Chinese tots spur home markets abroad

Young parents buy or lease properties near schools overseas to give their kids a head start for life in a globalized world

The trend of Chinese parents pulling out all the stops to secure a bright future for their children has intensified this year. Their investments in both top-quality foreign education and homes near schools overseas have surged as China's economic rise stokes aspirations of the newly affluent middle-income group, said industry insiders.

Sally Wang, who has been working as a realty agent in London for nearly a decade and is founder of real estate agency SJW (UK) Property Investment Ltd, said demand for prime UK properties near educational institutions from young Chinese parents shows no signs of abating.