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📥 👉 Download the Full CoreLogic April Housing Chart Pack Here
The signs are getting clearer: New Zealand’s property market is back on the rise. New figures from CoreLogic NZ’s April 2025 Housing Chart Pack confirm a market lift driven by rate cuts, rising sales, and a new wave of investor activity.
🚀 Market Confidence Returns: Sales Surge by 11%
Homebuyers and sellers alike are re-entering the market, with sales volumes up 11% in March compared to the same time last year—more than recovering from February’s dip. This marks nearly two years of steady transaction growth.
📣 “Clearly confidence levels are growing, no doubt reflecting the falls in mortgage rates,” says Kelvin Davidson, CoreLogic NZ’s Chief Property Economist.
While property value growth remains measured, the trend is positive, with buyers benefitting from high stock levels and a wider selection of homes on the market.
💰 Home Values Continue Upward
According to CoreLogic’s Home Value Index:
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📈 +0.5% increase in national home values for March
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📈 +0.9% rise over the past three months
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🏡 Recovery is now spreading beyond the major cities into regional markets like Canterbury, Otago, and Wellington
📊 Investor Comeback: Up to 23% of Sales
📉 First home buyer share has slightly dipped from record highs, but the investor crowd is back—thanks to falling mortgage rates.
🏦 “Lower interest rates are reducing the cashflow burden for investors. While investor activity is still below historical levels, they’ve rebounded to 23% of the market—figures we haven’t seen since 2021,” Davidson explains.
📈 Expect to see more investor movement through the rest of 2025, alongside increased activity from upgraders and returning first-time buyers.
🔮 Outlook: 10,000 More Sales Expected in 2025
If current trends hold, CoreLogic forecasts 10,000 more residential sales this year than in 2024. This opens up more property opportunities for all buyer types.
🏡 “That means more chances for first home buyers, more room for upgraders, and stronger returns for investors,” says Davidson.
🌏 Mixed Global Outlook, but Lower Rates Likely
Despite global economic uncertainty (like US tariff moves), local inflation is now sitting firmly in the 1–3% target range, and CoreLogic predicts further OCR cuts ahead.
💸 “Rate cuts are doing the heavy lifting, but growth will remain steady, not explosive,” Davidson notes. Factors like high listings, labour market shifts, and lending restrictions (like DTI caps) are likely to keep house price inflation in check.
🏠 Key Highlights from CoreLogic’s April 2025 Chart Pack:
📊 NZ property market value: $1.62 trillion
📈 Sales volume (12 months to March): 83,543
🏡 March listings: 30,524 (23% above 5-year average)
📍 Regions with stronger listings: Canterbury, Otago, Wellington
🏢 Gross rental yields: Now at 3.9% – highest since 2015
📉 Inflation: Back in target range; supports future rate cuts
📈 Investor share: 23% of Q1 2025 sales – highest since late 2021
📥 👉 Download the Full CoreLogic April Housing Chart Pack