Chinese real estate buyers are one of the largest and most influential forces in the global property market. This can be attributed to various factors. For one, there’s an elite group of wealthy people as well as a growing Chinese middle class with substantial spending money. Secondly, the interest in foreign investments and portfolio diversification is rising.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the best branding, marketing, and sales strategies for selling international real estate to Chinese buyers (B2C). We will provide insights on social media, SEO, influencer collaborations, and B2B partnerships.
Table of Contents
- The Chinese Real Estate Market
- The Chinese Real Estate Investor Mindset
- Crafting a China-Focused Brand Strategy
- Case Study: Long & Foster
- The Takeaway – Win Chinese Real Estate Buyers
Let’s jump right in.
The Chinese Real Estate Market
In 2025, China’s real estate market is projected to reach a value of 133 trillion USD, mainly driven by the residential segment. The market is gradually growing at about 2% per year.
In China, new property development projects and construction are declining. Besides, property prices are dropping. In response to this, the Chinese government has plans to stabilize the real estate market in its agenda. However, structural challenges such as demographic changes, and an excess of unsold homes continue to slow down the property sector.
As a result, more and more Chinese real estate investors are seeking property investment opportunities abroad.
The Chinese Real Estate Investor Mindset
The Chinese real estate investment market is one of the most lucrative in the world, with lots and lots of HNWI (high-net-worth individuals) and middle-class buyers.
These buyers are seeking overseas properties for
- Investment – to provide ROI (return on investment) and diversify portfolios.
- Education – as a temporary residence for their children/family while they study abroad.
- Migration – relocation and lifestyle optimization, often to the US or Europe (“Golden Visa” programs that require real estate investment).
As overseas property developers aim to tap into this massive market, a strategic, localized, and digital-first approach is essential.
Crafting a China-Focused Brand Strategy
Expanding into China’s real estate market and attracting Chinese investors requires more than just translating your marketing materials.
Digital platforms, consumer behaviors, and cultural preferences in China are vastly different from Western markets.
Here’s what we have learned in over a decade of developing the Chinese market for more than 120 clients from more than 30 countries.
Develop a Strong Localized Brand Identity
You may have guessed it. A generic global marketing strategy won’t work in China. Instead, adapt your branding, tonality, and aesthetics to resonate with Chinese values and preferences.
- Use Chinese-language across all platforms; refrain from simply translating.
- Highlight elements that appeal to Chinese buyers; for example, Feng Shui-friendly designs, prestige, and investment potential.
- Feature success stories of other Chinese investors.
The next step is getting your message out there.
WeChat and/or Chinese Website
We recommend running a WeChat-first approach in China as there is no way around this app in the country. It serves as information, communication, service, and fulfillment tool – also for businesses. Emails are hardly ever used within China.
Therefore, you should start with an official WeChat profile, which can also serve as your “mini-website” that you would traditionally have in Western countries.
WeChat strategy
- Share property insights, buyer testimonials, and market trends, and other useful information.
- Enrich your organic content with relevant buyer-intent longtail keywords.
- Chat with prospects, answer questions, and engage them.
- Run ads to reach high-intent buyers based on demographics and interests.
- Leverage livestreaming for virtual open houses and Q&A sessions.
- Activate WeChatPay and other preferred payment options in China.
If your brand is bigger and you have the budget, a separate, “real” website is definitely also recommended (i.a. to provide additional useful information and enrich it with keywords). With Google blocked in China, the goal is to rank high and visible on Baidu, China’s primary search engine.
Website Strategy
- Fully localize your Chinese website to build visibility and trust.
- Optimize for relevant Chinese real estate keywords (SEO).
- Host the site in mainland China to improve the loading speed and ranking.
- Optimize your website for mobile devices and smaller screens, including few text, appealing images, and a rectangular format.
- Provide information in Simplified Chinese and avoid direct translations.
Speaking of customer support and sales services…
Offer High-Quality Sales Support
High-quality and fast (!) customer service is key in China. We recommend using WeChat as the main CRM throughout the customer journey and also engaging with your audience on other platforms based on their preferences.
Make sure that your sales team:
- Is fluent in Mandarin and understands Chinese cultural nuances.
- Provides virtual property tours via WeChat video calls.
- Assists with legal and financial aspects of purchasing overseas property (if qualified to do so or collaborate with legal and financial experts).
With the basics down, you can look to additional strategies.
Expand to Xiaohongshu & Douyin & Zhihu
With TikTok (the international version of Douyin) blocked in the USA, REDnote (Xiaohongshu) is gaining traction globally. Consider building a presence on these platforms in addition to WeChat – applying a similar strategy.
RED (Xiaohongshu)
The Chinese equivalent of Instagram, Xiaohonghsu is popular among younger and high-net-worth audiences. Property developers can leverage RED for visual storytelling and influencer marketing.
Douyin (Chinese TikTok)
Video marketing is essential on this short video app. Developers can create engaging short videos featuring property tours, testimonials, and real estate trends to reach audiences on Douyin.
Zhihu (Chinese Quora)
A leading Q&A platform, Zhihu is trusted by Chinese professionals and high-intent buyers seeking in-depth insights. Property developers can establish credibility by answering real estate-related questions, sharing market analysis, and providing expert advice on overseas investments.
Influencer Marketing
Collaborating with Chinese influencers (KOLs) is a powerful way to build trust and reach potential buyers.
