Happy New Year — we hope you’ve had a great break and a positive start to 2026. As this is our first Wanaka real estate market review for the year, we wanted to cover both the December statistics specifically, as well as provide an overall snapshot of the 2025 market.
December delivered a total of 55 sales, comprising 37 house sales, five apartments, nine sections, and four lifestyle properties. Interestingly, both the volume and the sales split were almost identical to December 2024. The only notable change was the median house price, which lifted by 10% compared to the same month last year, sitting at $1,495,000.
Looking at 2025 as a whole, there were 503 residential sales (including apartments), with a median house price of $1,475,000 and an annual average of $1,685,000. The graph below highlights how this compares with previous years, showing volumes slightly down on 2024, while the average price increased by 5%.
Digging deeper, the total number of sales in the $3 million+ category was exactly the same as in 2024, with 34 sales in total. However, there was a slight reduction in the $5 million+ bracket, with only eight sales recorded (down from 11 in 2024). With the proposed changes to foreign buyer rules for the $5 million+ category, we expect this to have a noticeable impact on the premium end of the market in 2026.
In summary, 2025 delivered very similar results to 2024, with a steady and modest build in momentum reflected in the small lift in pricing. There are clear green shoots emerging, which we expect to continue growing into 2026, as we enter the year in a stronger position in terms of interest rates, stock levels, and overall market momentum.
If you have any questions regarding this market information, or would like to discuss how it affects the value of your property in today’s market, please don’t hesitate to reach out — we’d be more than happy to help.
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