
New Zealand Delays Opening Real Estate To Foreign Buyers Until 2026
Wellington delays the NZ$5 million real estate carve-out until 2026; experts split on whether it’s “mostly noise.”
By filling this form, you agree that IMI and James Hall may contact you.
James, who has worked in Australia-New Zealand immigration field for more than two decades, is a registered migration agent for Australia (since 2004) and licensed immigration adviser for New Zealand (since 2008).
A globally recognized leader in the Australia and New Zealand immigration business, James is regularly invited to speak at international immigration conferences. He also writes articles for the leading industry magazine (IMI) and consults other immigration practitioners.
Additionally, James is a qualified education agent counsellor, trained to teach IELTS by the British Council, and was previously a PMP certified Project Manager in the IT industry.
James provides continuing professional development to registered migration agents and lawyers through Legal Training Australia.

Wellington delays the NZ$5 million real estate carve-out until 2026; experts split on whether it’s “mostly noise.”

While some experts see the policy correcting a “fundamental flaw,” others argue it’s “no game changer” that won’t significantly boost demand.

New Zealand may relax its foreign buyer ban, in place since 2018, but experts doubt it will significantly boost demand for investor visas.