Another major player sees uptick in first-home buyer activity

“From what we have seen, over the last six weeks, there's definitely been an uplift in activity in respect of enquiries from first-home buyers,” says Craig Winterburn, chief executive of the SHARE adviser network and the Newpark aggregation business.

But he says it's difficult to pinpoint any one reason for this, and suggested several factors other than the easing of LVR restrictions could be at play.

These include some customers getting their permanent residency applications approved, giving them the confidence to purchase their first home in New Zealand.

Certainly, immigration has surged since the government eased entry criteria.