Sultanate's real estate activity registered healthy growth during the January-August period. The total traded value of properties rose 53.2% reaching OMR 2.938 billion as against figures for comparable period last year. Fees collected from property related legal services amounted to OMR 34 million, a rise of 20.6% from 2014. Though sales contracts declined 2.3% to 54,220, their traded value surged 13.3% to touch OMR 866.8 million. Value of mortgage contracts registered a significant 79.6% growth reaching OMR 2.058 billion, with a 13.2% increase in the number of mortgages that exceeded 15,000. The highest increase, however, was recorded in the value of barter contracts which surged almost 90% to OMR 13.8 million from OMR 7.3 million a year ago. The contracts numbered 920 marking a 12.5% upswing. As many as 162,998 properties were issued as of August this year, logging an increase of 8.3% over last year. However properties issued for GCC citizens declined nearly 25% to 1670. Over the last six months ending in August, the highest number of properties was issued in March at 23,953, and the least in July when issued properties numbered just 14,986, an NCSI release said quoting Ministry of Housing data.