MIAMI—As more American commercial real estate developers venture into mainland China, there are plenty of considerations on the path to success. One of them is understanding the agent equation.

GlobeSt.com caught up with Josh Cunningham, vice president and head of sales for the Americas for Investorist, to dig into the agent equation in China. You can still read part one: What it Takes for US Developers to Succeed in China.

GlobeSt.com: Why do so many Chinese property buyers use agents?

Cunningham: China is an enormous country of around 1.4 billion people. Buying international property is a complex business, and the rules for transacting in each state of America are different.

Chinese buyers largely rely on trusted agents and advisers to find, analyze the benefits and recommend the right property for them. Added to this is the challenge of navigating government restrictions on moving Chinese currency offshore and securing loan funds for purchases if required.

GlobeSt.com: What type of agents are there in China?

Cunningham: There are many different types of agents operating. Some real estate agents may be self-employed sole operators who work for several different agencies, some are mid-sized and some are huge companies who have as many as 170,000 agents across China, operating from thousands of retail shop fronts.

There are migration agents who specialize in helping clients migrate to the US, and facilitate all investment and visa requirements and paperwork. There are education advisers who research schools and arrange entry for Chinese children and young adults to colleges and universities. Other agents specialize in High Net Worth clients and deal in high-end luxury real estate.

GlobeSt.com: What features make projects stand out and attract the best agents to sell them?

Cunningham: Features really need to be specific to the project's type and location. Some areas are heavily-focused on luxury. Others on education. Others on the size of the land parcel their single-family home sits on.

GlobeSt.com: Why do so many Chinese property buyers use agents?

Cunningham: China is an enormous country of around 1.4 billion people. Buying international property is a complex business, and the rules for transacting in each state of America are different.

GlobeSt.com: What type of agents are there in China?

GlobeSt.com: What features make projects stand out and attract the best agents to sell them?

Instant Insights /

The Real Reason So Many Chinese Buyers Use Agents

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