealthiest of the three profiles. These buyers made money in tech, e-commerce, or manufacturing. They want portfolio diversification, USD assets, and a global lifestyle. They are comfortable moving money through Hong Kong or Singapore corporate structures. Some use crypto-to-fiat conversion in certain markets.

They close deals quickly and pay in cash when the deal is right. A well-structured Douyin content series plus a direct WeChat introduction to a senior person at your organization can move this buyer from discovery to signed contract in under 30 days.

Where Chinese Real Estate Investment Is Flowing in 2026

Chinese buyers do not spread their investment evenly. Five markets captured about 75% of Chinese outbound real estate purchases in 2025, according to Juwai IQI and Cushman & Wakefield data.

Market	2025 Chinese Investment	Chinese Units Purchased	YoY Change	Top Buyer Profile
Thailand	$6.0 billion	25,000 units	+18%	Yield Hunter, Retiree
UAE (Dubai)	$5.0 billion	14,000 units	+34%	Yield Hunter, New Wealth
Vietnam	$4.0 billion	18,000 units	+12%	Yield Hunter
Japan	$3.0 billion	8,500 units	+22%	Family Insurer, Yield Hunter
Malaysia	$2.3 billion	11,000 units	+9%	Family Insurer

Thailand: Still the largest market

Thailand remains the top destination for Chinese buyers. Bangkok, Phuket, and Pattaya all hit record Chinese purchase volumes in 2025. The case is straightforward: low entry prices (2-4 million THB for a solid condo unit), no ownership restrictions for foreigners on condominium titles, and gross rental yields of 6-8% in tourist-heavy areas.

Bangkok’s metropolitan area alone attracted 15,000 Chinese buyers in 2025. Phuket pulled another 7,000. Pattaya, Chiang Mai, and Koh Samui split the rest. Developers who market actively on Douyin are significantly outperforming those who rely on property expos and traditional agent networks.

UAE: The fastest growing market

Dubai became the fastest-growing Chinese real estate market in 2025, up 34% year-on-year. Average deal values are higher than Southeast Asia, with most buyers targeting the $500K-$1M range. The UAE offers things other markets do not: a 10-year golden visa tied to property ownership, zero property tax, gross yields of 5-8% in key areas, and a currency pegged to the USD.

The Profile mix in Dubai is different from Thailand. New Wealth Entrepreneurs and Yield Hunters dominate. Family Insurers are also growing as more Chinese families choose Dubai for international schooling. The British curriculum school network in Dubai is one of the strongest in the world.

Japan: Yen depreciation created a buying window

Japanese real estate attracted $3 billion from Chinese buyers in 2025, up 22%. The yen depreciation between 2022 and 2024 made Japanese property extremely affordable in RMB terms. A 2-bedroom apartment in Tokyo’s Shibuya or Shinjuku ward now costs about 3-5 million RMB. For a Chinese buyer with 5 million RMB to invest, that is a full Tokyo apartment with change to spare.

The regulatory environment is also clean. Foreigners can buy any type of property in Japan with no restrictions. Rental management companies are reliable and professional. Yields of 4-6% are achievable in Tokyo’s central wards.

Vietnam and Malaysia: Different profiles, both growing

Vietnam attracted $4 billion but foreign ownership is restricted to 50-year renewable leases. Many Chinese buyers use Vietnamese business partners or local holding structures. Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang are the main entry points. The market is appealing for Yield Hunters willing to deal with the ownership complexity.

Malaysia’s MM2H program gives 10-year renewable residency to qualifying buyers with a property investment requirement. The Family Insurer profile drives most Chinese purchases in Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, and Penang are the main targets. International schools are a primary draw.

How Chinese Investors Research and Buy Property

Knowing that Chinese investors are buying is useful. Knowing exactly how they find, research, and decide on a property is what lets you intercept them at the right moment.

