ON THE MARKET – December 2025 Edition The NZ Property Market is gently waking up A Market Gently Waking Up For the first time in a long while, the signals coming from the economy, the banks and everyday buyers are starting to all line up at the same time. It is not a boom. It is not even a surge. But it is a clear shift away from the uncertainty that has weighed on the property market for the past three years. The latest ASB Housing Confidence Survey sums it up neatly: buyer

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

The RBNZ dropped the OCR to 2.25% today As expected the Reserve Bank has today reduced the Official Cash Rate (OCR) by 0.25% , bringing it to 2.25%. While a modest adjustment, this move reinforces the Bank’s confidence that inflation pressures have eased and that the broader economic recovery can now be supported by lower borrowing costs. For buyers, homeowners, and investors, the message is clear: financing conditions are moving steadily in your favour, and today’s cut stren

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

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

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