China will establish a unified real estate information database where urban and rural housing will be registered, the 21st Century Business Herald reported on Wednesday.

Analysts said this means that houses in rural areas, now under collective-ownership, could be granted property right certificates, paving the way for selling.

However, citing unnamed sources, the newspaper said it was difficult to consolidate various real estate information, and it might take three to five years to build the system up.

The State Council announced plans in November to consolidate various real estate registration offices into one body, establishing a single information-sharing platform.

The planned reforms aimed at providing better protection for the property rights of citizens, while establishing the foundation for a possible tax levy.

Under the plan, the Ministry of Land and Resources will supervise the registration of real estate nationwide. Information about housing, forests, meadows and marine areas, currently registered by different agencies, is expected to be registered under a single platform.