Real estate search site Zillow found it did not see a significant increase in traffic from Chinese buyers searching for Seattle, except during Lunar New Year, reports The Vancouver Sun (9 March 2017). However, findings from China's leading international property portal Juwai.com show a surge in Chinese searches and enquiries for the Emerald City since the implementation of the 15% BC foreign buyer tax. According to Juwai.com CEO Charles Pittar, "If the Vancouver tax benefited anyone, it benefited Toronto and Seattle. We did see a shift in demand to those two cities, although that shift appears to be moderating as time passes, in particular with regards to Seattle.” Pittar further adds that while the initial surge in increased searches for Seattle has waned, many local agents reported that they are still receiving Chinese buyer enquiries who have turned away from Vancouver for better options.
