A revival in home-buying interest boosted registered property transactions by more than 50 per cent to about 7,700 deals last month, according to estate agents. Transactions could rise to the 10,000 level this month as the residential market rebounded, they said. Centaline Property Agency estimated that transactions recorded with the Land Registry last month were slightly over 7,700, up from September's 5,105, while the total value of deals jumped 53 per cent to $20 billion. Official figures will be released by the Land Registry this week. The sharp rise in activity was attributed to increased sales of new properties, with 4,095 deals relating to properties worth less than $20 million each, Centaline said. Sales of units in Metro City, Scenic View and Nan Fung Plaza accounted for more than 60 per cent of the deals in the primary market. Midland Realty estimated registered transactions last month at 7,660, with a total value of $20.2 billion. It said while primary market transactions had increased considerably, secondary activity fell, especially for higher-valued properties. Owing to the customary time lag of about four weeks between transaction and registration, last month's figures better reflect September market activity. Centaline said there were about 3,290 registered secondary market deals last month, representing a 15.7 per cent drop from September and the lowest monthly volume in four years. The slump in secondary market transactions was a result of discount sales of new flats, it said. The decrease in transactions ranged from 10 to 30 per cent for second-hand properties worth more than $1 million. Centaline said buying activity had picked up noticeably in the wake of an interest-rate cut in the middle of last month. The agency expected registered transactions to rebound to about 10,000 this month. Last month, it estimated average private flat prices at $3,314 per square foot, down 4.66 per cent from September.