Canterbury Property Market Update - October 2025
September saw a continual increase in both property listings and median house prices across the Canterbury region. With more listings coming on the market, the Official Cash Rate continuing on the downwards slope, and overall market positivity, many are expecting things to pick up even more as we head towards summer.
Who is in the market right now?
First home buyers and owner occupiers remain the dominant buyer groups in the Canterbury market right now; however, we are seeing more and more enquiries from investors and overseas buyers as time goes on and the market remains stable.
Real estate agents report that the majority of vendors are meeting the market price-wise. Those with higher-end properties are finding it a little harder to get top dollar for their properties, often having to reduce prices to meet the market.
Open home attendance throughout the region has remained steady, with a slight dip towards the end of September thanks to the school holidays. Auction attendance also remains reasonable, and while not all properties are selling under the hammer, many are still selling shortly after. It’s expected that auctions will continue to be a strong method of selling over the next few months.
Canterbury sales statistics
The median house price for the Canterbury region in September was $705,000. This is up 2.3% on the month of August and up 2.2% (from $690,000) compared to this time last year.
Christchurch City also saw a rise in the median house price, with the average sitting at $700,000. This is up 2% from $686,000 in August and up 2.9% (from $680,000) compared to this time last year.
Below are the median house prices for each district in September 2025 compared with September 2024. It’s important to remember that due to the small turnover in some of these regions, there may be no data or skewed data depending on the price of the homes sold.
Ashburton District - median house price sits at $575,000, up 9.1% on this time last year.
Hurunui District- median house price sits at $520,000, down 30.8% on this time last year.
Kaikoura District - no median house price data recorded for this month.
Mackenzie District - no median house price data recorded for this month.
Selwyn District - median house price sits at $800,000, down 0.6% on this time last year.
Timaru District - median house price sits at $475,000, down 5% on this time last year.
Waimakariri District - median house price sits at $771,650, which is a new record for the district. This is up 12.6% from this time last year.
Waimate District - median house price sits at $380,000, down 7.3% on this time last year.
Regional sales information
Across Canterbury, there were a total of 1,143 properties sold in September. Compare this to the 1,084 sold in August and the 989 sold in September of 2024, and it’s clear to see that there are more properties beginning to turn over in the region.
Christchurch City made for 744 of these sales. Again, compared to the 668 sold in August and the 612 sold in September 2024, which mimics the regional trends.
The average Canterbury property currently sits on the market for 40 days before selling. This is one day less compared to the same time last year.
Overall, the market remains fairly stable, with some growth trends starting to show through. Spring and the promise of better weather sees more vendors choose to list their properties, which means more and more options coming on stream for buyers.
There is a real lack of urgency in the market right now, and it’s also a buyer's market, so for those looking to list their homes, it’s essential to ensure you are pricing correctly in order to achieve a quicker sale.
For buyers, it’s a great time to make a move as there is a lot of choice, less competition than we’ve seen in the past, and interest rates remain low thanks to the recent decrease in the Official Cash Rate.
If you are looking to buy a home in 2025 or 2026, now is a good time to get in touch, and we can help you ensure you have everything ready to go when the perfect home comes along. Our team of mortgage advisers here at Loan Market Agile work and live in the Canterbury region and understand the local property market like the back of our hand. We can advise you on making the right decisions for your goals and situation - simply get in touch for a free chat!