ESTATE AGENTS IN CHINA ARE TRYING EVERYTHING TO SELL FLATS China | Unreal estate ESTATE AGENTS IN CHINA ARE TRYING EVERYTHING TO SELL FLATS YOU CAN PLACE YOUR DEPOSIT IN BUSHELS OF WHEAT OR STRINGS OF GARLIC On the list of professions that are currently flourishing in China, estate agents do not come high up. Houses were once easy to sell, the surest investment available. But as a result of a four-year slump in the market, millions of homes now sit unsold. Some already paid-for properties are not even getting built. New home starts fell by almost 30% in the first two months of this year, compared with a year earlier. As of February, average new home prices had fallen for 21 months in a row.