(Yicai Global) May 17 -- The Chinese government’s measures to curb property price gains are starting to show results, according to statistics released by the National Bureau of Statistics today.

Prices of second-hand homes in four first-tier cities -- Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen -- rose 0.8 percent in April from a month ago, 0.2 percentage point slower than in March.

Last month, homes for resale in Beijing were 1.2 percent more expensive than in March, with prices in Shanghai and Guangzhou up 0.9 percent and 1.2 percent, respectively, the NBS said, citing data from 70 mid-sized and large cities. Prices in Shenzhen were unchanged.

Beijing logged a 1.4 percent monthly increase in March, with Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen growing at 1.1 percent, 1.4 percent and 0.4 percent, respectively.

Gains in first-tier cities were mainly moderated by regulations aimed at controlling the local second-hand housing markets, Lu Qilin, a research director at the 58 Anjuke Institute, was cited as saying by The Paper.

These regulations have gradually started to show effect, Lu noted, adding that the slower gains in the resale market will gradually overflow into the new residential property market in the second half, thereby guiding price stability across the real estate market.

In March, the Shanghai branch of the People’s Bank of China issued a document calling on local lenders to rigorously review the authenticity of borrowers’ personal information to prevent the illegal use of consumer and business loans in the real estate market.

Second-hand home prices rose in 54 of the 70 cities in April, down four from March.

In April, new home prices in the four first-tier cities rose 0.6 percent from March, 0.2 percent points faster than in March, and 62 of the 70 cities reported pricier new homes, which remained flat from March.

Editor: Peter Thomas