According to the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ), January 2024 has seen slower sales and a significant increase in the number of property listings available. This shows confidence from sellers while warming up buyers with a greater choice of property to choose from.
“January is usually a slower month for the completion of sales in New Zealand and this year is no exception with 2,995 properties being sold. While this is 4.9% more than January 2023, the increase in listings is a stronger indicator that the market continues to pick up. Listings increased by 10.4% nationally and 5.4% for New Zealand, excluding Auckland, year-on-year. The biggest increases in listings compared with the previous month were seen in Wellington at 148%, followed by Gisborne at 84%, Canterbury at 81%, and Auckland at 76.8%,” says Baird.
The total number of properties sold increased in January, rising by 16.0% year-on-year for New Zealand, excluding Auckland. Ten regions, including the bigger markets of Bay of Plenty, Waikato, and Northland, had higher sales counts this January compared to January 2023.
The national median sale price has slightly decreased from December 2023, down 2.5% from $779,830 to $760,000. Year-on-year, there is a slight decrease in the national median price by 0.7% from $765,000 to $760,000, while New Zealand, excluding Auckland, is down by 2.1% month-on-month (from $700,000 to $685,000) and up year-on-year by 0.8% (from $680,000 to $685,000).
The data shows regional variation in median sale prices, with Northland topping the scale with a 21% increase month-on-month from $630,000 to $762,000, and a 10.8% increase year-on-year from $687,500 to $762,000. Meanwhile, Auckland's median sale price has fallen under the $1 million mark again this month, for the fifth time in a year, to $975,000 – however this is still 3.4% more than a year ago.
“Despite the wave of listings favouring buyers, the challenges of last year, including the cost of living, inflation, interest rate changes, and government reforms, mean some buyers remain cautious. However, most regions are reporting more buyer activity across the board, with some seeing a particular surge in first-home buyer interest. Vendors are also being confident but realistic with prices as activity increases over the summer months. This is likely to resolve in inventory moving over the coming more active months in the year, “adds Baird.
“With changes to the debt-to-income ratios coming, REINZ data will be helpful indicators for buyers to see when to buy in a developing market.”
One area of significant change that has widespread support across the property sector is the Residential Property Managers Bill. This regulation provides much-needed structure to a sector that collects rent from 670,000 tenants and manages billions of dollars in assets for everyday New Zealanders. As disincentives are removed, this is important regulation to monitor as it may change market activity, inviting investors back or to refresh their portfolios, making more housing available for those who are not in the market,” comments Baird.”
“2024 is shaping up to deliver a series of changes and shifts in dynamics for the market. The property sector is expecting the new government to make good on its promises to reduce the bright line back to two years and reintroduce interest deductibility on investment properties, changing the dynamics of the property market again.”
The HPI for New Zealand, which stood at 3,660 in January 2024, showed a 0.4% increase compared to the previous month and a 2.2% increase for the same period last year. The average annual growth in the New Zealand HPI over the past five years has been 6.0% per annum, and it is currently 14.4% below the peak of the market in 2021.
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