Property owners thinking of selling are seeking higher prices for their homes.
The latest New Zealand property report from the realestate.co.nz website says the average asking price for a house rose to more than $447,000 in April - the highest since the collection of data began in 2007.
The website's marketing manager, Paul McKenzie, says a factor in the rise is the reluctance of people to put their homes up for sale.
The number of new listings fell by 21% compared to March.
