Appearing at the finance and expenditure committee on Wednesday Joyce said the house price market was "pretty fully priced", especially in Auckland.

Rents have risen nationally by 5.5 per cent, an eight-year high, and gathering pace even more strongly in provincial areas. Infometrics chief forecaster Gareth Kiernan has run his ruler over tenancy bond figures during the December quarter compared to a year ago.

Auckland's property market remained solid last month amid fears it was stalling. Major agency Barfoot and Thompson says both its median and average house sales prices were "rock steady" with the previous month, which was unusual as they usually took a dip during the holidays.

The Reserve Bank is offering five floors of its building for lease as part of the Government's long-term Wellington Accommodation Project (WAP2). The 14-level building on the corner of The Terrace and Bowen Street, across the road from Parliament in central Wellington. The 915 square metre floors will be refurbished and made available in two stages: levels three, five and six in mid-2017 and levels 10 and 11 at the beginning of 2019. Colliers International marketer Phil Humphrey said the building met 100 per cent of the new building standard. "Large government and corporate tenants generally demand between 70 per cent and 100 per cent new building standards, and seismic strength has become even more important to businesses in light of the recent 7.8 quake," he said. The building also has diesel back up generators that can provide all of the building's power. "This building's levels of seismic resilience and power backup are offered by few other Wellington buildings. They will be considered highly desirable characteristics among tenants," Humphrey said. The Reserve Bank has made its office space more efficient in line with the Government's WAP2 project to reduce its rented office space in Wellington by about the equivalent of two rugby fields after a review of its accommodation needs in 2015. "The building is owned and managed by the Reserve Bank, which has committed to a major internal refurbishment project, so it makes good commercial sense to optimise its own asset," Humphrey said. "The office space will be newly refurbished, modern and high quality." Tenants can choose to lease part of a floor or take a whole floor or multiple floors depending on what they need. A concierge service, security and a shared tenant space with new shower facilities and bike storage are also provided. The building is located close to rail and bus transport, hotels, and several cafes, restaurants and shops.

Auckland is the fourth least affordable housing market among 92 major cities in nine countries in the latest Demographia survey.

House prices have gone through the roof. The benchmark for affordability used to be for an average house to cost about three times an average household's income. No longer. In Auckland it is now 10 times income, in Sydney 12 times and in Hong Kong 18 times.

Auckland's houses continue to rank amongst the most expensive on the face of the globe, in a relative sense at least, while Tauranga is not far behind Auckland is the fourth least affordable housing market among 92 major cities in nine countries in the latest Demographia survey.

A new website shining a light on good - and bad - real estate agents has drawn criticism from the head of the industry body.

Four significant Wanaka lakefront properties with a collective rateable value of $3.5 million are on the market for the first time as one parcel. Bayleys Wanaka is marketing the properties for The Roy Project Company Ltd and the deadline treaty process closes on February 17.

Tenants at a formerly council owned pensioner housing development are lauding a revamp which has seen them socialising more with their neighbours. Residents of the Peachgrove Rd units welcomed in the New Year from the seats of their new patio.