Kiwis sold their homes for an average of $5,324 less than the national average asking price over the past year, according to new realestate.co.nz analysis. That’s a gap of just 0.6%.
The national average asking price was $830,022, against an average selling price of $824,698. The analysis compares asking prices on realestate.co.nz listings with selling prices reported by REINZ from October 2025 to September 2026.
So is a lowball offer worth a go? That depends on where you’re buying. Average selling prices sat below asking in 12 of 19 regions, and above it in the other seven.
Where buyers paid less
Coromandel had the widest gap. Its average selling price of $969,696 was about $45,900, or 4.5%, below the average asking price of $1,015,592.
Wairarapa came next at 3.4% below asking, followed by the Central North Island at 2.8%. Auckland and Bay of Plenty were both 2.1% under. In Auckland that worked out at about $24,000, with an average asking price of $1.129 million against an average selling price of $1.105 million.
Northland was 2.0% below asking, Gisborne 1.8%, Waikato 1.4% and Marlborough 1.3%. Hawke’s Bay, Manawatū/Whanganui and Nelson & Bays all finished within 0.5% of asking.
Canterbury buyers paid more
Further south, the pattern flips. Central Otago/Lakes District recorded an average selling price $30,000, or 2.1%, above its average asking price, at $1,441,503 against $1,411,460. It also had the country’s highest average selling price.
Canterbury buyers paid 1.7% above asking on average. Southland was 1.6% above and the West Coast 1.0%, though the Coast is still the country’s most affordable region, with an average selling price of $482,000. In the North Island, Wellington also sold above asking, by 0.9%.
Vanessa Williams, general manager of customer at realestate.co.nz, says asking and selling prices track closely. Even in Coromandel, the gap was under 5%, which she says makes asking prices a credible starting point for negotiation.
She also warns buyers not to assume an offer under asking is the norm everywhere, because several regions are selling above it.
Averages, not your next house
The figures are regional averages rather than the gap on individual homes, so a single property can still sell well above or below its listed price. Realestate.co.nz also trims the top and bottom 10% of listings in each area before it calculates average asking prices.
For buyers weighing up a number, Williams’ advice is local. “Look at what comparable properties are selling for, understand your local market and get advice from a real estate professional.”
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