This episode featured as part of the Real Estate segment in partnership with Bayleys Country – your rural and lifestyle property specialists.

The lifestyle property market is warming up around the country as confidence returns, Bayleys General Manager of Auckland Residential and National Country Manager Raymond Mountfort says.

“People don’t typically sell their lifestyle property because they’ve fallen out of love with it,” he says.

“It is more that it stops fitting their stage of life.”

The market was worth $7.3 billion last year, up 28%, with growth mostly fuelled in the provinces.

He says median prices are holding, up 1.3% year on year for mid-2026, while the more expensive properties are up about 11%.

Auckland was flat last year but has activated in 2026, particularly above $2 million.

“We’re hearing less about the interest rates than probably ever before.”

This episode featured as part of the Real Estate segment in partnership with Bayleys Country – your rural and lifestyle property specialists. To learn more about rural and lifestyle property opportunities, or to connect with a local expert, visit bayleys.co.nz/country

CountryWide CONNECT with Andy Thompson & Sarah Perriam-Lampp is our daily rural show livestreamed from 11am-1pm. Visit country-wide.co.nz on how to watch/listen or download the CountryWide CONNECT mobile app, available on Apple iOS and Android.