SHANGHAI, April 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --  idealista.com, Spain's largest property website and also a sector leader in both Portugal and Italy, will begin marketing properties in China this month through a new agreement with China's No. 1 international property website, Juwai.com.

Real estate agents and developers who are already advertising on idealista.com can now extend their reach to the Chinese, the fastest growing group of buyers in Southern Europe. Through idealista.com, they can purchase advertising on Juwai.com, upgrade their listings for greater visibility and enhance their own or their agency's presence in China.

This announcement comes in the wake of partnerships between Juwai.com and RE/MAX Portugal, RE/MAX Australia, RE/MAX New Zealand, and LJ Hooker in Australasia.

All real estate listings on Juwai.com are hosted in China, behind the so-called Great Firewall of China, to prevent the throttling or blocking that can plague websites hosted in other countries. Sixty-nine of the world's top websites, as ranked by Alexa.com, are blocked in China.

Spain has increasing commercial and cultural ties to China. Spanish exports to China doubled between 2009 and 2013, as did the number of companies exporting from Spain to China[i]. By 2015, 88 million Chinese tourists will be visiting Spain on an annual basis, up 25% from 2011[ii].

In Portugal, citizens of mainland China and Hong Kong obtained 90% of the 560 golden visas issued in the first year of existence for that country's investment visa program. They invested more than 280 million euros into the Portuguese economy.

Chinese tourist visits to Italy, which are a leading indicator of property purchases, are expected to increase by more than 15% per year through 2016[iii]. Italy also receives the third greatest direct investment from China of any European country[iv].

Since 2011, Juwai.com has been the No. 1 website for Chinese who are buying property outside of China. It markets 2.4 million listings in 53 countries to a monthly audience of 1.5 million. 82% of its users are mainland Chinese.

Quotes

Jesus Encinar, founder and CEO of idealista.com said:

"Because of our investment visa, Spain is increasingly a gateway to Europe for China's 643,000 US-dollar millionaires. The number of millionaires in China is growing by 14% each year."

"Chinese buyers come to Southern Europe because it is both a little exotic to them and also part of the European Community. The quality of life, protected environment and -- especially -- property prices are very compelling for them."

"Joining forces with Juwai.com will give the agents and developers who advertise with us a powerful tool to win more listings and sell more property."

Juwai.com Co-CEO Simon Henry said:

"With this innovative agreement, idealista.com reveals their focus on creating value and providing service to the real estate industry."

"idealista.com is one of the oldest and most prestigious European property websites and a clear leader in the markets where it operates."

"Sellers will seek out those agents who are marketing in China, to ensure they get the best possible price for their property. Marketing in China is a competitive advantage for any agent."

"Chinese buyers instantly fall in love with the Latin culture and way of life. When they see the properties they can afford for the price of a modest apartment back in Beijing, it boggles their minds."

About idealista.com

idealista.com is the No. 1 property website in Spain, as well as one of the most popular real estate websites in Italy and Portugal. It is the third most popular real estate portal in Europe, according to Alexa.com. idealista.com lists more than 1M properties, has 1.5 million registered users and receives more than 6 million monthly unique browsers.

About Juwai.com

Juwai.com is the top-ranked international property portal catering to the needs of the world's Chinese-language population. Juwai.com empowers Chinese consumers to make informed purchase decisions, and helps real estate agents grow their businesses by accessing the world's fastest-growing buyers of international property. The company is headquartered in Shanghai, with additional offices in Hong Kong. For info or to advertise: http://list.juwai.com

Media Contact:

Dave Platter, Juwai.com, Sydney, Australia, +61 432 814 888, dave@juwai.com

SOURCE Juwai.com