New | More mainland Chinese keen on overseas properties
Respondents cite children's education and investment while price remains the top concern
To gauge the buying demand among mainland Chinese for domestic and overseas residential properties, the South China Morning Post and consultancy Century 21 China Real Estate have partnered on a quarterly sentiment survey.
In the fifth poll conducted in Beijing and Shanghai in the first quarter, 243 clients of Century 21 responded, compared with 274 in the fourth quarter of last year.
The latest survey indicated a rising proportion of mainland Chinese became interested in buying properties abroad, mainly for their children's education and to diversify investment.
The respondents care most about price as they become more familiar with local policies through widespread media reports in the past two years.
The median sale price for new homes in the United States, one of the top destinations for mainland Chinese buyers, peaked at US$302,700 in November and has since fallen every month to US$275,500 in February.
The 10 US cities most searched by international buyers in February were New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Orlando, Las Vegas, Fort Lauderdale, San Diego, San Francisco, Houston and Naples, according to the National Association of Realtors, an industry group.