Exaggerated advertising of high-end properties in China has been prohibited due to widespread criticism that such ads encourage people to flaunt their wealth.
Phrases like “aristocrat territory” and “first-rate villas” have been widely adopted by luxury property developers to draw potential buyers.
The government is making an effort to deal with the problem, focusing on misleading and fraudulent information about the property’s location, size and pricing.
Jiang Xiaolan, chief of the advertising supervision department under the administration for industry and commerce in Fuzhou, Fuijan, argued, “Words like ‘best’ or ‘most’ are not allowed, but a little extravagant flair will be allowed if it is a truthful description.”
He also advised property buyers to use the advertisements as a reference and make their own judgments.
Xia Ya, owner of a property research studio in Beijing, noted that inflated language has lost its impact and people have become uninterested with them.
He believes that if the property does not live up to the exaggerated advertising, the developer’s reputation would be ruined.
Mr. Xia added that the government should not limit their efforts in preventing fraud in real estate advertising, and should also remind the public of rational buying as well.
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