Real Estate Institute: 2017 presented challenges123RF First-home buyers are still struggling to get into the market. Real estate agents have been kept on their toes this year, the Real Estate Institute says. The number of Auckland property sales has fallen by almost a quarter over the year, and sales fell 15.7 per cent through the rest of the country. Between January and November, Auckland house prices increased 6.7 per cent, to a median $880,000, compared to 18.2 per cent in the same period of 2016. She said real estate agents in coastal areas were expecting a lot of inquiries over Christmas and the New Year period.

Source: Stuff December 22, 2017 03:56 UTC