Property Brokers Wanganui branch manager Philip Kubiak said the Trade Me figures reflected what his staff were seeing. They had received inquiries from Aucklanders by phone and email, and potential buyers had also made visits to the area.
Mr Kubiak said Aucklanders were serious in their inquiries, and one had bought an auction property in the area just over a week ago. "There is definitely some serious interest from Auckland buyers," he said.
Property Brokers Wanganui was producing a booklet of its properties to take to the Auckland, Wellington and Hawke's Bay home shows. It had marketed properties in those areas before but was now ramping up the campaign. "We're also holding seminars in Auckland in the next month or two to target those buyers because we believe they're serious," Mr Kubiak said.
Affordability was driving Auckland interest in the area, he said. There had been a lot of media exposure about the difference between the market in Auckland and the provinces.
And Auckland arrivals were welcome - "It's great news - the more the merrier, from all over the place."
Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (Reinz) figures show the median price of a Wanganui house this July was $149,500, up 1.4 per cent on the same time last year.
Figures show 50 dwellings sold in Wanganui this July, up on 47 last July.
Mr Kubiak said it had been a steady month at Property Brokers. A few sections sold as well as the dwellings recorded, and it looked like August would be another steady month.
The company had a good winter and "if things pick up in spring, it's only good news coming up".
The Auckland influx has also been noted in Ruapehu.
Ruapehu District Council chief executive Peter Till said dozens of Auckland "refugees" had been moving into the area over the past two years. "Great houses are so much cheaper here and living in Auckland has become a nightmare for so many. They just keep on coming and we don't mind at all."
According to Reinz, there were 8121 dwelling sales nationally this July, up 37.8 per cent on July 2014 and 9.4 per cent on June 2015.
The national median price was $465,000 for July, an increase of 11.8 per cent on July 2014 and 3.3 per cent from June.
Reinz chief executive Colleen Milne said the volume of sales had been exceptionally strong for the middle of winter right across New Zealand.
"Backing this is strong anecdotal evidence of Aucklanders buying in these regions as owner-occupiers and investment properties."
