The signing ceremony takes place for the groundbreaking initiative. [Photo/WeChat account: hzghhzrzy]

In a major step towards administrative integration across China's megacities, Hangzhou — capital of East China's Zhejiang province — has joined Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen in launching cross-provincial real estate registration services.

On July 24, departments from the five cities signed a strategic cooperation agreement enabling 16 coordinated high-frequency property services — including new commercial housing transfers and non-residential stock transfers between business enterprises — to be processed remotely across the cities. The agreement took effect immediately.

The initiative extends Hangzhou's cross-provincial registration service radius from the Yangtze River Delta to the Pearl River Delta and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei regions — reflecting a new phase of intercity administrative collaboration.

Later that same day, Hangzhou and Beijing completed the first transaction under the agreement. A bank manager in Hangzhou helped a local client register a mortgage for a Beijing property entirely online, saving days of travel and nearly 10,000 yuan ($1,393) in costs.

The system enables dual-track handling through both full online services and assisted in-person support at designated windows.

If online conditions are met, applicants in Hangzhou can log into the Zhejiang government service website or the "Zheliban" app with local guidance. Otherwise, staff can verify identities remotely and forward applications to the property's location for processing and mailing.

Hangzhou has been a national leader in interregional collaboration, with its real estate registration services expanding to the entire Yangtze River Delta since 2023. To date, over 151,000 cases have been handled, benefiting nearly 210,000 rights holders.

A bank manager in Hangzhou helps a local client register a mortgage for a Beijing property — entirely online. [Photo/WeChat account: hzghhzrzy]