One of China’s largest international real estate portals, Juwai.com, reported enquiries for Australian properties from the mainland rising 40% year-on-year in 1Q 2019. This followed the 54% increase witnessed in 4Q 2018 and is the first consecutive quarterly increase seen since 2016.

Our thoughts: Chinese buyers have been attracted to Australian real estate in recent years and their return would be a boon for the sector. One major factor has been the c.10% devaluation of the AUD against the Yuan over the past year which has offset transaction cost hurdles such as foreign buyer stamp duties. Along with recent local stimulus, the Australian residential market is starting to see a lift in confidence following a market correction across most capital cities.