Our October 2025 Rotorua Property Market keeps your finger on the pulse of the property market nationally and locally. Arm yourself with the latest information with this five-minute read.
This property market report is based on the information sourced from the REINZ (Real Estate Institute of New Zealand) verified sales reports to end of September 2025, as published on 14th October 2025.
National Trends
Sales increased year-on-year as follows:
- Nationally +3.1% year-on-year
- For NZ excluding Auckland up +7.5% year-on-year
Month-on-month sales trends were:
- Up +2.5% nationally
- Up +2.9% for NZ excluding Auckland
However seasonally adjusted month-on-month sales counts were as follows:
- Down -2.5% nationally
- Down -2.9% for NZ excluding Auckland
Median days to sell have reduced as follows:
- Down 6 days to 43 days to sell for NZ
- Down 6 days to 43 days to sell for NZ excluding Auckland.
New listing trends are:
- Nationally +1.3% year-on-year
- NZ excluding Auckland +1.7% year-on-year
Housing Price Index (HPI) market trends for NZ nationally were:
- +0.8% month-on-month
- +0.7% for the 3-month period July-August-September
- +0.2% year-on-year
- Over the past 5 years, an average annual HPI growth rate of +2.8%
Overall
A positive increase in the number of sales both month-on-month and year-on-year.
The number of properties listed for sale has increased modestly year-on-year.
The negative seasonally adjusted month-on-month sales counts indicates a subtle slowdown in overall momentum.
Median days to sell has demonstrably declined by 6 days to 43 days
Housing Price Index (HPI) trends are positive (albeit modestly) across 1-month, 3-month and 1-year time periods, indicative of a stable, positive market trend.
Lizzy Ryley, REINZ Chief Executive, was quoted as saying “With the recent OCR drop of 50 basis points likely to influence further interest rate reductions, combined with the usual spring rush, salespeople are cautiously optimistic that activity will strengthen further through spring and into summer.”
Rotorua Property Market Update
There are currently (as at 29th October 2025) 495 properties listed for sale in Rotorua. This compares with:
- 455 listings as at 24th September
- 455 listings as at 3rd September
- 455 listings as at 16th July
- 525 listings as at 29th April
- 530 listings as at 21st March
70 sales were recorded for September 2025. This compares with:
- 80 sales for August (adjusted sales count).
- 66 sales for July (adjusted sales count)
- 74 sales for June (adjusted sales count)
- 75 sales for May
- 81 sales for April
- 83 sales for September 2024 (year-on-year comparison)
HPI market trends for Rotorua were:
- -3.8% month-on-month (September vs August)
- 0.0% for the 3-month period July-August-September
- +0.2% year-on-year
- Over the past 5 years, an average annual HPI growth rate of +2.8%
Overall
We are now seeing a typical ‘spring lift’ in the number of properties listed for sale, up from 455 listings in late September to 495 listings by the end of October.
The number of sales in across Rotorua declined month-on-month and year-on-year as opposed to national trend of increased number of sales month-on-month and year-on-year. This suggests that the local market is slow to ‘warm up’ in line with national trends.
A disappointing -3.8% month-on-month decline in HPI is noted, as opposed to the national month-on-month trend of +0.8%, however this is a ‘one-off’ fluctuation at this point.
Over the longer 3-month and 12-month periods the HPI market trends for Rotorua remain stable and in-line with the national HPI trends.
Power of 2 Update
A somewhat lack lustre result for the Rotorua property market when we consider month-on-month and year-on-year declines in the number of properties sold, as compared with the NZ excluding Auckland trend of +2.9% month-on-month and +7.5% year-on-year increases in the number of properties sold.
The increase in the number of properties listed for sale is in-line with the typical seasonal lift as spring progresses into summer.
The month-on-month decline in HPI of -3.8% was disappointing, but this is a ‘one-off’ at this point. Market trend is more accurately assessed over longer time periods. Of much more significance is that the longer term 3-month, and 12-month trends are stable and reasonably in-line with the national trends.
The Rotorua property market, as yet, is not demonstrating a lift in sales activity which was anticipated 1) as spring progressed and 2) as a result of more favourable mortgage interest rates becoming available to buyers.
With 11 years’ experience in the Rotorua property market, we have previously observed that our local market, at times, tends to ‘lag behind’ the national trend.
We remain optimistic that the more favourable mortgage interest rates, together with the progression of the season, will result in increased levels of activity and more sales in the coming months.
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If you are considering selling now is the perfect time to request your Free No-Obligation Appraisal. We understand that you may be researching ahead of making any final decision.
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We wish you and your loved ones all the very best, and for all things real estate you are warmly invited to call us for a relaxed conversation.
Wayne and Veena Hemingway - The Power of 2, Arizto Rotorua - October 2025
