(Yicai Global) March 19 -- Continuing implementation of diversified real estate regulation across the country last month kept commercial home sales prices stable overall, but in first-tier cities they dropped in tandem with second-hand housing in a decline ongoing since January, down 0.2 and 0.1 percentage points respectively, data the National Bureau of Statistics issued today show.

The monthly rise in second-tier cities in the sales price of newly-built commercial homes dropped by 0.2 percentage points on January for a rise of a mere 0.1 percentage points, while their sales prices and those of existing housing in third-tier cities all increased by the same amount as the previous month.

In annual growth terms, prices of new commercial homes in first-tier cities have fallen by 0.1 percent from last year, while those  of used homes have continued to drop for 17 straight months, with a 0.6 percent decline last month from the one before.

The annual increase in the prices of newly-built commercial and used residential homes in second-tier cities rose 0.4 and 0.1 percentage points from the previous month, respectively. Yearly growth in third-tier cities also went up 0.4 and 0.1 percentage points respectively from the previous month.