Buying a property, anywhere in the world, can be a stressful experience. Fortunately, there are a…read morefew good agents out there who are fighting your corner (as well as that of the vendor), and make this stress a little more bearable. Janice Chan at Y&C Property is one such agent, who has this particular calm and easy going nature bout her, that makes her a pleasure to deal with. Based in Tin Hau, so dealing with only properties local to that area, the agency is one of many nestled in the patch around Electric Road near the MTR station. Many of these agents share properties, but it seemed that Janice had access to some that were exclusive, which is great as it doesn't waste everyone's time with repeated viewings. It also meant that she had keys accessible or contact with the landlord, so we didn't have to wait at each property for some other agent to let us in. Janice also respected the budget and didn't try to weasel a few thousand more dollars out of every viewing. Frankly, is I say a million, I mean a million, not one and a half! Her English was reasonable, not the best, but passable. Unfortunately her colleagues were a bit like walking potatoes, but that might have been a language barrier. One thing that Janice did which I found a bit irritating, was the order of the viewings. Rather than organise the viewings around geography, so for example you go to the furthest one and work your way back, she would organise the viewings by some other random format, which meant we would go to and fro doubling up our walkabout. In the HK heat, it's not very pleasant. Otherwise, perfectly nice folks to deal with. Do check them out as their stock does seem to be that little bit different to everyone else's.

Buying a property in Hong Kong can be a little bit of a minefield. For us mere mortals, who cannot…read moreafford one of the brand-new buildings offered by the larger chain estate agents, we are relegated to using some of the more colourful local agents, with old stock that is perhaps more suited to our budget. If you happen to be looking for a property in Tin Hau, I recommend that you go to Ngan Mok Street. Down this street there several estate agents, all of which hold a lot of reasonably priced stock in the area. Fion Li with Park View Property was particularly refreshing to deal with. She understood, and most importantly, followed our budget requirements. There was no addition of a few percent here or a few percent there. She looked for property at our budget. Of course when we were looking, many of the properties were not available to view immediately. We were able to make an appointment with Fion on the following day, and unlike many of the other agents, she was able to secure access to each of the properties on the day arranged. The only issue of having so many agents in a small area, is that they all hold the same stock - literally. So what was happening, was Fion was taking the keys from another agent to show us a property which the other agent would also be showing. As such, we ended up seeing many properties that we had already seen with another agent, and as is Hong Kong law, we were obliged to continue with the previous agent. Fortunately, Fion was very gracious about us turning down viewings. She must be quite used to this by now. Last note, Fion's English was very good, so we were able to communicate with relative ease. Again, a refreshing change to most local agents. I mean, how on earth do you hand signal, "are there any mortgage encumbrances on the property?"?

There's probably not a great deal one could say about a property agent. They advertise and sell…read morehouses, they are really only as good as their stock, and they tend to stick to one area (unless it is a chain). Well, if you are ever thinking of buying or renting in Wan Chai, do take a moment to seek out Good Luck Property. They are located near the Wan Chai / CWB border, and tend to stock properties in that side of town too. It means you get a Wan Chai address, but without being above a girlie bar. Their stock is good, especially for the lower end of the market (I suppose if you have a HKD20million flat to sell you will go to Centaline or Midland), so there is often plenty to choose from. Ask for Louis (pronounced the Jerry Lee way as opposed to the French king way). He is a really nice bloke who exudes a wonderful honesty in his work. He never badgers or pesters, just shows you properties and waits for you to come back with a yeay or nay. He will negotiate well on your behalf, he did so for me and shaved a few hundred off the asking rent on my last place. He is also educated in Oz, so his English is excellent. Go see them for your property needs, and "Good Luck" - haha, see what I did there!

I know Yelp isn't as big here in HK as it is back in North America, but I've gotta give these guys…read morea shout-out and their first Yelp review, just in case any fellow relocating expats take a look here when searching for an agent. I highly recommend Paul Hoosang as his English is excellent and he found my wife and I a place that greatly exceeded our expectations, based on the preliminary searching we had done online. The entire process was handled professionally and seamlessly, including arranging the utilities set up on our behalf. If you're looking for an agent to take the stress out of finding a new rental in a new city, look no further!

If you are ever looking for a house in Cheung Chau, I thoroughly recommend you seek out Kenneth…read moreYeung of Region Property Management & Agency Co.. Kenneth is a delightful fellow, who modestly claims not to speak English, but is in fact very good, so ex-pat buyers, you would do well to come to him. Kenneth is somewhat the kingpin of the Cheung Chau property scene, everyone knows him, and rates him highly. The properties he holds covers the full range available on the island, with properties to match all budgets. Ultimately, there is only so much property on Cheung Chau, and Kenneth seems to have them all covered! What I particularly like about the way that Kenneth works, is his liberal use of media. HK agencies are a real pain in the proverbial, when they offer detail on a property, but don't have any photos to show. As Cheung Chau is a bit of a trek to get around (there are no cars and Mrs L finds cycling unladylike), and Region Property has limited staff to tour around with you, Kenneth has made sure he videos all of his properties. This way, he can show you lots of videos and photos on the big screen in his office, without you having to step out in to the hot sunshine and schlep across the island, just to realise the proposed property is no good. Whilst I sing Kenneth's praises for his media use, do remember he is an estate agent, so can sometimes be flexible with the truth. For example, the smell coming through the housing estate is not "somebody's cooking" or "natural sea smells", and the noise is not "children playing", but in fact the smell and noise of the pig abattoir next door. Why do I suddenly feel that Clarice Starling is about to pop up?

