Buyers Gain Advantage in Growing Housing Market

Picture of PropertySage

PropertySage

TRUSTED PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

The housing market is looking better for buyers this year, with more listings and falling prices. In January, there were about 39,000 homes available, a 17% increase from last year, while the average asking price dropped to $842,900. This trend suggests that buyers have more options and lower prices as we enter the busiest season for real estate.

Share Post:

The housing market is expected to be even better for buyers this year. There are many new listings on Trade Me Property, and prices are going down. In January, there were about 39,000 homes listed, which is 17% more than last January. This is the highest number of listings for January in five years.


Gavin Lloyd, the Customer Director at Trade Me Property, said, “Many sellers are back from their break and ready to sell in 2025. This is good news for buyers because they now have more options.”
The biggest increase in homes for sale was in the Wellington area, where listings were up 28% from last January. Canterbury saw a 23% increase, and Auckland had a 17% increase. However, while there were more homes available in January, the prices were going down. The average asking price nationwide was $842,900, which is a 0.8% decrease from December.


In Auckland, prices also dropped by 0.8%. The biggest price drop was in Otago, where prices fell by 2.9%.
With more homes for sale and lower prices, the market is still very much in favor of buyers, especially as we head into the busiest time for buying and selling homes.

Source from interest.co.nz: https://www.interest.co.nz/property/131937/listings-trade-me-property-five-year-high-january-while-asking-prices-were-decline

The opinions and research contained in this article are provided for information purposes only, are intended to be general in nature, and do not take into account your financial situation or goals.

Stay Connected

More News & Blog

Understanding the “Paradox of Wealth”: Why Your Tenants and Landlords Feel Crunched (And How to Navigate It)

If you have tuned into the news lately, you have likely heard a lot of talk about a struggling economy. Yet, official data tells a completely different story. According to independent economist Tony Alexander, New Zealand’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) recently rose by 1.8%, and job numbers grew by 1.1%.
So why does it feel like everyone—from property investors to renters—is feeling the pinch?
As property managers, we sit right at the intersection of landlords and tenants. Understanding this disconnect is essential to managing properties successfully in today’s unique climate. Here are the core factors driving this “wealth paradox” and what they mean for the rental market.

The Rental Market Surge: What Landlords Need to Know About the Latest Data

The latest national tenancy data reveals a 10-year high in newly tenanted properties, yet increased supply has caused the national median rent to drop to $590 a week. This shift is driven by a soft resale market and newly completed builds, which together give tenants plenty of choices and pull pricing leverage away from landlords. To protect your returns in this environment, property managers should focus on minimizing vacancy days through realistic market pricing rather than chasing peak rental rates.

Tony Alexander: What the latest OCR hike means for mortgage rates and house prices

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand has raised the Official Cash Rate by 25 basis points to 2.75%, immediate passing cost increases onto floating mortgages while fixed rates remain temporarily stable as the hike was already priced in. Landlords face squeezed profit margins due to rising operational expenses like insurance and council rates hikes, making careful rental pricing and tenant retention critical strategy adjustments. Property buyers and investors are displaying a strong “Fear of Overpaying” (FOOP) amidst high interest rates, keeping the broader housing market flat with steady or slightly easing property prices.