The typical decision path runs like this:

1. Discovery on Douyin: A short video catches their attention. A property tour, a yield breakdown, a market overview. They watch 3-5 similar videos from the same account and either follow or save for later.
2. Research on WeChat: They search the developer or broker name on WeChat, check the official account, read market analysis articles, and look for social proof. A WeChat official account with regular posts on market data builds credibility fast.
3. Validation on Little Red Book (Xiaohongshu / RedNote): For lifestyle-driven markets such as Japan, Thailand, and the UK, they search the area on Little Red Book for expat life content, neighborhood reviews, and real buyer experiences. User-generated content on Little Red Book carries high credibility.
4. WeChat group peer validation: Serious buyers join a WeChat group for Chinese investors in that market. They ask questions and get peer validation from buyers who have already purchased. These groups are powerful trust signals and are worth building intentionally.
5. In-person visit: Serious buyers visit the property before signing. Developers who organize flights-and-accommodation viewing trips from China close at 20-40% rates among trip attendees. This is significantly higher than leads who never visit.

The role of trust cannot be overstated. Chinese buyers have heard too many stories of developers who disappeared with deposits or delivered apartments that looked nothing like the renderings. The brands that convert Chinese buyers at scale do two things consistently: they provide transparent financial projections with a named property management company, and they have a visible, named, Mandarin-speaking point of contact reachable on WeChat.

Douyin and Real Estate: The Platform Numbers

Douyin is the primary channel for international property discovery among Chinese buyers. The scale and cost efficiency of the platform have no equivalent in the Chinese digital market right now.

Metric	Figure	Source
Views on #房产 (real estate)	30 billion+	Douyin internal data 2025
Views on #海外房产 (overseas property)	3 billion+	Douyin internal data 2025
Weekly live streaming sessions (property)	50,000+	Douyin 2025 industry report
Average viewer session time on property live streams	18 minutes	GMA internal campaign data
Total real estate ad spend on Douyin	12 billion RMB (2025)	iResearch
Cost per lead (CPL) via Douyin	200-500 RMB	GMA campaign data
Cost per lead (CPL) via WeChat Moments ads	800-1,500 RMB	GMA campaign data
Primary viewer age group for real estate content	25-45 years old	Douyin Ads Manager 2025

Three things stand out in this data.

First: the scale. Thirty billion views on the real estate hashtag is not a niche audience. This is the Chinese middle class and upper-middle class actively watching property content. Three billion views on overseas property means the outbound buyer segment is enormous and engaged.

Second: the cost efficiency. A CPL of 200-500 RMB on Douyin is three to seven times cheaper than WeChat Moments advertising. For developers running lead generation campaigns, this difference changes the economics of every deal.

Third: live streaming. 50,000+ weekly sessions for real estate shows that Chinese buyers are fully comfortable making high-value purchase decisions through live video. A developer who runs twice-weekly live tours of a Bangkok project reaches more qualified prospects in one session than a property fair attracts in a full day. The 18-minute average session time for property live streams means buyers are genuinely engaged, not scrolling past.

What content works on Douyin for real estate

• Property walkthrough videos: 60-90 second tours showing space, finish quality, surrounding area, and location context. These generate the highest organic reach.
• Yield calculator videos: Short explainer videos showing rent projections, occupancy assumptions, management fees, and net yield. High engagement from Yield Hunter profile.
• Market overview series: “Why Chinese investors are buying in [city]” format. Educational tone. Builds authority and earns follows.
• FAQ response videos: Direct answers to the questions buyers actually ask. Capital transfer options, ownership structure, school proximity, exit liquidity.
• Weekly live streaming: 2-4 hour sessions with a Mandarin-speaking presenter, on-site property tours, real-time Q&A, and a clear call to action to register for a viewing trip.

Two Douyin Real Estate Campaigns: Real Results

Campaign 1: Sanya Sunac Residential Resort

Client: Sunac China Holdings, resort residential complex in Sanya, Hainan
Target: Mainland Chinese buyers, second home market, budget 800K-3M RMB
Challenge: Domestic buyers were deeply skeptical of new property purchases after the Evergrande and Country Garden collapses. Standard developer marketing was not converting. The project needed to rebuild buyer trust from scratch.

