Where will wealthy Chinese park their property investment dollars this year? According to forecasts by Colliers International, Canada should account for the top two spots.
Vancouver and Toronto will remain strong this year, followed by London and Singapore, Colliers says.
At present, 20-40 per cent of all foreign investors in these four destinations are from the mainland.
'Most mainland Chinese investors buy properties in Canada because their children study there,' says Derek Lai, director of international properties at Colliers International.
Vancouver is the mainlanders' first choice, mainly for the purposes of immigration and education.
Their interest has strongly influenced residential property prices, which have increased 9 per cent annually [and 7 per cent in Toronto] for the past six years, Lai says.