Individual Chinese investors are quickening their expansion into the overseas property market as tightening measures on the sector at home continue to restrict their opportunities.

So far, 13 local governments have rolled out policies to restrict the number of homes that a family can purchase. The further increase in down payments for both first and second homes has also raised the cost of investment.

According to Real Capital Analytics, China-based companies have invested $62.6 million in the US real estate market this year. The figure does not include US-based Chinese companies or other intermediaries. Statistics from the US National Association of Realtors also show that investors from China are the most likely foreign investors to purchase US properties valued at $1 million and more.

Li Ye, a 42-year-old company executive, has been thinking about buying an apartment in the US as her company just floated shares on Nasdaq. She believes it is now a good time to buy a house overseas instead of investing in property at home.

"Recent tightening of (the government's real estate) policy towards Chinese domestic property investments has led to an increased appetite for overseas real estate purchases. And the strengthening of the yuan against major currencies in the past two years has also meant Chinese buyers could acquire foreign real estate assets at a bargain," said Randall Hall, CEO of Savills China. 

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