Strategy:

• Twice-weekly Douyin live streams, 4-6 hours each, with Marcus Zhan hosting virtual tours of completed units, pool facilities, and management infrastructure
• Transparent financial content: actual rental income figures from existing tenants, actual management fee breakdowns, actual occupancy rates. Not projections
• KOL partnerships with 3 Douyin creators in the Hainan lifestyle and travel space, each with 500K-2M followers
• WeChat official account articles published weekly covering Sanya market data and Sunac project updates

Results:

• 850 qualified leads per month (defined as: 10+ minutes viewing time on live stream, plus submitted contact form)
• 200 units sold in 6 months
• Average deal value: 2.8 million RMB
• Total Douyin spend over 6 months: 1.2 million RMB
• Revenue attributed to Douyin channel: 560 million RMB

The single most important factor in this campaign was transparency. Showing actual rental income from current tenants, rather than projected rental income, turned a skeptical market into buyers. Chinese investors in 2025 have seen too many developer projections that never materialized. Real numbers from real tenants are the most powerful marketing asset a developer can deploy.

Campaign 2: MQDC Whizdom Club Bangkok

Client: MQDC (Magnolia Quality Development Corporation), luxury residential development in Bangkok
Target: Chinese buyers from Tier 1 cities, budget $200K-$600K USD
Challenge: MQDC had zero brand recognition in China. The Bangkok real estate market is crowded with developers already active on Douyin. Standing out required a different approach to content and conversion.

Strategy:

• 90-day intensive Douyin campaign targeting the Yield Hunter profile with daily 60-second videos covering Bangkok lifestyle, property specifications, and yield projections
• Weekly live streams with Marcus in Bangkok, touring the Whizdom development and surrounding Sukhumvit area, with real-time Q&A
• Partnership with Juwai IQI for buyer qualification and structured WeChat follow-up sequences
• Organized 3-day viewing trip from Shanghai and Beijing, 45 qualified buyers, flights and hotels covered by MQDC

Results:

• 3,200 leads generated in 90 days
• CPL: 280 RMB
• 45 qualified buyers attended the Bangkok viewing trip
• $13.2 million in attributed sales from the first viewing trip cohort
• ROI on total campaign investment: 15:1

The viewing trip was the key conversion event. Buyers who visited the site in person signed at a 38% rate. Buyers who went through the full digital funnel but did not visit signed at under 2%. The investment in flights and hospitality for 45 buyers paid for itself 15 times over in the first cohort alone.

How to Attract Chinese Real Estate Investors: What Actually Works

Based on the campaigns above and dozens of other real estate projects across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, here is what works in 2026.

Build a Douyin presence now

Open an official business account. Start with 3 short videos per week: a property tour, a market overview, and a yield breakdown. Use Mandarin audio, not dubbed English content. Mandarin-first content converts 3-4x better than translated English videos. Consistency matters more than production quality in the first 90 days.

Start weekly live streaming

Two-hour weekly live sessions outperform almost every other format for qualified lead generation. You need a presenter who speaks fluent Mandarin and knows the property market, understands yield calculations, and can answer detailed questions about ownership structure and capital transfer. A translator standing next to an English-speaking CEO does not convert.

Set up a WeChat official account

Every serious Chinese investor will check your WeChat official account before contacting you. Post 2-3 articles per month covering market data and project updates. Focus on information, not marketing copy. Buyers who see you publishing market analysis trust you more than buyers who only see promotional posts.

List on Juwai IQI

Juwai IQI is the largest Chinese real estate portal for international listings. 3.2 million unique buyer searches per quarter. Your listing must be in Mandarin, priced in RMB, and include a clear description of the ownership structure, yield expectations, and management company.

