A new front has opened in the battle for Britain’s housing market. Chinese social media influencers are being paid to market luxury Cambridge homes to wealthy buyers in Beijing. The campaign, orchestrated by a London estate agent, targets investors seeking a safe haven for capital amid economic uncertainty at home.
For months, adverts have appeared on Chinese platforms such as WeChat and Douyin, featuring glossy videos of Georgian townhouses and modern flats near the River Cam. One influencer with 2 million followers posted a tour of a £1.5 million penthouse, describing it as a ‘perfect bolt-hole for a family or investment’. The posts are sponsored, with influencers reportedly paid up to £10,000 per campaign.
The strategy reflects a broader push by UK developers to attract foreign buyers, especially from Asia, as domestic demand falters. Cambridge, with its elite university and booming tech sector, has become a hotspot. Prices have risen 12% in the past year, far outpacing national averages.
But critics argue this fuels London and the South East’s housing crisis. ‘These are homes for local families, not foreign portfolios,’ said Jane Harkness of the Cambridge Housing Action group. ‘When properties become financial assets for billionaires overseas, ordinary people are priced out.’
The practice is legal but under scrutiny. The government’s review of foreign ownership, launched after the Ukraine crisis, has yet to propose new curbs. Meanwhile, the Bank of England warns that capital flight from emerging markets could inflate property bubbles.
For the influencers, it is simply business. ‘My followers trust my taste,’ said one, who asked not to be named. ‘If I say a flat in Cambridge is a good investment, they buy. It is what I do.’
The question is whether Britain’s housing market will remain a global commodity or return to being a home for the people who live in it.
