A Chinese real estate agent has penned an opinion piece for the Herald saying that Auckland is overwhelmed with Chinese.
The man said that instead of seeing a balanced ethnic mix, the city had "started to acquire an unwholesome Chinese flavour".
Here James Law, chief executive of James Law Realty responds to those comments:
Not only do I disagree, but I think what the Chinese real estate agent claims to total and complete bulls***.
I have been involved in Auckland's real estate scene for more than 20 years and full time for the last nine years.
Never, ever have I seen anyone, Chinese or not, carrying bagloads of cash to buy houses here.
Yes, some Chinese do come here to buy houses, but usually that's because they have got their residency approved or have children studying here and feel it makes more sense to buy than rent.
People born here, not all of them need to buy houses, because some have family properties to live in or some get houses passed down to them.
For immigrants there is no such option, so buying a house is a necessity and not a want.
Obviously this means you will see more migrants at auctions, and yes Asians and Chinese do stand out in the crowd. We have run auctions where there were no Chinese at all, like one in Waterview.
His comments about the two Japanese talking about Auckland being like China is a joke.
Why would two professionals in Tokyo be interested in Auckland being too Chinese?
Auckland is an international city, and one of the most multicultural in the world. You will expect to see people of different ethnicities buying properties.
It's not just the Chinese community, but I know many Kiwis are fuming too about what he said.
Why did he do it? I am guessing it is just about getting a profile - wanting to be famous by saying something controversial.
The reaction may not be what he is expecting, which is why he is hiding behind his anonymous status.