A new survey ranks Auckland as the fourth-least affordable place in the world to buy a house. In the latest Demographia Housing Affordability survey released on Monday, the city jumped from ninth to equal fourth in the global rankings in the year to sit alongside Melbourne and San Jose.

Private banking for the very wealthy is booming as ageing business owners cash up. Donna Nicolof, BNZ's head of wealth and private banking, says BNZ's private bank had doubled its funds under management in the past three years.

The New Zealand Property Council has waded into the debate about the unaffordability of housing in Auckland, saying apartments are pre-selling in the city for more than $NZ800,000 ($A752,000) each.

New Zealand property values rose 14 per cent in 2015, with the annual pace slowing from a peak in November, as regulatory curbs imposed by the government and central bank took the steam out of the Auckland market, according to state-owned valuer Quotable Value.

A Chinese company is lining up against Australian social housing provider Horizon Housing in the sell-off of state houses in New Zealand.

The number of houses listed for sale in Auckland dropped to its lowest number in 20 years at the end of December, the city's biggest real estate agency says.

The head of a Queenstown rental agency says the shortage of accommodation for workers in the resort town is the worst he's seen in 20 years. Craig Dow is the general manager of the Queenstown Accommodation Centre which manages 530 long term rental properties.

Thirteen real estate companies are being prosecuted by the Commerce Commission over tactics that may have discouraged their clients from advertising properties on Trade Me.

House rental figures from Trade Me are out - and it is bad news for Auckland renters. The latest analysis of median asking rents on Trade Me Property showed the cost of renting a typical home in Auckland has surpassed $500 a week for the first time, hitting a new high in November.

The Auckland housing market's downturn is more severe than anticipated, an economist says. Writing in Westpac's latest 'Home Truths' report, chief economist Dominick Stephens said the latest round of housing data had been revealing.