Peng Fei

THE first Property Tour for Expats, co-organized by the Shenzhen Daily and China Merchants Property Consultants (CMPC) (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., on Saturday was hailed by a group of expatriate participants as a good start.

The potential homebuyers were shown around two luxury housing communities, Coastal Rose Garden and Mont Orchid Riverlet, in Shekou, Nanshan District.

The CMPC offered one-to-one English service, giving prompt answers and explanations to tour members, who were impressed with the homes priced between 3.15 million yuan (US$450,000) to 15 million yuan.

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“The tour was nice and informative. And it was the first time I could communicate directly with a property consultant who can speak English,”

“I feel satisfied. It’s a good start,” said Sunny Bansal, a computer parts businessman from India, who took his family, including two children and their babysitter.

Bansal and his wife Kavita have lived in Shenzhen for six years. He wrote a letter to the Shenzhen Daily on Dec. 18 last year when the paper’s Property Purchase Club for Expats opened.

In his letter he said: “Although Shenzhen property prices have increased incredibly, we still feel it’s the right time to own a house here. As the Shenzhen Daily has taken the initiative, we are excited and confident of seeing our dream become a reality.”

Bansal said that he lived in Futian District but was thinking of moving to Shekou as his two children would soon need to go to an international school.

Imai from Japan has lived in Shenzhen for some years. He said he was looking for a house priced at about 1.5 million yuan. “These apartments are beautiful, but I can’t afford it,” he said.

Weera, a businessman from Sri Lanka, said he would like to buy property, either an office or apartment, near Futian. “If any property tours are arranged in this (Futian) area in the future, I’d like to join again,” he said.

Although hoping to own a home of their own, Mr. and Ms. Krishnamurthy, an Indian couple, will still wait and see as it was not yet clear whether now was a good time to buy.

“We would like to visit housing communities with tours, but we won’t buy within six months,” he said.

Similar tours will be arranged in the future, the organizers said.