Wealthy Chinese-based buyers are paying big money for Canterbury homes, including $5 million splurged in just three days.

Local real estate agents are travelling to China to cash in on its global property spending boom and advertising on specialist foreign websites.

Attending a recent luxury property expo in Shanghai, realtor Bayleys Canterbury found buyers for $5.4m worth of homes in three days. They hope for even more sales at a similar event in Beijing in April.

Bayleys general manager Pete Whalan described the buyers as "mega rich".

The five Shanghai deals included a block of six Pegasus townhouses sold for $2.7m to an investor, a West Melton lifestyle block bought for $1.2m by intending immigrants, and sales of houses in Christchurch's north-western suburbs for more than $750,000.

Whalan said the investors knew about the rebuild and economic boom, while those with migration plans liked the education and lifestyle opportunities.

A BNZ report last year found four out of 10 Chinese buyers of New Zealand real estate planned to shift here, at least temporarily. China was the country's biggest and fastest growing source of migrants last year. New Zealand has no limits on foreign property ownership, except that sensitive land sales or deals worth more than $100m need Offshore Investment Office approval.

Labour Party leader Andrew Little has called for a register of foreign house buyers amid concern about rising prices and Prime Minister John Key has not ruled out the idea. Australia last year moved to tighten controls on foreign buyers, while Canada, Britain and Singapore also have restrictions.

China has relaxed its rules so citizens can buy more global real estate, but bans the sale of its own land to foreigners. Chinese buyers spent the equivalent of NZ$18 billion on property outside their country in 2013, more than double the previous year.

Real estate group Ray White began advertising all New Zealand listings in China through website Juwai.com six months ago. The site draws 1000 inquiries a month from China, of which a quarter are for Canterbury homes, Ray White chief executive Carey Smith said. Queenstown was also proving popular.

"We are dealing with affluent buyers. Generally they are business people or have a family connection here."

Many bought as family groups, he said.

Juwai translates listings into Mandarin and Cantonese in its Sydney office, and translates back buyers' emails for Kiwi agents. Smith said Chinese buyer interest spread to Canterbury from Auckland last year. Inevitably, it was pushing up top-end prices, he said.

Juwai.com spokesman Dave Platter told The Press from Sydney that Chinese buyers had an average budget of $1.4m.

New Zealand-based property sites also target China, with HouGarden.com claiming over 22 million views annually.

Lynette McFadden, co-owner of Harcourts Gold in Christchurch, described buyers from China as a force in the pricier end of the market, with many "comfortable" in the $1m plus bracket.

Most wanted large, modern houses in established subdivisions and the north-western suburbs. McFadden said her company had recruited both Mandarin and Cantonese speaking agents.