Chinese buyers follow film to seattle

Photo: Howard Ignatius

Finding Mr. Right (Beijing Meets Seattle, originally), a blockbuster set in the US city, follows a pregnant Chinese woman who flies to Seattle in search of love and US citizenship, only to fall head over stethoscope for a doctor. The movie, which riffs on the 1980s Rom-com smash hit Sleepless in Seattle, has won over a horde of house-hunting hearts in its home country, prompting many to start looking for their perfect match overseas.

Indeed, according to The New York Times, Chinese buyers have now purchased a third of all homes worth more than $1 million in Seattle, a surge that has prompted some agents to hire Mandarin speakers to cater to demand. Others are even introducing a "feng shui contigency" into their day-to-day deals, which gives Chinese buyers the right to bring a feng shui consultant in to approve the home's layout before signing on the dotted line.

It marks the city out as the latest in a long trend of investment: Chinese buyers are now the biggest spenders on US real estate, splashing a staggering $22 billion in the 12 months to March 2014, according to the National Association of Realtors, up 72 per cent from the previous 12 months.

Dean Jones, President and Chief Executive Officer of Seattle-based Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty, writes on the Sotheby's blog: "The attractions are many. A depth of arts and culture, a pristine natural environment (including extraordinarily clean air and water), renowned schools, and an internationally diverse population."

Indeed, it also helps that Seattle now boasts numerous direct flights to Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing, which proves to be less expensive and up to two hours quicker than other international airport hubs in California. 

“Living the American Dream is more easily attained here in Seattle. Overseas clientele realize their children can relocate, graduate from the Seattle area’s premier public and private schools with honors, confidently secure employment and can afford to buy a home to build a family in a one of North America’s most beautiful and fastest growing regions," adds Jones.