WeChat Leaps Into NY Residential Real Estate Market
WeChat’s influence is spilling over into the New York residential real estate market as brokerage firm Halstead launches a corporate account on Tencent’s popular Chinese messaging app.
Halstead’s agents have been using WeChat on an individual basis for the past two years to reach Chinese speakers. The firm’s corporate WeChat account, the first from a residential real estate firm, moves this marketing up a notch. With the account, Halstead has partnered with WeChat influencers and built content in Chinese about practical tips on buying, market analysis and neighborhood information.
Apparently, New York is still a popular buying destination for Chinese seeking new homes, and it’s a beacon for China tech titans such as Alibaba that are expanding in the city. Overall, Chinese business investment in U.S. companies has slowed considerably over the past year in the wake of the U.S. China tech and war battles.
WeChat is the default messaging system in China. Known as a superapp for its multiple payment and connection functions, WeChat also has caught on among Chinese speakers outside the home country as a fast, cheap and convenient way to stay connected.
“With over 1 billion monthly active users, WeChat is a marketing medium that can’t be ignored in our global marketplace,” said Stephen Kliegerman, president of Halstead’s new development division that is overseeing the new outreach.