Real estate developers can partner with industry experts, financial bloggers, and lifestyle influencers to showcase properties, share investment insights, and create engaging content on platforms like WeChat, RED, and Douyin.
Establish B2B Partnerships
Chinese buyers often rely on trusted real estate agents when purchasing overseas property. To succeed in this space, we recommend
- developing a strong agent network in China and Dubai
- providing comprehensive training on your projects and your specific USPs and benefits
- offering an attractive commission structure.
You can do all this from outside mainland China, and don’t need a physical presence in the country.
Throughout all interactions – with your business partners and clients – remember that a professional and positive relationship “Guanxi” has the highest importance in China.
Attend Real Estate Exhibitions & Host Exclusive Events
If you have a presence in China or respective partnerships, consider promoting your business and properties face-to-face.
We have great experience with participating in China’s top property expos, for example, the Beijing International Property & Investment Expo, and hosting VIP investment dinners and networking events to establish thought leadership.
Case Study: Long & Foster
Established in 1968, Long & Foster is a prominent real estate company in the USA. They had built a strong reputation in the US-American market with their exceptional property listings and client services.
However, as the global real estate landscape evolved, the company recognized an untapped opportunity: affluent Chinese buyers are increasingly interested in international property investments, particularly in the United States of America.
Despite this potential, Long & Foster faced significant hurdles – language barriers, unfamiliarity with Chinese digital platforms, and a lack of localized marketing strategies. This prevented them from effectively reaching this lucrative audience.
That’s when they turned to China Gravy in 2020 to bridge the gap and unlock the potential of the Chinese market.
Our Strategy
We devised a tailored, multi-channel strategy to position Long & Foster as a trusted real estate brand among Chinese buyers. Leveraging our deep understanding of Chinese consumer behavior and digital ecosystems, we crafted a campaign that combined precision targeting, culturally resonant messaging, and seamless user experiences.
Here’s how we did it:
Recognizing WeChat as the cornerstone of Chinese digital life, we created an official Long & Foster WeChat account. We populated it with engaging content- virtual property tours, client testimonials, and U.S. real estate investment guides – all translated into Mandarin and optimized for mobile viewing. We also integrated WeChat’s mini-programs to allow users to browse listings, schedule consultations, and even initiate inquiries directly within the app.
Douyin
To boost brand awareness, we launched a series of short, visually stunning videos on Douyin showcasing Long & Foster’s premium properties. These videos highlighted luxurious U.S. homes, narrated in Mandarin, with captions emphasizing stability, prestige, and investment value—key motivators for Chinese buyers. We collaborated with popular real estate influencers on the platform to amplify reach and credibility.
Baidu
Knowing that many Chinese buyers begin their research on Baidu, we optimized Long & Foster’s Chinese-language landing pages with high-ranking keywords like “美国房产投资” (U.S. property investment) and “豪华住宅购买” (luxury home buying) as part of the SEO-strategy (search engine optimization). Paired with targeted Baidu PPC campaigns, this ensured Long & Foster appeared at the top of relevant searches.
Xiaohongshu
We tapped into Xiaohongshu, a platform favored by affluent, younger Chinese consumers, to share lifestyle-driven content. Posts featured stories of families and investors who had successfully purchased U.S. homes through Long & Foster, blending aspirational storytelling with practical advice on overseas property ownership.
CRM
To convert interest into action, we implemented a CRM system tailored for Chinese clients, integrating WeChat and email follow-ups with multilingual staff support. This ensured prospects received timely responses in their preferred language, building trust and smoothing the sales process.
The Results
Within six months of partnering with us, Long & Foster saw remarkable growth in its China market presence:
- Increased Reach: The WeChat account gained over 15,000 followers, while Douyin videos amassed 2 million views, significantly elevating brand visibility among Chinese audiences.
- Lead Generation: Targeted campaigns generated 300+ qualified leads from Chinese buyers, a 400% increase compared to their pre-campaign baseline.
- Client Acquisition: Long & Foster closed 12 high-value property deals with Chinese buyers, contributing an additional $18 million in sales revenue directly attributed to the campaign.
- Brand Trust: Engagement metrics, including shares and comments on Xiaohongshu, showed a 75% positive sentiment rate, establishing Long & Foster as a go-to name for Chinese investors seeking U.S. real estate.
By partnering with us, Long & Foster successfully overcame cultural and digital barriers to connect with Chinese buyers.
The Takeaway – Win Chinese Real Estate Buyers
China’s investors are hungry to invest in real estate. With the local property market slumping, HNWIs and middle class Chinese are turning abroad to buy real estate for
- Investment, portfolio diversification, and wealth management
- Temporary housing while children/family study abroad
- Relocation to attractive destinations, mainly in Europe and the US
To effectively attract and convert Chinese real estate buyers, a tailored China marketing strategy is required. More than 10 years of doing business from and to China in various sectors including real estate showed us what’s important:
- Localize your branding and online presence
- Implement a WeChat-first approach – publish useful free content and run paid ads
- Optimize your Chinese content for Baidu (SEO) and run PPC ads
- Leverage influencer marketing
- Establish “Guanxi” with your B2B partners and potential buyers
For tailored marketing and sales strategies, contact us and redeem your free consultation. Transform your brand’s presence in the booming Chinese market with China Gravy.