Beijing's second-hand housing market continued its strong recovery after the Spring Festival, with home buyers contacting real estate agencies and completing purchases in greater numbers compared to previous post-holiday periods.

Data released last week by the National Bureau of Statistics showed that in January, the price of previously-owned homes in Beijing rose by 0.1 percent on a monthly basis, marking the fourth consecutive month of growth.

In Tongzhou District, the sub-center of Beijing, a real estate agency dedicated to second-hand homes saw business pick up earlier than expected this year in terms of both property inquiries and viewings.

Potential buyers typically begin seeking out homes after the Lantern Festival, about one week after the Spring Festival holiday. This year, interest in home buying started as soon as the Spring Festival ended on Feb 4, said the branch manager Jin Kai.

"In previous years, we basically received a stable number of clients before the Lantern Festival. But this year, we started to receive clients on the first day of work. Each agent showed homes to an average of seven to nine groups of clients," Jin said.

Data from the Beijing Municipal Housing and Urban-Rural Development Commission show that the number of online signings for second-hand homes in the city has increased for two consecutive weeks since February 5. On February 20 alone, buyers signed online for 787 second-hand home purchases, an increase of more than 40 houses from the previous day.

According to a leading real estate agency in Beijing, the company sold 1,844 second-hand houses from February 10 to 16, largely because vacationers returned to the city and got ready to sign contracts after the Spring Festival holiday.

Industry insiders said the sharp increase in the number of second-hand housing online signings showcases the resilience and vitality of Beijing's pre-owned home market.

"The current (housing) policy is generally relaxed, and the threshold and capital cost of buying a house are relatively low. For example, the down payment ratio is now 15 percent, and the demand for various types of housing has also increased. Finally, the current real estate market has stabilized. The market expectations and price trends are relatively stable. Both buyers and sellers are relatively rational, so transactions have been carried out more smoothly," said Mr. Leng, a market analyst for a Beijing-based real estate agency.