Using WeChat to market your listings to Chinese buyers

2020-05-15
China

Finding Chinese buyers via WeChat

WeChat is the most popular app in China.  Basically every person living in China has this app on his/her phone.  And that is every person - no matter your nationality. Of course, all Chinese do have this app but also foreigners living or working in China have downloaded this app on their phone.  And, to make the point clear that WeChat is the most important app, almost every Chinese person living in any country outside of China has downloaded the app as well.  

Wechat currently has more than 1 billion active users per month. 

What is WeChat?

WeChat is a messaging app with a lot of other functionalities such as Facebook-type "moments" and wallet and payment functionality,   People in China are using Wechat to pay for grocery in a store, rent a bike, buy a movie ticket, play a game, order and pay for a taxi, book a vacation, etc.  Almost all your daily needs are all integrated in this WeChat app.

Why is Wechat so critical for Chinese?

WeChat is critical for Chinese all over the world as it is really the major platform that they are using to communicate with each other.  It is very similar to Facebook - if you do not have it, you basically (almost) do not exist.

Why is Wechat so cricitical for me (as a real estate agent)?

Wechat is the best way of communicating with potential Chinese buyers,  Actually, it is most likely going to be the only way. Chinese do not like to use email and even phone conversations are avoided,  Just put your message (and your listing) in WeChat.  As such, it is critical for real estate agents to use Wechat in order to deal with Chinese buyers and trying to close that deal!

You can read more details on WeChat here.

In the Media

Forbes
Bloomberg
South China Morning Post
CNBC
iMoney
Shanghai Times
Squarefoot
Shanghai Office
Capital Weekly
The New York Times
TheStreet.com
Financial Times