TOKYO - New apartments put up for sale in the Tokyo area totalled 1,914 in August, down 6.2 percent from a year earlier and falling for the 24th straight month, a property market research firm said on Monday.

The contract ratio in the Tokyo metropolitan area in August fell 69.3 percent from 75.3 percent in July, the Real Estate Economic Institute said.

The ratio, the number of units sold as a percentage of units put on the market, is used to judge the market's health and a ratio below 70 suggests a weak market where consumers are reluctant to buy. (Reporting by Mariko Katsumura)

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