# Live Listings / 28 days
3,500 3,000 2,500 2,000 1,500 1,000
500
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep
Source: Ray White New Zealand
2024 2025 2026
Buyers are doing more of their work before making contact. They check recent sales, compare competing properties, calculate repayments, and consider the compromises they are prepared to make. By the time they speak with an agent, many are well informed and ready for a meaningful conversation.
That level of interest is visible online.
More than 5.57 million people engaged with Ray White during the past 28 days, up 13.29 per cent year on year.
14M
# Online Users / 28 days
12M 10M 8M 6M 4M 2M
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Source: Ray White New Zealand
2024 2025 2026
At the same time, annual inflation reached 4.10 per cent in the June quarter, and the Official Cash Rate( OCR) is now 2.50 per cent.
With the major banks expecting further upward pressure, buyers are increasingly assessing affordability against lending conditions and household budgets as they understand them today.
Net migration also remains positive, with a gain of 17,600 people in the year to June. While that is well below the levels seen earlier in the cycle, it continues to support household formation and housing demand.
July metrics from property portal Trade Me reinforce how varied conditions are across the country, with stronger price performance in parts of the South Island and a more measured picture elsewhere.
This is a timely reminder that national headlines offer only high-level insight.
The relevant market is the one around your home: the competing listings, active buyers, recent sales, and local factors shaping demand. Good advice connects that information with the owner’ s circumstances and gives them a realistic basis for deciding what to do next.
For sellers, preparation remains the advantage they can control. Understanding the local market, setting realistic expectations, and presenting the property at its best all help buyers recognise its value. Conditions may be more measured, but owners who approach the market with a clear strategy remain well placed to achieve a strong result.
RAY WHITE NOW NEW ZEALAND | 15