Property market may slow sharply: Westpac

The virus, which has led to more than 14 million people being quarantined worldwide, could slow down the "rampant" housing market in NZ, Dominick Stephens said. 

According to Stephens, house prices could end up "slowing sharply", as the effects of the virus take a hold on the NZ economy, impacting consumer confidence. 

Slowing house price growth could in turn impact consumer spending and NZ GDP, Stephens said in his latest weekly note. 

While house price growth is expected to slow in the near-term, Westpac economists believe the market will pick up later in the year, helped by lower mortgage rates.