Aucklanders were arriving but buying houses at the top end of the market, he said.
Bayleys Hawke's Bay sold $23 million worth of top-end property last month.
A Craggy Range Rd lifestyle property sold above its $4.32 million rateable value and other Hastings sales included Tukituki Rd for $1.6 million, Te Mata Rd for $900,000, 8ha of land and buildings on Lawn Rd for $710,000, and a Havelock North Durham Drive property sold above $1.43 million during the last fortnight.
Property Brokers Hawke's Bay manager Paul Whitaker said from a sample of 1000 listings this year, sales were up 27 per cent on 2014.
The surge in activity is not just limited to residential. In the rural and commercial sector, right throughout the region, there is a lot more confidence and activity.
Leaders real estate agency managing director Elanor MacDonald said 2015 saw the first price increases above pre-global financial crisis levels.
The time it took to sell a house had fallen, multiple offers were common and prices were up, she said.
Valuer Andrew White of My Valuer said most areas had "taken off" following a "hyped-up Auckland market".
"Hawke's Bay has seen an influx of out-of-town buyers, putting pressure on local home buyers and investors, and resulting in the market turning from what was a buyers' market in 2014 to being 100 per cent in favour of the seller," he said.
"There is a clear shortage of listings, resulting in high demand/short supply trend.
"While 2013-14 saw low to negative growth, 2015 has seen growth in the five to 10 per cent range across the region - other than Wairoa which hasn't seen any growth for the period."
The Napier median price went from $320,500 last year to $347,000 in 2015. Hastings went from $246,000 in 2014 to $271,000 in 2015.
"The greatest interest has been in the $250,000 to $400,000 price bracket, and the greatest growth has been seen in the suburbs where homes are predominantly within this range.
"We are starting to see this flow on to the $400,000-plus bracket."
He said Clive was a top-performing suburb with an 18.4 per cent median sale price increase.
A cumulative year-on-year decline in Bay View prices was a correction from past increases in the lifestyle locality.
In Ahuriri, leasehold apartment sales at the beginning of the year dampened the median price.
The Napier City Council's Parklands development saw a median price rise of 7.9 per cent, to levels not seen before.
A greater number of Marewa sales in the $150,000 to $250,000 range had resulted in a median-price decrease.
Taradale saw the most Napier sales this year with 244 sales occurring to date.
In the Hastings suburb of St Leonards, a large number of cross-leased unit sales pulled the median house price down.
"Frimley and St Leonards are the only two Hastings suburbs to show decreases as they are both mixed suburbs, with medium to high-end housing stock.
"Mahora has shown the greatest gain with an increase of 16.7 per cent while also being one of the more active suburbs in Hastings."
Mr White said the coastal settlements of Haumoana and Te Awanga had very good growth of 13.5 per cent on the back of a decline last year.
Havelock North recorded the greatest number of Hastings sales this year with 279, the bulk above $500,000.
Mr Whitaker predicted a buoyant 2016.
"I think we'll see a similar increase next year. Interest rates will stay low so there is going to be an increased confidence for a longer time-frame, which is good for market confidence. I think we will see this trend continuing."
