A former Brisbane student has accused Chinese real estate firms in Melbourne of excluding English speaking Aussies.
Drew Pavlou captured footage of several firms during a visit to Melbourne’s Swanston Street and Elizabeth Street in the heart of the CBD.
The Aussie suggested that the Chinese real estate firms ‘excluded’ English speakers, but his followers were left divided by his video.
Mr Pavlou, who describes himself as a ‘Western civilisation enjoyer’, said he counted 12 Chinese real estate firms on two main shopping streets in the Melbourne CBD.
‘Most of them advertise only in Chinese to foreign buyers. English speakers are excluded,’ he said on social media.
‘Nobody can explain how this benefits Australia during the worst housing crisis in our national history.’
In the full video, published to YouTube, Mr Pavlou said he ‘counted within one 500m stretch 15 bubble tea stores and about 12 Chinese real estate firms’.
Drew Pavlou accused Chinese real estate firms of ‘excluding English speakers’ during a video documenting his visit Melbourne’s CBD
Mr Pavlou spotted 12 Chinese real estate firms on Swanston Street and Elizabeth Street
‘(They) only advertise in the Chinese language for Chinese people to buy property in Australia,’ he claimed. ‘It was just beautiful.’
Mr Pavlou told news.com.au his video was ‘not racially motivated’.
He said his family background was Greek Australian and he would equally oppose Greek real estate agencies advertising to overseas buyers.
‘Young Australians are locked out of the housing market due to record-high prices and low supply, yet prime property stock is being marketed directly to offshore buyers who will never live here,’ he said.
‘That inevitably drives demand upward and puts extra pressure on ordinary families and first-home buyers.’
Mr Pavlou claimed a Nord International branch, captured in his video, did not include ‘a single piece of English language advertising’ in the shop window.
Some viewers blasted the Aussie and criticised the location of his video.
‘You’re literally walking through Chinatown, of course there’s going to be Chinese restaurants. It would be like counting every Italian restaurant in Lygon Street or Pho Place in Springvale,’ one person said.
Kristy Zhang, the director and co-founder of Austrump Hosting, said the real estate business ‘occasionally’ uses Chinese language materials
Mr Pavlou was criticised for focussing his search near Chinatown (pictured)
‘When you visit Chinatown and it’s Chinese,’ another wrote.
Someone else questioned: ‘Mate you were literally in Chinatown, what do you expect?’
However, Mr Pavlou, who staged a year-long protest at the University of Queensland against Beijing’s anti-democracy activities in Hong Kong, hit back at his critics.
‘Chinatown is Little Bourke Street, I was on Swanston Street and Elizabeth Street,’ he wrote in response to those who criticised him.
Both Swanston Street and Elizabeth Street intersect Chinatown’s Little Bourke Street.
A spokesperson for Elite Real Estate, which is featured in the video, said all of their listings were advertised in English and that their multilingual team worked with clients from all backgrounds.
Kristy Zhang, the director and co-founder of Austrump Hosting, a real estate agency that was also featured, said her business served a ‘diverse client base’.
‘We occasionally use Chinese language materials to assist clients who prefer it, we also regularly produce and distribute all our marketing materials — including flyers and brochures — in English,’ she said.
Daily Mail contacted Elite Real Estate, Austrump Hosting, Nord International and Mr Pavlou for comment.
