File photo. Photo: 123RF
The number of houses listed for sale has risen across most of the country.
The Real Estate Institute (REINZ) house price index which measured the changing value of properties rose 1.1 percent in February on January and was up 3.2 percent on the year earlier.
REINZ chief executive Jen Baird said the combination of high listing numbers, elevated stock and shifts in the median sale price were driving the increased activity.
"Stock levels saw a year-on-year increase, resulting in a growing inventory of available properties for sale," Baird said.
"Coupled with median sale price growth in some regions, agents are seeing more investors and first-home buyers out there at open homes," Baird said.
All regions except for the West Coast saw an increase in activity in February.
Inventory levels increased by 8.1 percent on the year earlier to 31,424 properties.
Baird said the increase in listings helped to lift the national median sale price by 3.1 percent to $790,000, with the median number of days to make a sale falling by nine days on the year earlier.
"This buoyancy is a positive sign that we haven't seen for a while," Baird said.
