Foreign business executives who are relocating to China can take a video tour online to find a place to live before they set foot in this country, thanks to a recently launched video website based in Beijing.

ToRent.cn, a new video-based website, is dedicated to helping expatriates find their ideal homes in China. The website makes videos of rental properties which are then posted on the website, along with pictures and many other detailed information. Potential renters can watch the videos from anywhere in the world and at any time, even before they embark on their relocation trip to China.

After they watch the videos, they can select the rental units they are interested in, and ToRent will take them for onsite visits when they arrive in Beijing. Renters can also post their requirements for housing and make online inquiries. ToRent will then find housing matching those requirements. What is even more convenient about these services is that it is free of charge. This takes the hassle out of the house hunting process.

As China's economic growth continues to surge and the upcoming 2008 Beijing Olympic Games nears, more and more expatriates are relocating to Beijing and other large cities across China. One of the most daunting tasks facing these new expatriates is the house hunting process. New comers can easily be overwhelmed by the culture shock. And lack of transparency in the rental market is no help, either.

Currently ToRent.cn operates only in Beijing. However, it is planning to expand to Shanghai, which has the largest expatriate community in China. In the near future, the company hopes to expand to other major Chinese cities where there is an active expatriate community.

The founder of ToRent.cn, Bill Han, is no stranger to the upscale property market. A veteran of Time Warner, the world's largest media company, where he worked for many years, he was an early expatriate in Beijing in the mid-1990s when the city was still a "hardship" posting. He is very familiar with the property scene in Beijing.

Han, who was also CFO of a Hong Kong-listed media company before founding ToRent.cn, lived in the United States and Hong Kong for many years and has traveled to over 30 countries. He is happy to assist expatriate families from all over the world in making a smooth transition into the new culture.