Midland Realty is a giant amongst the estate agent world in Hong Kong. They have a huge number of…read morebranches, covering every square-foot of the island, the mainland, and outlying islands. Their reach is quite impressive. However, I want to highlight one store and one agent in particular. If you are ever looking for a property in Tin Hau, I would suggest visiting the Electric Road branch and asking for Simon. Simon is a lovely, good-natured agent, who works incredibly hard to find suitable properties for you, but is never pushy. His English is also excellent. What I particularly like about using a large agency like Midland Realty, is that they have access to properties beyond the area that the branch, and you, are perhaps looking in. On a recent property scouting trip to Tin Hau, I was not sure if I would eventually want to move to this area. As such, Simon hunted out properties in different areas of HK Island and Kowloon, that suited my needs, but where perhaps not in the specific area that I had originally requested. There in fact proved to be quite a few gems. What Simon also specialises in, is the new developments. He seems to have access to, and again this is perhaps due to being part of a large agency, a number of developments being built, that can only be bought off plan. If you are able to wait, and happy to buy off plan, you can get some real bargains in these brand-new buildings, before they are released to the general public. Sure, if you are looking for something very specific, in a very specific area, the local mom and pop agencies may suit you better. However if you're search is a little more general, or you are interested in brand-new developments, try some of these bigger agencies. As Simon has proved they're not all huge and anonymous.

My husband and I relocated to HK from NYC in May, 2014. The Company put us up here for one month…read morewhile we searched for an apartment. I truly enjoyed my stay at Shama Central. Our FLAT was wayyyy bigger than we needed. We rarely went to the "living room" section. I'd say that our unit was 900 sq feet - maybe a little more. The kitchen space is SUPER tiny with a sink, and 2 burners, and ity-bity counter space, but I quickly learned that this is normal in HK. No oven - something I also found out was rare in HK. At these serviced apartments, they really do help you feel at home. When you first arrive, they have a goodie basket filled with snacks like Milano Cookies along with coffee and tea. I was getting really spoiled by the house cleaning that they do for you EVERY. DAY. I did my dishes, but I definitely never fixed my bed or cleaned the bathroom. They have a big screen T.V in the bedroom and another big screen T.V . in the living room. They only had 3 english channels so, I was pretty much limited to watching whatever they had on - which were mostly English Movies. They also have a small gym with weights and treadmills. There is a T.V. but the treadmill was facing away from it. The laundry facilities include 4 machines - 2 dryers and 2 washers. Please be courteous and take your things out on time, so other guests can wash their clothes too!! You must have your own laundry detergent though. You probably can purchase it from the front desk. We just bought ours outside at Park n Shop. Security is also good! So good that we couldn't figure out how to get in upon arrival. Their doorbell must have been broken. The office is on the 2nd floor, so you need to get in on the ground floor, then take the elevator up to the 2nd floor. Luckily, there as a nice lady sitting in front of the building, saw us with all our luggage, and let us in with her key card. Its situated on Peel Street which is 100 meters (to the right) to the wet market. Here you could buy your veggies and your meats! ( I wouldn't completely trust these wet markets though. They sell meat in 30-degree celsius weather!! To me, that translates to, "not fresh and probably spoiled".) Walk three more blocks down and you'll be on Queens Road! If you decided to walk left on Peel street, you will be on Hollywood Road! Very close to PMQ and other restaurants. You are in the Mid-Levels so it's better to expect everything to be catered to Expats. Safe Travels!

Just checked in today and very disappointed. For the price, while the serviced apartment is large,…read moreit is dingy, not updated and in poor condition. The biggest issue, however, is the incredibly slow internet service - definitely not a place for business travelers. Also, at 8 pm I called down to advise I would be checking out a day early and I wanted to ensure they did not charge me and the man at the management desk said he could not help me and I would need to call the next day after 9 am. But again - the worst is the terribly slow internet service. Of note: I lived in HK for 6 years so am well aware of what the standards here should be. They fall far short.

Deciding upon the place you're going to live for the next year (at least!) is never easy. It…read moreshouldn't be because you'll be there for a year! When it comes to finding the right place, on Southern Lantau, there are few places that do it better than Home Solutions. The estate agent has clients all across the beaches from Mui Wo, to Pui O, to Cheung Sha, as well as all the villages in between. They are also one of the only expat agencies in the area - for those non-chinese speakers out there. My girlfriend and I were looking for a new place a couple years ago and we were intrigued by the idea of living in the charming town of Mui Wo. We entered Home Solutions and were introduced to an agent named Sharon. After our first conversation I found Sharon to be an agent that actually listens to what we want and need. Almost immediately we were taken to three different homes that suited our budget and other requirements - one of which we loved. We inquired about that one and instantly struck up a negotiation with the owners, through Sharon. The fact that both Sharon and I are alive today, after our constant questions, demands, and such is a testament to the patience and professionalism of the woman. If it was me dealing with someone like me I'd hang up the phone in a heartbeat. That's just one of the reasons why I'm not an estate agent. By the end of the back and forth Sharon managed to get both parties to sign the contract with smiles on our faces. An agency is nothing without its agents. Home Solutions has the property, it has the agents, and it has my business if I ever think about moving to south Lantau again.