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Yating Yang

A Chinese influencer gained more than a million followers in just two weeks by simply teaching people how to rent a home.
His efforts earned widespread support and appreciation from Chinese netizens.
The influencer, known as Gulumao, was born in the 1990s and is based in Xiamen, Fujian province, southern China.
He went viral for offering simple, practical life-skill tutorials, becoming one of the fastest-growing creators on one major platform since the start of this year.

On February 26, he posted his first video, “Youth Study: How to Rent a Home”, which has since amassed over 4.6 million views.
In the video, he breaks down the main channels for finding rental housing, such as real estate agencies, social media platforms and long-term rental flats, before analysing the pros and cons of each.
Every sentence in the video is concise and highly practical, clearly explaining common rental issues such as how to find listings, identify fake properties and choose payment methods.
For example, he warns viewers to be cautious of listings with attractive photographs but unusually low prices.
“Most of these are fake listings used by agents to attract traffic. When you visit, you will find the property does not match the photographs, and they will try to push you towards more expensive options,” he said.

His comment sections are also engaging, with many users sharing detailed personal experiences and tips on avoiding rental pitfalls.
Some even post photographs of flats directly, asking others for advice on which one to choose.
Later, he expanded his content to other practical guides, such as how to get a SIM card, set up internet services and negotiate severance packages.
His videos are typically around one and a half minutes long.
Before officially launching his account, Gulumao had been working in the We-Media industry for over a decade, managing his company’s social media account.
However, he found that much of the content online was flashy, offering little real help to viewers.
He also noticed the growing anxiety among young people and began thinking about how to help them avoid common pitfalls.
“Finding a house is a problem that everyone faces. No matter how many guides you read, most people get ripped off when looking for a place to live,” he told New Rank.

“When I worked on other topics before, I was not sure whether they were useful or how the audience would respond. But with this video, I had a strong feeling it would go viral.”
Within just half a month of posting his first video, his followers surged to 1.3 million.
Netizens expressed strong support and appreciation for his practical content.
One person said: “What he teaches is more useful than what we learn in school.”
Another joked: “It really feels like a beginner’s guide to leaving the starting village.”
While a third added: “This creator should make a Duolingo version guide to help international students navigate life abroad as well.”


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China influencer amasses over 1 million followers in 2 weeks by sharing ‘how to rent a home’ tips

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People & Culture

Highly practical content creator wows people with simple advice about deceptive property ads, avoiding flat-finding pitfalls


Highly practical content creator wows people with simple advice about deceptive property ads, avoiding flat-finding pitfalls.


Social media

China influencer amasses over 1 million followers in 2 weeks by sharing ‘how to rent a home’ tips

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Highly practical content creator wows people with simple advice about deceptive property ads, avoiding flat-finding pitfalls

Highly practical content creator wows people with simple advice about deceptive property ads, avoiding flat-finding pitfalls