Real estate has dropped from the top three investment choices among residents in Chongqing municipality for the first time in two years, while Internet financing is fast becoming a popular item in investors' portfolios, according to a survey of the first quarter by the Chongqing Operation Office of the People's Bank of China released on Sunday.

The survey showed that only 11.75 percent of respondents chose real estate as their favored investment option, down 3.5 percentage points month-on-month and 2 percentage points year-on-year. Of those surveyed, 3.75 percent chose "private lending" as their top choice, while 1 percent chose "collection," both lower than the same period a year ago.

The new top three choices are funds and wealth management products, picked by 39.75 percent of those surveyed; enterprises, 14.25 percent; and stocks, 12.5 percent.