Regions like Hawke's Bay are enjoying a property resurgence as house-price growth has eased in the main centres.
Asking prices have fallen or remained stable in Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury, Waikato and Otago, realestate.co.nz data shows.
Real Estate Institute of New Zealand chief executive Bindi Norwell told NZME: "The rate of price growth in the larger centres has been slowing, but in the regions and provinces we're seeing much stronger rates of growth".
"For example, for the 2017 year, Auckland's price growth increased by 2.2 per cent whereas Hawke's Bay saw an increase of 17.3 per cent and Northland saw an increase of 16.2 per cent."
Tremains managing director Simon Tremain said Hawke's Bay house prices were continuing to grow with a lot of buyers in the market, and house affordability going up.