Run viewing trips from China

The single highest-ROI action in this list. Buyers who visit a property sign at 20-40%. Cost the trip properly: economy flights from Shanghai or Beijing, 2-3 nights in a good hotel, and a professional viewing schedule. The conversion rates mean it pays for itself many times over. Partner with a China-based agency to qualify buyers before they join the trip.

Have a named Mandarin-speaking contact

Not a chatbot. Not a general inquiry form. A real person, reachable on WeChat, who can answer detailed questions about financial projections, legal ownership, school catchment areas, and capital transfer options. This is the single most important trust signal for Chinese buyers. A named WeChat contact on your Douyin profile bio increases inbound contact rates by a factor of 5 compared to a generic email address.

Build a Chinese-language landing page

A dedicated Chinese-language landing page or microsite with RMB pricing, a WeChat QR code, a clear FAQ on the purchase process, and real yield calculations increases conversion rates 3-5x compared to an English-only site. This is not optional for markets where Chinese buyers represent 20%+ of your buyer pool.

10 Questions Chinese Real Estate Investors Actually Ask

1. How much are Chinese buyers typically investing in overseas real estate?

The range is wide. Entry-level investors in Thailand or Vietnam start at $100,000-$200,000. Family buyers targeting Japan, the UK, or Singapore target $500,000-$1.5 million. New Wealth Entrepreneurs in the UAE and prime European markets regularly spend $2-$10 million per acquisition and sometimes more for trophy assets.

2. What are the main legal concerns for Chinese buyers?

Three issues come up in almost every transaction. First, capital transfer: how to move money out of China given the $50,000 annual individual limit. Second, ownership structure: should the property be owned personally, through a Hong Kong holding company, or through a local entity? Third, tax obligations: many buyers do not realize they may have reporting requirements in China on overseas asset income. A developer who provides clear guidance on these three issues stands out immediately.

3. Is Douyin better than WeChat for reaching real estate buyers?

For top-of-funnel awareness and lead generation, yes. Douyin’s algorithm pushes real estate content to audiences who have shown interest, at a CPL of 200-500 RMB. WeChat is better for nurturing leads that are already warm and building direct one-to-one relationships with buyers who are close to a decision.

4. Do Chinese buyers prefer new builds or resale properties?

New builds, by a wide margin. Chinese buyers are more comfortable with developer guarantees, payment plan options, and turnkey management packages. Resale properties require more due diligence and are harder to market through video content at scale. That said, in Japan, where the resale market is strong and yields are attractive, Chinese buyers are more open to second-hand property.

5. Which markets are growing fastest for Chinese buyers in 2026?

UAE leads growth at +34% year-on-year in 2025. Japan is next at +22%. Both markets benefit from strong rule of law, high yields relative to price, and simple ownership structures for foreign buyers. Thailand holds the largest overall volume but is growing more slowly at +18% as the market matures.

6. How do Chinese buyers pay for overseas property?

Most buyers use a combination of personal offshore accounts (Hong Kong is the most common base), family member transfers spread over multiple years, proceeds from overseas business operations, and in Southeast Asia, direct RMB payments through designated developer channels. Cash purchases are the norm. Mortgages exist but are far less common among Chinese buyers than in Western buyer profiles. Developers who can support RMB payment channels close deals faster.

7. How important is school proximity for Chinese buyers?

For the Family Insurer profile, it is the primary purchase driver. A property within 500 meters of a top-rated international school is worth 20-30% more to this buyer than an equivalent property outside the catchment. The UK, Japan, Singapore, and Canada are the strongest markets for education-driven buyers. In Dubai, the British curriculum school network is a significant competitive advantage for nearby developments.

8. Do I need a Chinese-language website to sell to Chinese buyers?

Yes. A Chinese-language landing page or website increases conversion rates 3-5x compared to an English-only site. Minimum requirements: Mandarin text (not machine-translated), pricing in RMB, a WeChat QR code, a FAQ about the purchase process, and clear yield projections. This is not a nice-to-have for any developer targeting Chinese buyers as a meaningful segment.

