A Trevor St resident has recounted one of the last sightings of Christchurch realtor, Yanfei Bao

Tingjun Cao's murder trial began this week - with the Crown arguing he attacked Bao as she gave him a private viewing of a Trevor St house.

Her buried body was found over a year later, with stab wounds.

Graham MacDonald, lived behind the property.

He says he saw an Asian lady standing talking on her phone opposite the house, and a silver Nissan parked over a fire hydrant.

He says this was the same woman whose face was on flyers he got in his mail box that week