Market News

Staircase Mortgage Newsletter November 2025 Discover two big signals that show the New Zealand property market is entering it's recovery phase. Two Moonshots! One Real Market Shift This month marks not just a milestone for us at Staircase, but a tipping point for the entire New Zealand property market. First, the major banks are now offering up to 1.5% cash back on new mortgages, a headline level incentive rarely seen. Second, we’re thrilled to announce that Staircase has ju

ON THE MARKET – November 2025 Edition New Zealand’s housing market has now entered a genuine recovery phase with momentum gathering as cheaper credit, improved affordability, and easing lending rules Evidence Of The Recovery Taking Root: Confidence and Capital Return to Housing The latest October housing data confirms what Staircase clients have been seeing on the ground for months, the correction is over, and opportunity is re-emerging. New Zealand’s housing market has now e

How will the proposed Capital Gains Tax (CGT) affect the property market? The prospect of a Capital Gains Tax (CGT), signalled by Labour for introduction on 1 July 2027, has reignited debate about the future of residential property investment in New Zealand. While the idea of taxing capital gains may sound unsettling to investors, the fine print and international precedents paint a far calmer picture than the headlines suggest. Labour says the proposed 28% tax will fund free

A surge of new medium density homes contributed to a temporary rental oversupply. Table of Contents: Why Rents Are Falling in Auckland Oversupply from New Builds Short term rentals converting to long term Demographic shifts Unsold homes becoming rentals New builds hitting the market A Turning Point on the Horizon: Migration and Construction Trends Fewer New Builds Ahead Net Migration Remains Positive Rents (and Property Prices) Expected to Rise Again An Opportunity for Savvy

ON THE MARKET – October 2025 Edition The NZ housing market recovery is just about to start, based on the data After three years of headwinds, New Zealand’s residential property market is finally firing on all cylinders. With the Official Cash Rate now cut to 2.5 percent, fixed mortgage rates down to 4.49% with the expectation of further cuts within the next 3-6 months (mortgage rates could fall to 4%), and the economy showing early signs of expansion, the next upswing has cle

Staircase Mortgage Newsletter – October 2025 With the OCR cut further, the property market recovery is accelerated The Reserve Bank has just cut the OCR by 0.5 percentage points to 2.50% per annum its boldest easing move in three years. This decision doesn’t start a recovery, it accelerates one that is already underway. Property sales have been rising since winter, mortgage rates have fallen sharply, and investors are back in the market. The OCR cut confirms what the data al

The NZ Economy is still in a recession, but this could be good news for property investors. GDP Data Confirms Recession Is Ongoing Stats NZ’s latest GDP figures have confirmed what most households and businesses have felt for some time: the New Zealand economy is still stuck in recession. According to the data, the economy shrank by 0.9% in the June quarter , not even remotely in line with expectations from the Reserve Bank and major bank economists who were forecasting a sm

ON THE MARKET – September 2025 Edition Spring time may be an investors last chance to buy before competition heats up The property market is showing signs of life after a flat patch. Interest rates have dropped again, sales activity is picking up, and confidence is slowly returning. While prices haven’t taken off yet, the groundwork is being laid for the next cycle. In this update, we’ll break down what the Reserve Bank’s latest cut means, where Auckland and the wider NZ mark