WARMER WEATHER HEATS UP HOUSING MARKET
The Trade Me Property Price Index shows the national average for October rising by 2.7% to $623,700 from September.
It's been lean pickings for buyers over the last five months, with little housing stock available nationwide, but October saw the market perk up with 30% more listings on the site than in September.
Trade Me Property head Nigel Jeffries says that this time of year is usually buoyant, but it's taken longer than usual for the market to kick into action.
“Usually by this time of year we expect to see the property market in full swing, but with the election in play it’s pushed everything back. We’re starting to see some of the movement we’d normally expect in this peak buying and selling season," he says.
Auckland property listings on Trade Me buck the downward trend revealed by the latest QV figures, rising by 2.2% from last year to $925,300.
“If we compare this with October 2010, we can see the massive changes in the Auckland property market over the past seven years. Since 2010, the number of houses for sale has dropped 58 per cent which has forced the average asking price up 88 per cent from a relatively tiny $487,250."
This trend is mirrored in the capital, with average asking prices surging 11.7% from last year.
“While Auckland has stalled in recent months, the capital’s property market has been surging ahead. It’s very common to see the bubble from a large property market spread - first it was the halo regions of Northland, Waikato and the Bay of Plenty and now Wellington looks to be the next cab off the rank. We’ve seen consistently strong growth and the market isn’t showing any signs of slowing."
The provinces also performed well in October, with record average prices in Hawke's Bay ($487,300), Manawatu ($309,700) and Waikato ($534,900). Marlborough in the South Island also broke its previous record, with an average asking price of $464,650.
Source: landlords.co.nz
Scam Alert: Bank cold calls
ASB is warning customers about reports of cold calls from scammers claiming to be from ASB. These scammers are trying to obtain personal information, including usernames, dates of birth, and verification codes sent to your mobile phone.
🛡️ The "Caller Check" Test
If you get a call from someone claiming to be from ASB and you’re unsure, just ask them for a Caller Check. You will then be able to verify the call through the app.
Remember, banks will:
❌ Never ask for your banking passwords, PINs, or verification codes
❌ Never need to know your full credit card number – especially the CVC
❌ Never ask you to download software or remotely access your device
❌ Never ask you to purchase gift cards or transfer funds.
If you have received a phone call and think your account has been compromised, call ASB on 0800 ASB FRAUD (0800 272 372), or visit your local branch.
Poll: Are you still heading to your local for your caffeine fix, or has the $$ changed your habits? ☕
Wellington’s identity is built on its cafe culture, but with costs climbing, that culture is under pressure. We’ve seen the headlines about recent closures, and it’s a tough pill to swallow along with a $6+ coffee.
We all want our favourite spots to stay open, but we also have to balance our own budgets ⚖️
We want to know: How are you handling the "coffee math" in 2026? Are you still heading to your local for a chat and a caffeine fix, or has the cost of living changed your habits?
Keen to read more about "coffee math"? The Post has you covered.
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40.8% I avoid spending money on coffee
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49% I still indulge at my local cafe
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10.2% Irrelevant - coffee is not for me
Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
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