Accessible News

Top storiesNew ZealandPoliticsBusinessEntertainmentSportsWorld

The priciest property sales this year: Auckland and Queenstown dominate but other towns almost broke in

Friday, 3 July 2026

NZ Sothebys International Realty handled half of the top-priced sales this year.

New Zealand’s biggest property sales this year have clustered heavily in Auckland and Queenstown, but one Wānaka and one Christchurch home came close.

Agents say interest at the very top of the market is strengthening even while the wider housing market remains subdued.

The country’s most expensive confirmed home sale this year was a property in Auckland’s Mission Bay that changed hands for $23 million, $1m more than it sold for just a year earlier.

The sale of 26 Ronaki Rd topped a list dominated by Auckland and Queenstown addresses, but Wānaka almost secured a spot, with a home at 4 Highridge Tce selling for $9.9m.

Christchurch also came close to making our top 12 list of highest-priced residential sales so far this year, with a property at 146 Glandovey Rd selling for $8.34m in March.

Number one on the confirmed sales list is this Mission Bay home at 26 Ronaki Rd sold in January. It includes five bedrooms, six bathrooms, a five-car garage and nearly 1000 square metres of floor area overlooking Rangitoto Island and the Waitematā Harbour.
Number one on the confirmed sales list is this Mission Bay home at 26 Ronaki Rd sold in January. It includes five bedrooms, six bathrooms, a five-car garage and nearly 1000 square metres of floor area overlooking Rangitoto Island and the Waitematā Harbour.

Scroll to the bottom of this article to see the full list.

47 Mooney Rd in Queenstown sold for $16.5 million in February.
47 Mooney Rd in Queenstown sold for $16.5 million in February.

NZ Sotheby's International Realty handled eight of the year’s top 12 confirmed sales so far, and managing director Mark Harris says his firm has seen momentum build at the upper end despite slower conditions elsewhere in the property market.

“The broader market is pretty flat, but the top end is doing the opposite. Sales over $5m for our firm are up by around 30% on last year, and it’s even stronger once you get into that eight-figure territory.” Eight figures meaning $10m-plus.

This Auckland villa at 65 Marine Parade, Herne Bay sold for $15m in April.
This Auckland villa at 65 Marine Parade, Herne Bay sold for $15m in April.
80 Paritai Drive, left, sold for $12.5m and 82 Paritai Drive next door sold for more than $11m.
80 Paritai Drive, left, sold for $12.5m and 82 Paritai Drive next door sold for more than $11m.

Gavin Lloyd, customer director at Trade Me Property, says he’s noticed an similar trend.

51 Drift Bay in Queenstown sold for $10.7m in February to a buyer from Singapore.
51 Drift Bay in Queenstown sold for $10.7m in February to a buyer from Singapore.

“We’re seeing a clear lift in interest at the absolute top end of the market. Year-on-year searches for properties with a price tag of $10m-plus are up 23%, and actual views on these premium listings have jumped 30%.”

The buyers are a mix of locals and internationals, says Harris.

513 and 511 Riddell Rd, Glendowie, Auckland broke a suburb record when it sold in March for $13.8m.
513 and 511 Riddell Rd, Glendowie, Auckland broke a suburb record when it sold in March for $13.8m.

Properties Sotheby’s sold at 80 and 82 Paritai Dr, for $12.5m and more than $11m respectively, went through international tender processes before New Zealand buyers ultimately secured them ahead of overseas competition.

60B Goldflats Lane in Coatesville, Auckland sold for $11.5m and enjoys a massive 2ha section.
60B Goldflats Lane in Coatesville, Auckland sold for $11.5m and enjoys a massive 2ha section.

Someone from Singapore bought 51 Drift Bay Rd in Queenstown for $10.7m in February.

8 Galatea Terrace in Herne Bay, Auckland sold for $12.85m in March.
8 Galatea Terrace in Herne Bay, Auckland sold for $12.85m in March.
This apartment at G02/22 Karori Cres, Ōrākei, Auckland sold for $11.99m and is the only apartment on the top 12 list.
This apartment at G02/22 Karori Cres, Ōrākei, Auckland sold for $11.99m and is the only apartment on the top 12 list.
Andersons Cove in Auckland’s Mangawhai sold in May with the sale price so far confidential, but it could have sold for as much as $40m. The 10-bedroom multi-home property was the former home of David Nathan.
Andersons Cove in Auckland’s Mangawhai sold in May with the sale price so far confidential, but it could have sold for as much as $40m. The 10-bedroom multi-home property was the former home of David Nathan.

“They are planning extended stays through summer and ski season, effectively treating Queenstown as a second home,” says Harris.

Harris said his agency is seeing more wealthy overseas buyers travelling to New Zealand specifically to inspect properties rather than browsing remotely, something he said had not seen at this level since 2018.

“A big trigger for local buyers has also been the sense that overseas money is coming back.. they’d rather secure the home they’ve been eyeing before they’re competing with offshore buyers.”

Harris says the top nationalities flying here for viewings of their properties this year are from the United States’ west and east coasts, Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Germany, Switzerland, Ireland and Australia.

While Queenstown continues to attract international buyers looking for seasonal homes and lifestyle purchases, Harris says Auckland remains the preferred destination for wealthy New Zealand families.

“When children hit high school or university age, school zones suddenly become non-negotiable. We’ve seen families move to Auckland so their kids can go to specific schools, and that shift often pushes them into the $5 to $10m bracket almost by default.”

Some sales that may rank among the year’s most expensive remain outside the official list because prices were kept secret, or the sale has been recently settled and is not yet showing up in property records or our research.

Another is Anderson’s Cove in Mangawhai sold by Bayleys, a 48 hectare coastal estate operating as both a private compound and luxury accommodation around 90 minutes from central Auckland.

Top 12 confirmed property sales of 2026 so far:

1. 26 Ronaki Rd, Mission Bay, Auckland–$23 million

2. 47 Mooney Rd, Speargrass Flat, Queenstown–$16.5 million

3. 65 Marine Pde, Herne Bay, Auckland–$15 million*

3. 513 and 511 Riddell Rd, Glendowie, Auckland–$13.8 million

4. 8 Galatea Tce, Herne Bay, Auckland -$12,850,000

5. 80 Paritai Dr, Ōrākei, Auckland–$12.5 million

6. 77 Argyle St, Herne Bay, Auckland –$12.05 million

7. 60B Goldflats Lane, Coatesville, Auckland -$11.5 million

8. 43 & 43A Clifton Rd, Takapuna, Auckland - $11.5 million

9. 66 Mahoenui Valley Rd, Coatesville, Auckland–$11.4 million

10. G02/22 Karori Cres, Ōrākei, Auckland–$11.99 million

11. 82 Paritai Dr, Ōrākei, Auckland–$11.38 million

12. 51 Drift Bay Rd, Wye Creek, Queenstown– $10.77 million

Source: REINZ, Cotality and NZ Sothebys International Realty data on residential property sales.