“First, let me wish all of our loyal followers, clients, and customers a strong start to what is shaping up to be a very positive 2026,” says Tom Rawson, Director of A T Realty Group.
“The year has opened with a wave of optimism from a broad range of credible economic and market commentators. When the signals are this consistent, it’s worth paying attention.”
In December, Radio New Zealand reported that business confidence has reached its highest level in 30 years, driven by improving activity and expectations of an economic rebound.
ANZ Chief Economist Sharon Zollner noted that the improvement in reported past activity — a key indicator of GDP — was “strikingly broad-based” and pointed to annual GDP growth accelerating rapidly.
Momentum continued into the new year. In early January, the New Zealand Herald reported that global dairy prices rebounded sharply, with fresh demand from the Middle East pushing Global Dairy Trade auction prices up an unexpected 6.3%, ending nine consecutive declines.
The first auction of 2026 delivered standout results, with whole milk powder up 7.2%, anhydrous milk fat up 7.4%, and skim milk powder up 5.4%. Competition remained strong from China, accounting for 44% of volumes sold, while Middle Eastern participation doubled to 21%.
Closer to the property market, research firm Cotality reports early signs of recovery following a flat 2025, forecasting house price growth of around 5% in 2026.
Economist Tony Alexander echoes this outlook, noting that while gains may be modest, falling mortgage interest rates and improving employment prospects are creating a more supportive environment for buyers.
Closer to home again, Auckland’s CBD outlook is strengthening. Heart of the City Chief Executive Viv Beck has highlighted that while 2025 performance was mixed, 2026 is set to benefit from a wave of new investment and infrastructure coming online.
Tourism has recovered, international student numbers are back to pre-Covid levels, the Convention Centre opens in February, and the City Rail Link is expected to follow later in the year — all pointing to renewed momentum for the city centre.
“We expect to be busy in 2026,” says Horrobin.
“We’re kicking the year off with a major Auction Day on 29 January, hosted at the Trade Me head office in downtown Auckland — an ideal launching pad for what we expect to be a very active year ahead.”
“We can’t wait.”
Back-to-back REINZ National Auctioneering Champion strengthens auction strategy across Auckland CBD and city fringe Ray White Auckland Central has strengthened its auction capability with the appointment of Robert Tulp as Head of Auctions and Campaign Performance across Ray White A T Realty Group. Working exclusively within the group, Tulp will support agents across Auckland Central … […]
What’s Happening in the Auckland CBD Apartment Market? The Auckland Central property market has experienced notable changes over the past two years, particularly across the CBD apartment sector. While demand remains present, buyer behaviour has shifted, creating a more strategic and price-sensitive environment for both sellers and investors. Recent internal analysis of settled sales across … […]