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Fewer properties being auctioned and fewer selling under the hammer

Property / news
Fewer properties being auctioned and fewer selling under the hammer
15th Nov 25, 6:01am by Greg Ninness
Auction

The latest residential property auctions saw a sudden drop in activity, with interest.co.nz monitoring 436 auctions around the country over the week of 8-14 November.

That was down from 466 the previous week and 485 the week before that.

Activity is also down from the comparable week of last year (9-15 November 2024) when 461 properties were auctioned.

The drop in activity at the latest auctions was a surprise, because activity usually gathers pace at this time of year as the market heads into the early summer selling season.

The sales rate was also softer at the latest auctions, with 173 properties selling under the hammer, giving an overall sales rate of 40%.

The sales rate has now declined for three consecutive weeks, down from 49% in the week of 18-24 October.

The lower results at the latest auctions are surprising for the time of year, but one week does not make a trend and we'll need another couple of weeks' results to draw any conclusions.

Details of the individual properties offered at all of the auctions monitored by interest.co.nz, including the selling prices of those that sold, are available on our Residential Auction Results page.

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18 Comments

by  Zachary Smith  |  15th Nov 25, 7:53am 1763146413

Could be a good time to pick up properties that need a little work at bargain basement prices.

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by  NZGecko  |  15th Nov 25, 11:06am 1763158006

Bargain basement home prices, will really be found in 2027 or 2028.

Still though, if a ratbox house is turd polished quick enough and then flicked on,  they may not be much of a victim of the ongoing NZ house price crash, that is now set in as a long-term trend.

The Trend is your Friend FHBers. Only offer within the older 2012 to 2015 historic price range -  negative equity is reported as a biatch. Just ask anyone who purchased in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024......

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by  Averageman  |  15th Nov 25, 1:42pm 1763167344

Will be an election football. Aka it won't happen unless Nats get a majority.  The odds are not in their favour.

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by  Phoenix (FKA JC)  |  15th Nov 25, 2:07pm 1763168874

Still though, if a ratbox house is turd polished quick enough and then flicked on,  they may not be much of a victim of the ongoing NZ house price crash, that is now set in as a long-term trend.

The days when you could dream of Chinese turning up in busloads with suitcases of moolah willing to pay a king's ransom for your suburban castle are becoming less common. People are still clinging to the idea that the glory days are about the resurface. Who knows?   

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by  Independent_Observer  |  15th Nov 25, 9:31am 1763152305

My personal view is that we are nowhere near bargain basement prices - buyers would be doing vendors a favour (by buying now) who own way overpriced shitboxes that will need hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on them over the coming years/decades, on top of the already big mortgage. I see houses everywhere that have been significantly run down and are in extremely poor condition and yet they want really good money for what is more a liability than an asset at this point in time. 

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by  IT GUY  |  15th Nov 25, 12:07pm 1763161621

The new planning rules re prioritizing development  around train and bus points means a shitty house on a big section, but a  long way away from these assets is now not worth as much as the RC is so much harder to get to cram units on.   Some developers are sitting on break even land at best and may try and sue council here.

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by  Averageman  |  15th Nov 25, 1:44pm 1763167451

Good luck. Purchased for spec capital gain gambling. Should people sue Lotto if I dont win...?

Know when to fold em...

 

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by  Zachary Smith  |  15th Nov 25, 10:34am 1763156047

I've noticed the poor condition houses are selling at significant discounts.

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by  IT GUY  |  15th Nov 25, 3:47pm 1763174847

They are often undevelopable.   Land has fallen in value, and often the site would get better money if you had already removed the house, good school zones are the exception.    Browns Bay is a classic for older not desirable builds on steep hills built during hard times with cheap materials.

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by  Averageman  |  15th Nov 25, 1:45pm 1763167510

Construction is expensive. Land need to be cheaper to get the numbers to stack up.

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by  IT GUY  |  15th Nov 25, 3:47pm 1763174869

especially on hills / slopes

 

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by  MikeM7382  |  15th Nov 25, 11:56am 1763160990

Don't fix for more than six.

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by  IT GUY  |  15th Nov 25, 12:09pm 1763161780

Long is not sexy... unless its.... that kind of sexy.

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by  Nifty  |  15th Nov 25, 12:41pm 1763163678

TA the guru reckons not to take 'the candy' and consider fixing long...

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by  IT GUY  |  15th Nov 25, 4:05pm 1763175959

Can you imagine the impact to NZ House prices if OCR rates go up... we all know 0.25 means nothing either way now... if they hike they will go a few times in a row.   We are not officially at the pause stage where they wait and see that impact cuts have made.  Maybe they think we need another 0.25 to help the Xmas cheer.

If they do pause I can see them waiting some time to read NZ Stats releases before the next move.

Two unexpectedly high CPI reads in a row could cause the long end to move quickly.  One would be considered noise but put the market on edge and make the 2nd interesting.      Or we may have Goldilocks OCR but no growth and 2.8% inflation.

 

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by  Averageman  |  15th Nov 25, 4:19pm 1763176772

Agree. That what should happen. But next year is election year so let's see the RBNZs independence get questioned.

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by  Independent_Observer  |  15th Nov 25, 8:22pm 1763191348

I personally think that over the next 5 years we're heading back to 1990s - 2000's interest rate levels (ie pre GFC world).

See long term/historical interest rates based upon the global benchmark of US 10 year government bond (use 'Max' timescale). The 40 year down trend has been broken - we now live in a new world - but those living in recency/confirmation bias still think that the 'good times' (aka green shots) are just around the corner again where interest rates keep falling an house prices keep rising way above general inflation. I disagree with this type of thinking. I think interest rates are going to be flat/climbing and house/asset prices are going to stagnate (along with economies with high private debt/GDP like us and Aus and Canada - although some how AUS seems to be doing alright...but for how long?). 

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/DGS10

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