The FINANCIAL -- Pending home sales show a sustained uptrend, rising for four consecutive months with very favorable housing affordability and a first-time buyer tax credit boosting activity, according to the National Association of Realtors.

The FINANCIAL -- According to Nikkei News, land prices as of Jan. 1 declined 5.5% on the year to mark the first slide in four years, according to data released on July 1 by the National Tax Agency.

The FINANCIAL -- According to Nikkei News, housing starts slid 30.8% year on year to 62,805 in May, the sixth straight month of decline, the Land Ministry said on June 30.

The FINANCIAL -- According to RIA Novosti, MOSCOW 's most expensive rental apartment costs over 1.5 million rubles ($50,000) per month, a spokesman for the DOKI Real Estate Agency said on June 29.

The FINANCIAL -- BNP Paribas Real Estate has been named number one real estate services agent in Europe and fifth globally, according to leading real estate magazine Property Week's annual league table, which is the benchmark ranking for the property sector.