After 30 years selling real estate in Christchurch, I have seen the city, the property market, and the way people buy and sell homes change dramatically. From rising property prices and new technology to the earthquakes and changing local communities, this is a reflection on what has changed — and why helping people sell their homes with confidence remains at the heart of what Team Baker does.
How Christchurch Real Estate Has Changed Since 1996
On 1 April 1996, I began my real estate career with H.G. Livingstone Real Estate. At the time, I could never have imagined just how much the industry, the market, and Christchurch itself would change over the next 30 years.
Of course, one of the biggest changes has been property prices. In many parts of Christchurch, prices have increased by 500% to 600% since I started. I still remember selling the first house in Aranui for more than $200,000 — a five-bedroom home with a four-car garage. Around the year 2000, the government introduced a subsidy to help first-home buyers purchase houses under $100,000. It only lasted about three months, because prices rose so quickly that most homes were soon well over that mark.
Paperwork has changed just as dramatically. Listing agreements that were once a single page have become far more detailed, often running to around 10 pages because of increased liability and compliance. Sale and purchase agreements, which were also much simpler in the 1990s, are now around 22 pages. The introduction of the Real Estate Authority in 2008 also brought a much stronger regulatory framework to the industry.
The Impact of Technology on Selling Property
Technology has completely transformed the way we work. When I started, we had one office computer for multi-listings and relied heavily on the Realtor magazine for advertising. Today, we use laptops, tablets, multiple screens, digital cameras, email, mobile phones, customer relationship systems and online platforms every day. The internet changed everything, with sites such as Trade Me and Realestate.co.nz becoming central to how buyers search for property and how we market homes. What once took days can now happen almost instantly.
Christchurch Earthquakes and the Property Market
Without a doubt, the biggest change Christchurch faced during my career was the earthquakes of 2010 and 2011. At the time, I wondered what the future would look like for real estate. Within six months, I had sold a house in the orange zone, even though the buyers’ solicitor advised against it. Fortunately, the market adapted to the changes and found its way back to a new kind of normal.
The earthquakes also brought a wave of as-is, where-is sales, challenging insurance conditions, and ongoing issues with some repair work. Even today, floors that are not level or slightly over tolerance can affect a property’s ability to be insured and sold. Our neighbourhoods changed too, with shops demolished, local halls lost, new facilities built, and the community reshaping itself over time.
Other events that have left their mark on property prices in Aranui included the closure of four schools after the quakes and the opening of Haeata Community Campus in 2017. Covid also saw prices in Aranui and Wainoni jump by around 57% in just 12 months. Those events were a reminder of how closely real estate is tied to people’s lives, communities, and our confidence that the future will be better.
Why Local Real Estate Experience Matters
Through every challenge, what I have enjoyed most about the job has never changed: helping people. I have had the privilege of selling homes for friends, neighbours, and local residents. There is real satisfaction in seeing owners move on happily after a successful sale. I also love seeing first-home buyers, especially the younger ones in our community, experience the excitement and pride of owning their own home for the first time.
Thirty years on, I still believe real estate is an essential industry to be part of, and Christchurch remains a wonderful place to call home. So much has changed since 1996, but my gratitude has only grown — for the trust people have placed in me, and for the opportunity to help so many locals through one of the biggest decisions of their lives.
In 2025, my wife Carolyn joined me as a real estate salesperson and we became Team Baker. She is as committed to helping people as I am, and together we believe we can continue to make selling your property as stress-free as possible. We cannot promise no stress, but we do our best to minimise it!
Thinking About Selling Your Christchurch Property?
If you are thinking about selling your property in Christchurch, we would be happy to help. With my 30 years of local Christchurch real estate experience and Carolyn’s 20+ years in marketing and customer service, Team Baker can guide you through the selling process, offer honest advice, and help you achieve the best possible result from your sale.
