The Land Registry's key services are:

• Registration of land documents;
• Search of land registers and records;
• Supply of copies of land records; and
• Certification of copies of land records.
  
  
  

In the 2002/03 financial year, 520,552 land documents were lodged for registration, a decrease of 13.9% compared with the previous year. An average of 1,907 documents were registered each working day.

15.6% (81,075) of the documents lodged for registration in 2002/03 were Sale and Purchase Agreements of building units, a 9.6% decrease from the previous year. The total consideration of these Agreements were HK$174,628 million, down 10.6% from the previous year. The number and consideration of these agreements are generally regarded as key indicators of property market activity.

There were 2,346,058 registered property owners as at the end of 2002/03 financial year, a 4.7% increase compared with 2001/02. The registered property owners include companies as well as individuals.

3,095,254 searches of land registers and records were made in 2002/03, a 11.5% drop from the previous year. 88.3% of these searches were conducted by private sector clients including solicitors’ firms and estate agents. Approximately 11,340 searches were handled each working day.

The on-line land search Direct Access Services (DAS), introduced since 15 September 1994, now accounts for 76% of searches of land registers and records.

In 2002/03, the Land Registry provided 447,095 sets of imaged copies and photocopies of land documents to customers through counter searches and remote orders via DAS. This was 0.4% lower than in 2001/02. The Land Registry certified 12.7% fewer copies of land records compared to 2001/02.