Feng shui remains a mysterious science that sceptics may scoff at, yet many Chinese tend to check feng shui when it comes to buying property.

In fact, feng shui can make or break a sale, and even some international developers are now deeming it important enough to begin designing development projects with feng shui in mind.
To help you market a property more successfully to Chinese buyers, here are 5 must-know feng shui basics to take note of:
  • Main entrance: Avoid showing houses with the main door placed at the side. This is because the front door is the where life nurturing chi (energy) enters the house.
  • Open and clutter-free at the front: Do ensure the front of the houses you show are not blocked by trees that overshadow, garbage, imposing buildings that loom over, or sharp objects. These will oppress the incoming energy flow.
  • Support at the rear: Do show properties with a “tortoise element” at the back, be it a mountain, a hill, higher ground, a row of trees, or a taller building. This represents protection and a good backing for the home.
  • Door alignment: Avoid showing homes with the front and back doors aligned. This allows positive chi that enters through the front to escape directly out the back.
  • Energy balance: Avoid showing houses that are near locations with too much yin energy (temples/churches, hospitals, cemeteries, funeral homes, stagnant water, dilapidated buildings) or too much yang energy (fire stations, police stations, prisons, clubs). These places will disrupt the energy balance of the property.
Armed with this feng shui 101, go forth and work in good feng shui elements into your marketing pitch and collateral. And remember, bad feng shui can be fixed. You just have to know how, such as consulting a feng shui advisor or doing your own research about how to address these issues.