In terms of district breakdowns, for the month of April, Hastings district had a median sale price of $700,000, followed by Napier ($650,000), Central Hawke’s Bay ($495,000), and Wairoa ($350,000).
“Owner-occupiers looking to downsize and investors were the most active buyer groups, while there was a slight decline in first-home buyer activity,” the REINZ report stated.
The report also stated attendance at open homes was lower than in previous months, and “fewer bidders were prepared to bid” at auctions.
“Sales count across the region declined due to a reduced buyer pool,” the report read.
“Market sentiment was influenced by falling background numbers, such as fewer attendees at open homes and auctions, which turned sentiment more cautious.
“Local salespeople predict the market will be slow yet steady heading into winter, with some areas of decline and a slight easing of sales volumes.”
The median sale price, in April, for all of New Zealand was $775,000.
Quotable Value (QV), in its latest report, stated home values had moved “very little” in Napier and Hastings in recent months.
However, it reported that house values – which are different to actual sale prices – have increased annually in Central Hawke’s Bay by 1% and in the Wairoa district by about 5%.
“Bunking the general flatness trend, certain pockets of the property market have carried some relatively modest momentum through the first four months of 2026, particularly in Canterbury, Otago, Southland, and on the West Coast,” QV spokesperson Simon Petersen said.
