Weidong Wang and her husband bought their first home two and a half years ago, they are now selling and moving up the property ladder.

All those stereotypes about the Chinese are true - and that's why they're beating Kiwis on the property ladder, says Hamilton real estate agent Tony Tang.

Billboards plastered across the Waikato city advertise Tang as a Chiwi, or a Chinese Kiwi, cementing his proclaimed specialty in the market.

They [Chinese people] don't have a flat white habit, they don't head off to Europe on holiday and they don't go drinking on Saturday nights, he says.

DOMINICO ZAPATA/FAIRFAX NZ Hamilton real estate agent Tony Tang says securing a house is a priority for Chinese.

They work seven days a week, eat at home and they buy a house anywhere. Less desirable suburbs will do, says Tang.

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Tang says the Chinese culture emphasises both property and financial security.

GISBORNE HERALD Gisborne mayor Meng Foon says owning property is part of the Chinese culture and is used as a vehicle to provide security for family.

"My [European Kiwi] friends would prefer to buy a boat, buy a ute or go to Europe.

"My Chinese friends are still going to buy a nice car, but they are going to secure their living situation first."

Chinese are taught to save their money, buy a house and build up from there, Tang says.

Tang first bought in Dinsdale, but Melville and other low-socio economic areas would have also done the trick.

He has since sold and moved up the housing ladder.

The Kiwi approach is different - they are using their money to enjoy life's short term benefits.

The Chinese are geared towards saving and have a long term plan when it comes to their financial health, he says.

"I know people who have worked seven days a week for the past three years without taking a holiday. They are saving all the money they can."

HARD WORK AND SAVING

Weidong Wang grew up in Harbin, a province in northern China, but moved to Hamilton to study at Waikato University.

While studying she met her husband, who coincidentally had also come to Hamilton from the same Chinese province to study.

"When we got married it was important we had a house. A place to call home."

So, two and a half years ago the couple bought their first home in Fairfield.

Planning out the financial future was an important step in life for the pair.

Even more so now they have eight-month-old daughter.

As a result of hard work, saving money where they can, and a bumper property market, they are now about to make their next move, hopefully into Flagstaff.

A house is seen as a safe investment, Wang says.

"Most of the Chinese, they think that the house is important. It's an important place for family, for a new family."

Wang agrees with Tang, Chinese are hard workers and will sacrifice days off in pursuit of the dollar.

But, Kiwis are not lazy, they just approach life differently, she says.

The Chinese have a greater focus on getting a house than Kiwis do, she believes.

FEWER HOLIDAYS

Harcourts real estate agent Cindy Liu is new to the housing game, but is Chinese by birth.

"I am still learning about the property market, but it's so much cheaper than in China, and back in China you don't own the land," Liu says.

New Zealand, and other countries, are attractive places to buy real estate because you then own a piece of land, something tangible that's not on lease to the Government.

"I believe that's true, we don't take so many vacations. We do work hard, and we do work weekends if we have to."

MAKE A START ON THE LADDER

Gisborne mayor Meng Foon is a Chinese Kiwi.

He reiterates that owning property is part of the Chinese culture.

"We definitely use property as a vehicle to provide for our family, and provide security for them."

The Chinese also like to help their children and grandchildren get into property where they can, and will make sacrifices to ensure it happens, Foon says.

There is no notion that they have to start in a similar house to their parents, it is instilled that they just need to get into the market.

Chinese will happily take a two bedroom house that needs a lot of work.

But Foon doesn't think the rest can learn from the Chinese.

"Don't learn, just do it. Everything is in the doing."