5 Top Websites for House Hunting
Finding your dream home made easier …
So you've got your Pre-Approval sorted and you’re on to the next step … Finding A House. At this stage of the process, research is key to making an informed purchase.
Searching for a home can be an exhilarating yet overwhelming process. To navigate this dynamic housing market, numerous websites have emerged as invaluable tools, providing detailed listings, property insights, and advanced search functionalities to streamline the process.
From existing homes, new builds, or modern city apartments, these platforms cater to varying preferences, budgets, and lifestyles. They are equipped with user-friendly interfaces, interactive maps, and filters to help narrow down choices. For first home buyers, these websites are designed to simplify your journey, offering transparency and convenience.
Below are our Top Five Websites for House-Hunting in New Zealand.
Stay up-to-date with the latest Auckland Housing Developments
Once a month we’ll send you the latest new build housing developments including options for first home buyers.
OneRoof* is a real estate website version of the print version contained in the NZ Herald. It features listings, latest property news and market insights.
The Estimated Property Value feature and the highly customisable search function are particularly useful for first home buyers looking to zone in on their specific property search.
Our First Home Buyers Club Auckland Housing Developments page is the place to go if you're looking for the latest in new build housing options for first home buyers.
Realising the challenge first home buyers face finding affordable housing in Auckland's property market, we have compiled a list of Auckland Housing Developments including options for first home buyers.
To help keep you up to date with the latest new developments, you can sign up to our monthly newsletter above.
Homes.co.nz* is a new kid on the block for house hunters. The website offers free insights into property listings.
Its key feature is HomesEstimate an algorithm which factors in historic sales data and trends to give an idea of the current market value of a property. It has shown even in this unpredictable property market to be a much more reliable estimate than of dated Registered Values and other valuations.
Homes.co.nz also provides a record of house sales dating back years to give you an idea of current market values in your search area.
Wanting to know what is on the market? Use the For Sale function to discover listed properties with a link to book an appointment with the agent.
Realestate.co.nz* is a one stop for properties as the official website for the Real Estate Institute of NZ.
Signing up for an account allows you to setup notifications for properties that match your criteria and save properties to your list to help you plan your Open Homes.
Each property listing includes location maps with local amenities like schools and parks, floor plans and videos (if the agent has included one).
The search function is also very flexible allowing to search for properties under the magic $650k KiwiSaver HomeStart grant cap and for properties with listed price to avoid the dreaded auctions.
Trademe* more commonly known for New Zealand's favourite pass time of flogging our unwanted household items is also a top resource for researching properties.
Using the advanced search function you're able to setup email alerts for your specific search criteria to keep you in the loop about the latest listings.
Some useful features of the TradeMe app include:
Open Homes Planner - to help you plan your weekend open home viewings.
Insights Tab - to research recent sales history to determine what to expect for house prices for an area or a particular property.
Notes Function - to be able write quick notes about a property while visiting an open home.
* The website is supported by apps for both iPhone and Android.