How do I check a real estate agent’s track record in my local area in NZ?

How to Find Out If Your Agent Has a Track Record in Your Area
Verifying an agent’s actual track record in your specific market is essential due diligence. Here is how to do it.
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Why local track record matters
An agent who sells 50 properties per year across a broad area is a different proposition from an agent who sells 15 properties per year specifically in your suburb. Depth of local track record means specific knowledge of which streets and addresses attract which buyers, a local buyer database genuinely matched to your property, and pricing credibility based on actual recent sales in your area.

Ask for a specific list of recent sales
Ask the agent directly: can you provide me with a list of properties you have sold in my suburb or comparable areas in the last 12 months? A credible agent will provide this without hesitation, typically with addresses, approximate sale prices, and days on market. An agent who deflects to broader market statistics or cannot show specific local sales is not a local expert regardless of their general reputation.

Check sold listings independently
You can independently verify an agent’s recent sales activity on realestate.co.nz and homes.co.nz, which show properties sold by specific agents. Search the agent’s name and filter by your suburb or region. This independently confirms the sales they claim and gives you an objective picture of their local market activity.

Ask RateMyAgent
RateMyAgent (ratemyagent.co.nz) is the leading platform for New Zealand real estate agent reviews. It shows an agent’s recent sales activity (number and frequency), their average sale price, and verified client reviews from vendors and buyers who have worked with them. An agent with a strong RateMyAgent profile with multiple verified reviews from recent local sales, has demonstrated local performance you can assess objectively.

Days on market as a performance indicator
Ask the agent: what is your average days on market for properties in my price range in the last 12 months? Compare this to the area average (which your agent should be able to provide from REINZ data). An agent who consistently achieves below-average days on market is demonstrating that their properties sell faster than the market norm.
That's a meaningful performance indicator that goes beyond just the sale price achieved.

let's talk

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Paul Sumich is a Whangarei-based real estate professional with local Northland expertise. Find more at paulsumich.co.nz/blog