Waiting for certainty is over: Kiwis start making property moves again
Wednesday, 1 July 2026
As global uncertainty becomes the new normal, property buyers and sellers appear to have decided to just get on with it with sellers returning to the market in their biggest numbers in six years.
A total of 7942 new listings came to market nationally during June, up 4.3% compared with the same month last year and the highest June figure since 2020.
Realestate.co.nz chief executive Sarah Wood said there was growing recognition that uncertainty had become part of the landscape.
The increase suggested homeowners who had been holding back amid economic, political and global uncertainty were starting to make decisions regardless, with the property market becoming less about waiting for the “right” moment and more about responding to life changes.
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“Anecdotally, we are hearing the same thing from across the market: people who have been holding off, waiting for things to settle, are starting to recognise that a world with more uncertainty has become the ‘norm’ in recent times, and that life has to continue. Buying and selling property is part of that.”
Despite the increase in listings, the market remained relatively stable rather than showing signs of a major shift. The national average asking price held steady at $866,314, continuing a period where prices have remained within an $840,000 to $890,000 range for 3½ years.
That stability is creating a different type of market — one where buyers have more choice, while sellers are no longer necessarily waiting for a return to the rapid price growth seen during the pandemic boom.
Stock levels rose 7.3% year-on-year to 34,761 properties nationally, with almost every region recording more homes available for buyers than a year ago.
Wood says the conditions favour buyers who are ready to act.
'Stock is up across almost every region, which means buyers can be more considered in their decision-making. First-home buyers in particular are recognising that conditions like these reward those who are ready to move.'
Wood says there was a growing acceptance that change was the new constant and when people wanted or needed to move, they were getting on with it.”
The biggest regional shift came from Canterbury, which became the first major region to push beyond its previous 2022 price peak.
The region’s average asking price reached a record $757,136 in June, up 5.2% year-on-year and marking its second record high of 2026.
In April, Canterbury hit $736,421 for the first time since records began 18 years ago.
She said a decade ago, Canterbury was a city in recovery, with the region moving beyond its post-earthquake recovery period into a new phase of confidence.
“Today, it’s a region full of confidence and opportunity and the region's all-time high won't come as a surprise to anyone who has spent time in Christchurch recently.”
Major investment in infrastructure, including the new Te Kaha One New Zealand Stadium, had added to the city’s growing reputation for liveability, while employment and lifestyle opportunities continued to attract people from other parts of the country. Between 2020 and 2025, Christchurch’s population grew by 6.07%.
The strongest growth in new listings came from Southland, up 24.7% year-on-year, followed by the West Coast, Wairarapa, Nelson and Bays, and Canterbury.
But the picture remained uneven.
Auckland, Canterbury and Otago recorded both monthly and annual price growth, other regions moved in the opposite direction. Coromandel’s average asking price dropped below $1 million for the first time since September last year, while Wellington’s average asking price fell 3.1% year-on-year to $803,301 despite a small monthly increase.
Four of 19 regions recorded double-digit year-on-year declines: Gisborne was down 20.5%, Central North Island fell 17.3%, Bay of Plenty dropped 16.3%, and Coromandel was down 12.9%.