August saw 6,402 flat sale and purchase agreements received for registration, down 53.1% on the same month last year and 28.3% on July, the Land Registry says.

Using a 12-month moving average, the figure represented a 19.2% rise on August last year but a 4.7% dip on July. Total consideration was $18 billion, down 59.2% on a year earlier and 44.9% on July.

Of the sale and purchase pacts, 5,284 were for residential units, down 5.4% on last August and 28.9% on July. The total consideration was $15 billion, down 59.3% on a year earlier and 40.4% on July.