Centaline to build up its online business in mainland China
Property agency set to launch e-commerce platform on the mainland
Centaline China, the mainland's largest property agency by number of branches for the past 10 years, is preparing for the changes that will result from the boom in e-commerce in real estate.
"Our goal last year was to counter the competition from Home Link, our largest competitor on the mainland.
"This year, we will invest heavily in the online business," said Sherman Lai Ming-kai, chairman of Centaline Group, the parent company of Centaline China.
Centaline China has more than 1,700 branches in 15 mainland cities and already has its own property website. However, that is not enough in this competitive market, Lai said.
Our goal last year was to counter the competition from Home Link
E-commerce on the mainland is more popular and well-developed than in Hong Kong, he said.
In the second-hand market, Home Link, a Beijing-based property agency, has developed a mature online property platform and app for smartphones. Its intranet is also well developed and allows its agents to search for suitable flats available for sale.