Prices of new homes in 288 cities in February rose an average 4.3 percent from a year earlier, the seventh straight month of gains and quickening from January's 3.4 percent, a poll by property services firm Real Estate Information Corporation (CRIC) showed.

Compared with the previous month, home prices were up 0.9 percent, improving from a 0.7 percent increase in January, said CRIC, owned by E-House China Holding Ltd.

A separate survey from China Real Estate Index System (CREIS) showed average prices in the 100 biggest cities rose 5.3 percent in February compared with a year earlier, the seventh year-on-year rise in a row.

"With the traditional busy season coming and the previous supportive policies gaining traction, the housing market will continue to see prices rise on improved sales," CREIS said in a statement.

China's housing market, which accounts for around 15 percent of the economy, began to stabilize in big cities last year, helped by a slew of government measures.

Still, the recovery remains uneven across the country as small cities still face huge inventories of unsold homes, discouraging new investment and construction.

To boost the housing market, China cut down payments again last month for first- and second-time home buyers and lowered transaction taxes for some home buyers.

(Reporting by Xiaoyi Shao and Sue-Lin Wong; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)