“Everything seems to be going auction,” she says. Figures from the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ) show the share of houses being sold at auction is the highest it’s been in more than four years. In October, nearly a quarter – 23.4 per cent – of all properties in New Zealand were sold by auction, up from 15 per cent at the same time in 2019. The figure was higher in Auckland – 40.6 per cent – and highest in Gisborne at 74.6 per cent. Roney’s Auckland brokerage Mortgage Ladies focuses on first home buyers. They’re at a disadvantage in a market flush with auctions because of the stringent requirements banks put on them, she says.