9. Should I target investors or end users with my marketing?

Both profiles buy, but they need different content. Investors respond to yield data, market comparisons, and management structures. End users respond to lifestyle content, school information, and community stories. The strongest campaigns run two parallel content streams, one for each profile. Trying to serve both with the same generic message works for neither.

10. How long does the sales cycle typically take?

For Yield Hunters buying in Southeast Asia, the cycle runs 2-4 months from first Douyin contact to signed contract, assuming a viewing trip takes place. For Family Insurers buying in the UK or Japan, the cycle is 6-18 months. New Wealth Entrepreneurs in the UAE can close in days once they decide to buy. Viewing trips compress all timelines significantly: buyers who attend a trip and like what they see rarely go home to think about it for six months.

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Run Douyin Real Estate Campaigns with Marcus Zhan

If you are a developer, broker, or real estate fund targeting Chinese investors, we run Douyin campaigns that generate qualified leads and convert buyers into transactions.

Marcus Zhan leads GMA’s real estate division. The Sanya Sunac and MQDC Whizdom campaigns described above are his work. He manages the full pipeline: Douyin account setup, short video production in Mandarin, weekly live streaming, lead qualification, WeChat CRM follow-up, and viewing trip logistics from China.

What we run for real estate clients:

• Douyin business account setup and ongoing management
• Short video production (3 per week, Mandarin-first)
• Weekly live streaming with Marcus as presenter and Q&A host
• Lead qualification and WeChat CRM sequences
• Juwai IQI listing management
• Organized viewing trips from Shanghai, Beijing, or Shenzhen
• Full campaign reporting with CPL, lead quality, and conversion tracking

If you want to reach Chinese investors and convert them into buyers, start with a conversation.

Or explore our full range of China marketing services for developers and property funds.

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About Marcus Zhan

Marcus Zhan is Director at GMA and leads the firm’s Douyin real estate practice. He has managed Chinese investor campaigns for residential developers across Thailand, the UAE, Japan, Malaysia, and China’s domestic second-home market, and speaks regularly at industry events on Chinese buyer behavior. Reach him through GMA’s advertising agency services or explore our full services page for real estate campaigns targeting Chinese buyers.

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3 Additional Campaign Snapshots

UK Student Buy-to-Let, Manchester (2024-2025)

A Manchester property investment company came to us after attending two property expos in Shanghai and Beijing. Total leads from both expos: 11. Cost per expo: around GBP 18,000. They wanted to know if digital could do better.

We set up a Douyin account and ran a 90-day campaign on Manchester student property: yields, occupancy rates, university rankings, and Mandarin Q&A live sessions. Results: 380 qualified leads in 90 days, CPL of 320 RMB. 28 buyers joined a viewing trip to Manchester in March 2025. 9 signed during or within two weeks of the trip. Average deal value: GBP 185,000. Total attributed revenue from that first cohort: GBP 1.665 million.

Dubai Off-Plan Launch, UAE (2025)

A Dubai developer launching in Dubai South needed Chinese buyers to hit pre-sales targets. They had a WeChat account but had never run Douyin. Budget: USD 80,000 over 120 days.

We built the Douyin account from zero, produced 3 videos per week on the Dubai market, yield history, and the 10-year golden visa. Weekly live streams with a Mandarin-speaking presenter on site. At day 120: 4,400 leads, CPL of 145 RMB, 62 viewing trip participants from Shanghai and Beijing. 19 units sold at average USD 420,000. Total sales: USD 7.98 million. Campaign ROI including trip costs: 22:1.

Japan Residential, Tokyo Shibuya Ward (2025)

A Tokyo broker specializing in resale apartments wanted Chinese buyers. Most Douyin real estate content in Japan focuses on new builds. Resale needs more trust-building.

We focused on transparency content: actual rental income from current tenants, actual management fees, and a specific series on the yen depreciation window using RMB-to-JPY calculations. In six months: 1,200 leads, 14 qualified buyer visits to Tokyo, 6 closed transactions averaging JPY 55 million (approx. RMB 2.6 million). Total attributed sales: JPY 330 million.

