Greg Ninness

The number of people in New Zealand on student visas hit a record high last month, with the children of foreign workers being one of the main drivers of that growth.

Auction activity has been a bit lumpy lately but the latest results were bang in the middle of where they have been over the previous two weeks.

The first quarter (Q1) of this year was a busy time for rental housing activity but rents remained flat overall.

Getting into a home of their own became slightly easier for first home buyers in April, as falling house prices outpaced increases in mortgage interest rates.

More than a third of the homes sold in April were probably bought by first home buyers.

The number of new homes being completed in Auckland increased steadily over the first three months of 2026, suggesting the city's residential building industry may be starting to turn.

Auction room activity was reasonably steady over the last week of autumn, with the numbers down just slightly from the previous week.

Residential property continues to be a challenging market for investors, with rental yields remaining at modest levels, as capital gains all but dry up.

The housing market moved even further in buyers' favour in May with asking prices dropping for the third consecutive month and stock for sale at a

Residential sales picked up in May for Auckland's largest real estate agency, while selling prices were volatile.