Should billboard ads contain at least some English?

Or does it make sense to cater for foreign-speaking community?

CANNY real estate agents are advertising Sydney property in Mandarin, hoping to exclusively appeal to cashed-up Chinese buyers.

Despite the looming fear Sydney’s housing bubble is set to burst, agents are ­continuing to invest in marketing to Chinese-Australians, erecting advertising signs in Mandarin only, and hiring buyer’s agents who speak the language.

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One agent advertising in the city’s inner northwest — where some suburbs have a Chinese population of more than 30 per cent — has a billboard in Mandarin at the busy Rhodes train station.

media_camera Commuter Weisen Jiang says completely Chinese advertisements “just aren’t inclusive”.

media_camera The Rhodes office of real estate agent Tim Wu, who has an advertising billboard in Chinese and another on the same platform in English at Rhodes railway station.

The sign for of LJ Hooker Rhodes agent Tim Wu, urges locals in Mandarin to consider his agency as their first choice.

A spokesman for the agency said Mr Wu advertised his buying and selling skills on Chinese and English billboards, but would not elaborate on why it was necessary to post some signs entirely in Mandarin.

“He manages his own brand under LJ Hooker,” the spokesman said.

A month ago Belle Property Mosman announced it had hired Mandarin-fluent Bo Zhang as a buyer’s agent responsible for assisting with inquiries from China.

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Real Estate Institute of NSW CEO Tim McKibbin said, while agents had to keep records in English, they can advertise and negotiate in any language they choose.

“We live in a very diverse community these days and I think there is a number of people in our society with English not their first language,” Mr McKibbin said.

“So the agent in question is providing a service to a section of our society.”

Rhodes resident Weisen Jiang struggled to interpret the billboard at Rhodes railway station.

“The sign reads, do you want a better apartment, we are your first choice.” Mr Jiang said. ‘‘This isn’t great for Rhodes. Completely ­Chinese advertisements just aren’t inclusive.’’

media_camera Chinese language street and shop signs are common in Eastwood.