by Theleaders | September 1, 2026 4:57 pm
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 1 — Malaysia has emerged as a leading destination for property seekers from China, with its share of enquiries reaching the highest level in a decade.
According to new insights released today by Juwai IQI, the profile of Chinese buyers in Malaysia is undergoing a significant transformation.
While offshore investors previously dominated the market, there is a clear shift towards expatriates and families purchasing homes with the intention of living in them.
Juwai IQI co-founder and group chief executive officer Kashif Ansari said in a statement that the country’s rising appeal was reflected in global search trends.
“Malaysia is now the fourth most popular destination for Chinese property buyers, up from sixth in 2025 and from seventh in 2022, 2023, and 2024,” Kashif said.
The surge in interest is evident in Malaysia’s share of global enquiries.
In 2024, Malaysia attracted 2.8 per cent of global property enquiries from Chinese homebuyers, with the figure climbing to 4.5 per cent in 2025.
In the first half of this year, the share reached a new high of 7.3 per cent.
“Never before in this decade has Malaysia been popular with buyers from China,” Kashif noted.
“For context, Thailand and Australia hold the top two spots with Chinese buyers, while the UK is now third. Malaysia has leapt ahead of the fifth-ranked United States and popular golden visa destination Greece.”
Market data and buyer sentiment
Citing market data from the National Property Information Centre (Napic), Kashif said it appeared to corroborate the shift towards higher-end, owner-occupied properties.
In the first quarter, the market saw a 1.8 per cent increase in sales of homes valued at RM1 million and above, even as other segments remained flat.
Homes priced above RM1 million accounted for 9.2 per cent of all transactions in the first quarter, up from 7.9 per cent in 2024 and 8.3 per cent in 2025.
Kashif believes the appetite for premium homes is a clear indicator of sustained interest, bolstered by strong participation from Chinese buyers.
“We know exactly where Chinese buyers stood in relation to other foreign buyer groups in the first half of 2025. Citizens of China were the most active foreign buyers, even above Singapore, and invested RM835 million in residential property.
“Thus, Chinese buyers accounted for about 51 per cent of the total that all foreigners invested in real estate. If you annualise that number, it works out to more than RM1.6 billion of property investment,” he explained.
He added that the motivation of these buyers had moved beyond pure investment.
“The new buyer from China is more focused on education and lifestyle. The Chinese educational system is intensely competitive, and some parents decide to move their children to more friendly environments that can also provide a route to international or Chinese universities.
“Parents are interested in expat hubs like Mont Kiara, Desa ParkCity, and Penang, where quality international schools are available,” he added.
MM2H programme remains a key driver
The surge in interest is further supported by the continued popularity of the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme, which remains a key driver of the trend.
“Data from NAPIC and Juwai IQI show Chinese demand climbing, but that’s not all. Malaysia My Second Home is also booming, and more than 50 per cent of MM2H applications are submitted by Chinese applicants,” Kashif said.
Last year, the government approved applications involving 9,038 participants, contributing an estimated RM3.875 billion in economic value to the country.
Participants also directly invested RM1.51 billion in real estate.
Addressing concerns that the programme might be losing momentum, Kashif said current approval rates far exceeded those of recent years.
“Some think that MM2H is losing its appeal, but the reality is quite the opposite. The programme had much lower numbers in years as recent as 2023,” he said.
“In fact, only 1,900 applicants were approved in the years 2021, 2022, and 2023, combined. Yet, in 2025, more than 3,000 visas and 9,000 participants obtained approval. MM2H is now approving 67 per cent more people per year than it did in three years together. That’s significant progress,” he added.
Looking ahead, Kashif anticipates that the momentum will persist through the second half of the year.
“Malaysia offers good schools, an attractive lifestyle, an admirable culture, and a predictable path to residency through MM2H. Those factors will keep drawing families and investment to the country,” he said.
Source URL: https://theleaders-online.com/juwai-iqi-malaysia-among-top-destinations-for-chinese-property-buyers-investment-on-track-to-top-rm1-6b-a-year/
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