House not selling?

Auckland’s housing market is experiencing record-high inventory levels. If your property isn’t selling, it’s time to get aggressive with pricing, refresh your marketing, and possibly take a strategic timeout.

The Auckland housing market is playing hard ball
On one hand, we’re seeing record monthly sales, indicating a market recovery. Yet unsold inventory is at peak levels. And it’s not just us – Barfoot & Thompson’s unsold inventory hit an all-time high of 6,200 properties in March — up from 5,300 in January.
Nationwide, buyers are scrolling through more than 44,000 residential listings on OneRoof. It’s a buyer’s market on steroids.

So, what’s a motivated seller to do when their property is collecting digital dust instead of offers?

Embrace desperation (No, really!)
If your house has sat unsold for months, you’ve got to change your mindset. Give your agent a sale deadline and be prepared to consider offers that are lower than your initial expectations. Simple as that.

Avoid the “by negotiation” death trap
Listing your property “by negotiation” could be killing your chances in the current market. Potential buyers are likely to interpret the invitation to negotiate as an overly optimistic seller who’s unlikely to entertain an offer that doesn’t meet their lofty expectations.
Instead, create urgency with a deadline, say, a two-week deadline sale format. Interest should immediately surge.

Timeout?
Sometimes the best move is a temporary retreat. Properties that linger on the market too long start to look stale. Push pause and use the time to understand why buyers aren’t biting. Think harder about your target market and their buying hot buttons. Tweak your next marketing push accordingly. Consider:

1. Targeting investors specifically

2. Professional staging

3. A four-week auction timeline

4. Try a ‘less is more’ approach – use just a handful of listing photos to give potential buyers a taste rather than the entire meal, so they make the effort to attend the open home

Price reality check
Unrealistic pricing is, well, unrealistic. Do your homework.
• Study recent sales in your neighbourhood
• Be especially wary if a superior home nearby sold for less than your asking price
• Remember, buyers do their homework — they know when you’re dreaming

Staging still matters
In a buyer’s market, your property needs to look especially sharp. Compete for attention like a desperate TikToker. Staging often makes a difference. Remember: buyers aren’t just purchasing square footage — they’re buying the lifestyle your property promises. And in 2025, that lifestyle better look Insta-worthy from every angle.

Pre-launch checklist
Things to consider before your property hits the market (or re-launches after a timeout):
• Get a builder’s report to remove all question marks
• Complete all touch-ups and repairs
• Consider staging
• Address immediate turnoffs (like odd smells, mould, worn carpet)
• Set a sales method with a clear buyer deadline

The New Zealand property market is still moving — just differently
A report from realestate.co.nz released last month stated that 36,870 homes were on the market – a decade high and up 10.9% from last year. Sales have also increased, but at a much slower rate of 3.4%.
Spokesperson Vanessa Williams said many buyers were still being cautious. “We have had a lot of economic factors at play in the New Zealand property market. Not only have we seen those interest rates really high, we’ve also seen the cost of living crisis challenge most New Zealanders,” she said.

Auction activity is also in decline as the temperature drops. Data released by interest.co.nz recorded auctions of 252 residential properties over the week of 3-9 May – the lowest number so far this year (excluding the New Year shoulder weeks) apart from the short week in between the Easter and Anzac long weekends. Consider that in the first week of April more than 500 properties a week were on offer at the auctions. However, the decline in auctions seemed to stimulate sales – 103 properties sold under the hammer, equating to an overall sales rate of 41%, interest.co.nz reported.

Brutal honesty
With inventory at record levels, sellers need to get real. Today’s successful vendors are the ones willing to be brutally honest about their motivation, strategic about their marketing, and realistic about their pricing. Rather than play hard to get, you need to be the one chasing the buyer.

Want to dive deeper into sales strategies? Hit reply to this email or call 0800 GOODWINS for a chat.