A sales agent (L) talks to a potential buyer in front of a model of Riva, one of the latest developments by Sun Hung Kai Properties, in Hong Kong February 19, 2014. When things get choppy at the top of the property ladder, it pays to have your feet planted on the middle rungs, which makes developers Cheung Kong (Holdings) and Sun Hung Kai Properties the best bets to weather the storm brewing in Hong Kong. These powerful property developers are targeting middle-class, first-time buyers who are exempt from the impact of government cooling measures at a time when secondary home transactions are hovering at a 17-year low. Picture taken February 19, 2014. To match story HONGKONG-PROPERTY/ REUTERS/Bobby Yip (CHINA - Tags: REAL ESTATE BUSINESS)