PHOTO: For an industry built around trust, communication and handling what is often the biggest financial transaction of someone’s life, the latest numbers make uncomfortable reading. FILE
A new Consumer NZ survey of 3,165 New Zealanders has revealed that 43% experienced a problem during the property buying or selling process.
And one complaint stands out.
More than one in four people said they felt under too much pressure or coerced during the process.
Consumer NZ’s newly released 2026 rankings also reveal a sizeable gulf between the country’s best and worst-rated real estate agencies.
The highest-performing agency achieved an 81% satisfaction rating.
At the other end of the table?
Just 49%.
Meanwhile, the real estate industry overall managed a satisfaction rating of only 62%.
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More Than 3,000 Kiwis Rate Their Real Estate Experience
Consumer NZ surveyed 3,165 New Zealanders in March 2026 who had been involved in a real estate transaction during the previous three years.
Only agencies receiving more than 30 responses were included in the published rankings.
Seventeen real estate agencies qualified.
Respondents were asked to rate their experience across areas including:
- Overall satisfaction
- Professionalism
- Ethical, honest and open conduct
- Timeliness of responses
- Knowledge of the property
- Market knowledge
- Explanation of the sales process
- Transparency around fees and charges
- Accuracy and clarity of marketing
- Ease of settlement
- Managing expectations
A satisfaction score represents the proportion of respondents who gave their agency an 8, 9 or 10 out of 10.
The overall industry result was 62%.
That means there’s clearly plenty of room for improvement.
43% Experienced a Problem
Perhaps the most revealing finding wasn’t the agency rankings at all.
It was what happened during the transactions.
A significant 43% of respondents said they experienced a problem while buying or selling property.
The most commonly reported issue was particularly concerning.
28% felt under too much pressure or coerced.
That’s more than one in four respondents.
Another 25% reported poor communication from an agent.
For an industry where communication is arguably one of the most important parts of the job, that’s a significant number.
Consumer NZ also found that people with greater experience buying and selling property generally reported fewer problems.
That suggests first-time or less experienced buyers and sellers may be particularly vulnerable to feeling overwhelmed by the process.
Best Agency Scores 81% – Worst Just 49%
There is also a huge difference between how consumers view individual real estate companies.
The highest-rated agency achieved an impressive:
81% satisfaction.
The lowest:
49%.
That’s a 32 percentage point gap between the top and bottom performers.
Consumer NZ awarded three agencies its People’s Choice recognition for 2026, with the winners performing strongly across many of the measures consumers were asked about.
The results suggest something vendors sometimes forget when choosing an agent:
The brand on the sign doesn’t necessarily guarantee the experience you’re going to receive.
Are Vendors Choosing Agents for the Wrong Reasons?
Real estate agents spend enormous amounts of money promoting themselves.
Letterbox flyers.
Facebook advertising.
Sold stickers.
Awards.
Billboards.
Testimonials.
“Number One Agent” claims.
But Consumer NZ’s advice is refreshingly straightforward.
Don’t simply rely on the glossy marketing material that turns up in your mailbox.
Look at the experiences of other people who have actually bought and sold property.
And perhaps more importantly, interview the individual agent.
Ask how they communicate.
Ask how often you’ll receive updates.
Ask exactly what their commission and marketing costs will be.
Ask how they arrived at their appraisal.
And ask what happens if the property doesn’t sell.
Because once that agency agreement is signed, the relationship suddenly becomes very real.
Communication Remains a Major Problem
Anyone who has sold a property knows how stressful the process can become.
You prepare the house.
Pay for marketing.
Run open homes.
Wait for feedback.
Wait for offers.
And potentially make decisions involving hundreds of thousands – or millions – of dollars.
During that process, silence from an agent can be incredibly frustrating.
Yet one quarter of respondents reported poor communication.
That’s arguably one of the easiest problems for the industry to fix.
A phone call costs nothing.
An honest conversation costs nothing.
Managing a vendor’s expectations costs nothing.
But those things can completely change how someone feels about their real estate experience.
Feeling Pressured Should Concern the Industry
The 28% who reported feeling under excessive pressure or coerced may be the statistic that deserves the most attention.
Property transactions often involve tight deadlines and difficult decisions.
Buyers can be deciding whether to increase an offer by tens of thousands of dollars.
Vendors can be deciding whether to accept substantially less than they hoped for.
There will inevitably be pressure.
But consumers feeling coerced is something different.
An agent’s job requires negotiation and moving a transaction forward, but consumers should still feel they’re making their own informed decisions.
When more than one in four respondents reports feeling excessive pressure, it’s worth asking whether parts of the industry need to rethink how those conversations are being handled.
What About Selling Without an Agent?
Interestingly, Consumer NZ also looked at people who avoided real estate agents altogether.
Around 6% of transactions reported in the survey were completed without an agent.
The biggest reason?
Avoiding real estate fees – 61%.
Another 39% already had a buyer.
But going it alone wasn’t necessarily easier.
A third of those who sold without an agent said they wouldn’t do it again.
The biggest problems private sellers encountered included:
32% – setting the right price
31% – negotiating the deal
30% – understanding paperwork and what happened next
27% – generating enough buyer interest
So despite the industry’s shortcomings, there remains considerable value in having a skilled professional manage a property transaction.
The challenge is choosing the right one.
A Good Agent Can Still Be Worth Every Dollar
It’s easy to look at a 62% industry satisfaction score and criticise real estate agents.
But that doesn’t tell the entire story.
The best-performing agency achieved 81% satisfaction, demonstrating that consumers clearly recognise excellent service when they receive it.
A great agent can make an enormous difference.
They can price a property realistically.
Create competition.
Negotiate effectively.
Keep a transaction together when problems emerge.
Communicate honestly with vendors.
And potentially achieve a result that comfortably outweighs their commission.
The issue isn’t necessarily whether sellers should use a real estate agent.
It’s which agent they should trust with the job.
The Message for Real Estate Agents Is Pretty Simple
The 2026 Consumer NZ results provide a useful reality check for an industry that spends plenty of time celebrating sales awards and success.
Consumers appear to care about something considerably simpler.
Communicate with me.
Don’t pressure me.
Know what you’re talking about.
Be upfront about the costs.
Explain what’s happening.
Manage my expectations.
And perhaps most importantly:
Earn my trust.
Because when you’re dealing with someone’s biggest financial asset, a shiny sales brochure and a collection of awards will only get you so far.
Source
The figures are from Consumer NZ’s 13 August 2026 “Best and worst real estate agencies in 2026” survey, based on 3,165 New Zealanders who had been involved in a real estate transaction during the preceding three years.