Invest
Chinese investors lured to Australia with $8,888 rebates and immigration lawyers
Invest
Chinese investors lured to Australia with $8,888 rebates and immigration lawyers
Developers and agents in Australia are targeting cashed-up Chinese investors with various incentives, as they look to profit from Chinese New Year, an industry expert has revealed.
Chinese investors lured to Australia with $8,888 rebates and immigration lawyers
Developers and agents in Australia are targeting cashed-up Chinese investors with various incentives, as they look to profit from Chinese New Year, an industry expert has revealed.

Despite the pandemic restricting overseas flights, a number of countries, including Australia, are looking to attract Chinese investors through a range of interesting incentives.
As part of their sales pitch, one developer in Melbourne is offering investors a session with an immigration lawyer, while another is baiting buyers with the offer of a free, luxurious, Melbourne-based personalised concierge service.
Similarly, Elements at Carousel in Perth is offering Chinese New Year’s buyers an $8,888 developer rebate upon settlement. To qualify, buyers must make a reservation within 15 days of February 11, although they have until after the holidays to sign the contract.
The extra incentives and a COVID rebound are expected to boost cross-border buyer enquiries by 20 to 30 per cent from last year.

Juwai IQI Group co-founder and executive chairman Georg Chmiel said Chinese New Year is probably the most important season for Chinese overseas homebuyers.
“China is battling a new wave of COVID-19, so China is encouraging people to stay home and not travel. With fewer people traveling and more at home, more will have the time and inclination to look at overseas property,” Mr Chmiel said.
“Many Chinese with unexpected bank account surpluses are telling us they have decided to invest in real estate rather than fritter away the money. That’s why home prices in major Chinese cities are climbing. It is also one reason we forecast higher demand in Australia.”
Mr Chmiel has tipped that Chinese investors could see a rise in disposable income as the country battles through a second wave of lockdowns sweep across the country.
“In the Chinese city of Hebei, more than 22 million people have been told to stay home. People are encouraged to stay at home across most of the country, including in the wealthy cities of Beijing and Shanghai,” Mr Chmiel said.
“For property marketers, this is an opportunity. Consumers are at home with nothing to do, and they have the whole week off. You can have their undivided attention.”
According to the developer, similar incentives are also being used in Canada, Malaysia and Thailand.
About the author

About the author


Property
Twice the demand: the case study behind Melbourne’s first‑home buyer surge
Melbourne has quietly engineered one of Australia’s most consequential housing turnarounds, with first‑home buyer demand running at roughly double the national pace and four of the top five buyer ...Read more

Property
First‑home buyers now anchor Australia’s mortgage growth — but the risk maths is changing
Great Southern Bank’s revelation that nearly one in three of its new mortgages went to first‑home buyers is not an outlier. It is the leading edge of a broader market realignment powered by government ...Read more

Property
Home guarantee scheme shake-up challenges Australia’s housing market players
From 1 October 2025, the expanded Home Guarantee Scheme (HGS) materially widens what first-home buyers can purchase and where. By sharply lifting price caps and relaxing eligibility settings, the ...Read more

Property
GSB’s first‑home buyer play: turning policy tailwinds into market share
Great Southern Bank’s latest results show that nearly one in three of its new mortgages now go to first‑home buyers—evidence of a fast‑moving market reshaped by government guarantees, easing rates and ...Read more

Property
Why investors are fleeing and renters are scrambling in Australia's housing maze
Australia’s rental market is tightening even as individual landlords sell down. New data points to a multi‑year investor retreat tied to higher holding costs and regulatory uncertainty, while prices ...Read more

Property
Australia's 5% deposit guarantee: Unlocking gains while balancing risks in the market share race
Can a bigger government guarantee fix housing access without fuelling prices? Australia is about to find out. The Albanese government’s expanded 5% deposit pathway aims to help 70,000 buyers, remove ...Read more

Property
Australia's bold move the 5% deposit scheme shaking up the housing market
Can a government guarantee replace lenders mortgage insurance without inflating prices or risk? Canberra’s accelerated 5% deposit scheme is a bold demand-side nudge in a supply‑constrained marketRead more

Property
When rates drop but stress sticks: exploring Australia's mortgage arrears dilemma
Headline numbers suggest arrears ease as rates come down. The reality in Australia is messier: broad measures dipped into mid‑2025, yet severe delinquencies and non‑bank portfolios remain under ...Read more

Property
Twice the demand: the case study behind Melbourne’s first‑home buyer surge
Melbourne has quietly engineered one of Australia’s most consequential housing turnarounds, with first‑home buyer demand running at roughly double the national pace and four of the top five buyer ...Read more

Property
First‑home buyers now anchor Australia’s mortgage growth — but the risk maths is changing
Great Southern Bank’s revelation that nearly one in three of its new mortgages went to first‑home buyers is not an outlier. It is the leading edge of a broader market realignment powered by government ...Read more

Property
Home guarantee scheme shake-up challenges Australia’s housing market players
From 1 October 2025, the expanded Home Guarantee Scheme (HGS) materially widens what first-home buyers can purchase and where. By sharply lifting price caps and relaxing eligibility settings, the ...Read more

Property
GSB’s first‑home buyer play: turning policy tailwinds into market share
Great Southern Bank’s latest results show that nearly one in three of its new mortgages now go to first‑home buyers—evidence of a fast‑moving market reshaped by government guarantees, easing rates and ...Read more

Property
Why investors are fleeing and renters are scrambling in Australia's housing maze
Australia’s rental market is tightening even as individual landlords sell down. New data points to a multi‑year investor retreat tied to higher holding costs and regulatory uncertainty, while prices ...Read more

Property
Australia's 5% deposit guarantee: Unlocking gains while balancing risks in the market share race
Can a bigger government guarantee fix housing access without fuelling prices? Australia is about to find out. The Albanese government’s expanded 5% deposit pathway aims to help 70,000 buyers, remove ...Read more

Property
Australia's bold move the 5% deposit scheme shaking up the housing market
Can a government guarantee replace lenders mortgage insurance without inflating prices or risk? Canberra’s accelerated 5% deposit scheme is a bold demand-side nudge in a supply‑constrained marketRead more

Property
When rates drop but stress sticks: exploring Australia's mortgage arrears dilemma
Headline numbers suggest arrears ease as rates come down. The reality in Australia is messier: broad measures dipped into mid‑2025, yet severe delinquencies and non‑bank portfolios remain under ...Read more