As China's equity markets face another roller-coaster week realtors in Australia, Britain and Canada are bracing for a surge of new interest in their already hot property markets, with early signs that wealthy Chinese investors are seeking a safe haven from the turmoil in Shanghai's equity markets.

At its low point last week the Shanghai composite index had lost 32 per cent from its high point in mid-June. The market clawed some ground back late in the week but investors remain nervous and government attempts to slow the slide have largely failed.

Ed Mead, executive director of realtor Douglas & Gordon in London, said his firm had seen two buyers from China looking to buy whole blocks of flats.

The Chinese have snubbed gold in favour of equities for the most part of this year. Reuters

"It is unusual to see the Chinese block buying, it implies that this is a capital movement rather than just individuals looking to park money."

Many wealthy Chinese investors had already cashed out. Major shareholders sold 360 billion yuan ($58 billion) in the first five months of 2015 alone, compared to 190 billion yuan in all of 2014 and an average of 100 billion yuan in prior years, according to Bank of America Merrill Lynch.