When a three-bedroom rental house recently came on the market in Reading, a small city of around 219,000 residents, about 65 kilometers west of London, there were 10 inquiries about it in the first week.
And Ricky Bhurji, owner of Sophic Property, a property rental and management company, said seven of the queries came from newly arrived Hongkongers.
Tens of thousands of Hongkongers have moved to the United Kingdom since the launch of the British National (Overseas) visa scheme. While London is the destination of choice for many, smaller cities with more affordable housing, good schools and universities - such as Reading - are also proving popular.
Most Hong Kong migrants want to rent for six to 12 months before buying, Bhurji said. But when they do buy, they tend to not only buy a residence for themselves, but one or two rental properties as investments as well.
That kind of spending will likely continue, predicts US News, given that the exodus from Hong Kong mainly comprises highly educated, cash-flush professionals.
The UK government estimates Hongkongers could provide a net gain to its coffers of between 2.4 billion (HK$25 billion) and 2.9 billion. Nevertheless, there are concerns that a huge number of Hong Kong immigrants could spark a backlash if it places pressures on schools, health-care facilities and housing.
Statistics from the Home Office show 64,900 BNO holders applied for the visa in the first half of the year. It is expected that between 123,000 and 153,000 Hongkongers will arrive in the UK this year.
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