"Each had six to eight groups through. In the past there would have been a fairly low number."
Rotorua's median sale price also spiked to $266,250 in June - one of the highest monthly medians over the past two years.
Mr McDowell said there had been eight sales of more than $500,000 and seven in the $400,000s.
"People are being more realistic when they list a property," he said.
"There are still a lot that have been on the market for quite some time - we might see these come down to more realistic levels."
He said that when looking at the first six months of 2012 compared with the first six months of 2011, Rotorua was up by 61 sales, an average of 10 more houses sold each month.
Looking forward, Mr McDowell was cautiously optimistic.
"I am confident we can keep these figures up," he said. "It might be a fairly slow gradual climb out of the rut though."
Bayleys Rotorua manager Beth Millard said it had been a strong month for her agency.
"Long may it continue," she said. However, she warned there could be a downside to a bumper month such as June.
"The problem after a good month like that is that replenishing stock is difficult," she said."There's a lack of properties, which is the case around all of New Zealand."
She said homes in the $300,000 to $400,000 range in particular were in short supply, prompting some to look at building as an alternative.
Ms Millard said despite this, confidence remained high, with internet inquiries and open home attendances up.
With record-low interest rates on offer, more first home buyers and investors were entering the market, she said.
Lynmore and Springfield remained among the most sought-after areas, she said, while Pukehangi was becoming more popular.
Meanwhile, the latest QV statistics show the average Rotorua sale price over the three months to June was $284,775, a 2.3 per cent drop over the past 12 months.
SALES FIGURES
June 2012
Median sale price: $266,250.
Number of sales: 88.
Days to sell: 57.
May 2012
Median sale price: $229,000.
Number of sales: 67.
Days to sell: 53.
June 2011
Median sale price: $256,850.
Number of sales: 56.
Days to sell: 41.
2012 Jan - June
Number of sales: 434.
Value of sales: $118,465,040.
2011 Jan - June
Number of sales: 373.
Value of sales: $105,707,338.