Davidson said because Tauranga had a growing housing market, owners were less likely to make a loss on a sale, but the holding period for properties resold for a profit had risen.
In most cases in Tauranga homeowners would make a profit on resale but it still depended when they first bought the property and how well presented it was.
Resale gains were in the $200,000 to $250,000 range in Tauranga, Hamilton, and Wellington, with the median value for loss-making as low as $10,000 in Tauranga.
Simon Anderson, chief executive of Realty Group, which operates Eves and Bayleys, said Tauranga market was holding firm but prices had levelled out the past 12 months.
Anderson said although the past three or four months had been "really interesting" with more first home buyers rejoining the market and "quite a few" people from Wellington, profits were depended on when a property was bought.
He said the profit on many factors such as date of sale, time on the market and location.
But New Zealanders still had a "love affair" with the property market, he said.
First National Mount Maunganui, Tauranga, and Omokoroa owner Anton Jones said he agreed with Davidson that Tauranga was a great market to buy and sell in.
Most property owners would make a profit but it really depended on when they bought the property, he said.
If someone bought a couple of years ago then they are likely to make a significant profit but if they bought within the last six months there was no guarantee, he said.
Prices have come back a bit because there are more listings and potential buyers are being a bit more picky," Jones said.
Tauranga Harcourts managing director Simon Martin said the housing market was now back to a normalised market and demand had stabilised from what it was.
Although it was a bit better than the same time last year, Martin said.
"If you bought a property in the later half of 2015 or first half of 2016 then you are more likely to make a substantial profit when you sell, but the market has come back a bit.
Martin said if someone had bought in a "sweet spot" then there was more likely to be increased demand and they could help to drive up the selling price, he said.
SIDEBAR STORY:
Welcome Bay couple Claire and James McCracken's dream of buying their first home has become a reality after their offer to buy a three-bedroom home in Te Puke went unconditional.
The 28-year-old home-based educator said she and her boat-builder husband's 18 month quest to get into the property market had often been disheartening.
"It's so exciting. We move in on May 19 and we just can't wait," she said.
Mrs McCracken said they had struggled to find a property which met all their needs in the area they wanted to live and within their $450,000 budget.
They were looking to buy in Ohauiti, Hairini or Maungatapu areas but other potential buyers were either beating or the price was above their means.
After looking at 25-plus properties they decided to look further afield, and were "rapt" to find a 500sqm property near Te Puke township under their price range.
Using some personal savings, Mr McCracken's $18,000 Kiwisaver, and a little help from a relative they were able to raise the $65,000 deposit.
Mrs McCracken said the seller wanted $435,000 for the three-bedroom two-bathroom home but they managed to negotiate the price down to $431,000, $4000 under its 2016 valuation.
The property is only two minutes drive to Te Puke town centre and 30 minutes to Mount Maunganui where her husband works, she said.
The timing also couldn't be better as they wanted to buy before winter as their son Korban had been in and out of hospital the past two winters, she said.
"If we wanted to buy a similar property in Tauranga we would be looking at paying $40,000 to $50, 000 more," Claire said.
Median gross profit/loss
Tauranga $227, 500; Wellington $200, 500; Christchurch City $135,000; Dunedin City
$117,000 Hamilton City $206, 500; Auckland City $370,000.