What We Got Wrong at First

When we started running Chinese digital campaigns for real estate clients, we treated Douyin like a Chinese version of Instagram. Polished property photos and lifestyle videos. Conversion was poor.

The problem: Chinese real estate buyers are not buying a lifestyle image. They are buying a financial decision. They want actual numbers. What is the yield? What did the last tenant pay? What does management charge? Pretty videos with no financial detail convert at under 1%. Videos with transparent yield calculations convert 4-6x better. We learned this after three campaigns that underperformed and rebuilt our content approach from scratch.

We also made the mistake of relying on WeChat alone for lead nurturing. WeChat works for closing warm buyers. It is poor for discovery. When we shifted to Douyin-first for discovery and WeChat for nurturing, cost per qualified lead dropped by 60% on average across our real estate campaigns.

Third: underestimating the viewing trip. Clients were reluctant to pay for flights from China to see a property. That reluctance cost them sales. Buyers who visit a site sign at 25-38%. Buyers who only go through a digital funnel sign at under 2%. Every viewing trip budget we have recommended has returned positive ROI. We now build it into every campaign plan from the start.

What Our Process Is Now

1. Brief: define the buyer profile (Yield Hunter, Family Insurer, or New Wealth Entrepreneur), the target market, budget per unit, and the sales target
2. Platform setup: Douyin business account, WeChat official account, Juwai IQI listing in Mandarin with RMB pricing
3. Content calendar: 3 short videos per week on Douyin (property tour, yield breakdown, market overview), 2 WeChat articles per month on market data and project updates
4. Weekly live streaming: 2-hour sessions, Mandarin-speaking presenter on site, real-time Q&A, call to action to register for viewing trip
5. Lead qualification: filter by engagement depth (10 minutes minimum watch time), WeChat contact established, basic financial qualification done
6. Viewing trip logistics: flights and accommodation for 30-50 qualified buyers from Tier 1 cities, organized 3-day schedule with property visits, legal briefing, and meeting with management company
7. Follow-up: WeChat CRM sequences for post-trip buyers, monthly market update messages to non-converters, re-targeting on Douyin for mid-funnel buyers
8. Reporting: CPL by content type, lead-to-trip conversion rate, trip-to-sale conversion rate, total attributed revenue per campaign month

Summary Table: Chinese Real Estate Investment 2026

Metric	2025-2026 figure
Chinese outbound real estate investment (2025)	USD 52 billion
Top 5 markets share of total	75%
UAE year-on-year growth (2025)	+34%
Japan year-on-year growth (2025)	+22%
Douyin #海外房产 views	3 billion+
Douyin CPL for real estate	200-500 RMB
Viewing trip to signed contract rate	25-38%
Digital-only signed contract rate	Under 2%
China residential price decline in 70 cities (2024)	-10.6% year-on-year

For more detail on reaching Chinese buyers, see our Douyin marketing guide and full services page.

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Alex is a project manager at Chinese Tourist Agency, based in Shanghai for over 10 years. He coordinates real estate campaigns from campaign brief to viewing trip logistics across Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. He has escorted more than a dozen buyer groups from China to overseas property markets, which he describes as exhausting but effective.

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Sources

External references

1. Rhodium Group – China Outbound Real Estate Investment Monitor 2025
2. Juwai IQI – China Cross-Border Real Estate Report Q4 2025
3. Cushman & Wakefield – Greater China Capital Markets Outlook 2026
4. CBRE – Global Capital Markets 2026 Outlook, Chinese buyer rankings
5. Marketing to China – Chinese real estate investors overseas 2025 analysis

Internal references

1. Outbound Real Estate Market: China Is Getting Serious
2. China Real Estate Firms and Their Peculiar Marketing Tactic
3. How Destinations Can Attract Chinese Real Estate Investors
4. Advertising Agency in China
5. Our Services