‘Revenge Buying’ Makes Chinese Buyers Number 1 for International Property Investment

Juwai IQI has observed a significant surge in residential real estate purchases among Chinese buyers when it comes to overseas property investments. The international real estate group has linked this rise in buyers to the phenomenon of ‘revenge buying’.

According to Juwai IQI, there has been a substantial increase in Chinese buyers acquiring residential real estate, spending over $3.4 billion on overseas properties. This is a rise of $1 billion when compared to 2022.

Additionally, these buyers have purchased homes worth 40% more than the previous year, suggesting a shift towards more expensive properties.

While most buyers are looking for properties for personal use, many others are acquiring properties for the purpose of buying property in the UK from overseas.

Juwai IQI has attributed this surge to a phenomenon known as ‘revenge buying’. This term refers to the rapid uptick in buying that occurs after a period when buying was restricted or difficult in some way. This spending with a vengeance is intended to make up for lost time or opportunities.

In this case, it’s related to the COVID-19 pandemic when international activities were limited.

Now that pandemic restrictions have been lifted, those who were restricted from investing overseas are seemingly spending more to make up for it. This has led to a surge in UK investment from Chinese buyers, who, according to Juwai IQI, are top of the list for international residential purchases.

Apart from surges in buyers due to revenge buying or other big events in China, such as Golden Week, Chinese investors regularly top the list of overseas property buyers.

A report from EY states that the number of high-income households in China that can afford to buy international real estate is set to increase by 50% by 2025.

This growth in Chinese international real estate investment is caused by several factors. This includes the increased income of China’s rapidly growing middle class. Another factor is historically high rates of savings among Chinese consumers.

There’s also a trend towards portfolio diversification among Chinese investors, and many are turning to international real estate. Lastly, lifestyle changes have played a big part, with many Chinese investors looking for a second home or seeing international investment as a viable way to generate returns when they weren’t able to consider it previously.

According to Juwai IQI, UK property is a popular choice in 2023 for Chinese investors. This is down to the variety of investment opportunities available, such as residential, commercial, industrial, and serviced accommodation investment.

Get the latest Buy-to-Let Property Investment insights with RWinvest.

Take a look at some of our most recent area guides:

• Buy-to-Let in Birkenhead
• Buy-to-Let in Stoke-on-Trent

Revenge Buying Makes Chinese Buyers Number 1 for International Property Investment