Demand to cohabitate with extended family is on the rise in New Zealand, even at the top end of the property market.
New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty (NZSIR) managing director Mark Harris says more wealthy buyers, family offices and Active Investor Plus visa holders are looking for properties that can accommodate multiple generations. This echoes the sentiment from a recent Building Research Association of New Zealand (BRANZ) report, which confirms that demand for multigenerational living in NZ is increasing.
“There has been a notable pick up in digital and physical enquiry from purchasers at the high end of the market who are looking at properties from an intergenerational perspective,” Harris says. “Quite often, this comes in the form of the senior family unit principals searching for options that are built and ready to be used, or land that’s big enough to build a multi-unit residency.
“Baby boomers are looking to purchase properties that have the ability to accommodate their mature-age children and grandchildren, mainly for lifestyle purposes and next-generational investment succession. AIP buyers are also interested in the ‘safe haven’ aspects of NZ property – some of them are looking at holiday homes, but with a long-term, full-time residency perspective.”
Whilst traditionally, intergenerational living has been driven by cultural or religious values, or sharing living costs, it’s now becoming a lifestyle choice, particularly for buyers at the luxury end of the market.
“Properties with self-contained wings or apartments, or upstairs-downstairs separation are in demand; properties with space, privacy, seclusion, a high level of build quality and access to airports,” Harris says. “Premium wellness amenities are also high on the wish-list, such as inbuilt gyms, pools, saunas and other lifestyle attributes. Some buyers require the ability to build safe houses or bunkers.”
The Urban Advisory managing director Dr Natalie Allen – a lead researcher for the BRANZ Multigenerational Housing report – agrees that multigenerational housing demand is increasing in NZ.
“The New Zealand Housing Survey data shows that there is a broad appetite for multigenerational housing, with around one in 10 households saying they would prefer to live multigenerationally in their next home,” she says. “Our BRANZ‑funded research shows the challenge isn’t demand, but a system that hasn’t yet enabled the market to respond.”
Harris says Northland, Auckland, Waiheke Island and the Southern Lakes are the most in-demand locations for multigenerational luxury living, with interest also in the Nelson-Tasman region. A few of NZSIR’s current listing examples are in Kerikeri, Waiheke Island, Auckland and Queenstown.
“There’s a clear and growing trend of property being held and treated as a family heirloom rather than a liquid asset,” he says. “The property becomes a gathering point: somewhere all generations can use, return to, and eventually inherit as a shared legacy.”
About New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty
New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty is a specialist agency that focuses on the sale of premium property through quality marketing and global networking. Founded in 2005 by Mark Harris and Julian Brown, the NZ branch of the global company has 28 offices nationwide – Northland, Auckland Britomart, Auckland North Shore, Auckland Remuera, Auckland South East, Waiheke Island, Hamilton, Cambridge, Rotorua, Taupō, Napier, Ahuriri, Havelock North, Palmerston North, Masterton, Greytown, Kapiti, Wellington, Hutt Valley, Nelson, Marlborough, Wānaka, Arrowtown and its head office in Queenstown. It is part of Sotheby’s International Realty – the world’s leading luxury real estate company – with a global network of approximately 1,110 offices and more than 26,100 affiliated independent sales associates throughout 84 countries and territories. It is through this unparalleled luxury network that NZSIR is able to access and market properties on an international level. In 2022/2023 NZSIR was named Best International Real Estate Agency Asia Pacific (5-20 offices) at the International Property Awards and also won Best Property Agency/Consultancy New Zealand at the 2025 International Property Awards for the Asia Pacific region.
www.nzsothebysrealty.com