China's housing market showed signs of cooling down in March, data from a recent report showed.

An index indicating the search for housing nationwide dropped 11.8 percent in March from a month earlier, according to a report jointly released by online marketplace 58.com and housing information platform anjuke.com.

Specifically, the index for first-tier cities declined 9.8 percent from February, while that for second-tier cities decreased 11.8 percent, the report noted, adding that third- and fourth-tier cities saw a 13.4-percent decline.

New housing prices in 65 major cities averaged 17,547 yuan (about 2,756.7 U.S. dollars) per square meter last month, down 0.08 percent month on month, according to the report's online monitoring results.

The report also showed that prices of second-hand houses in 65 major cities eased 0.22 percent month on month to 16,921 yuan per square meter.