Real Estate Today - New Zealand

BWA Insolvency’s Quarterly Market Report shows 772 insolvencies were recorded in Q1 2026, down 17 per cent from 936 cases in Q4 2025. While the quarterly decline suggests business stress may have peaked late last year, insolvencies remain 13.9 per cent higher than the same quarter in 2025, reinforcing that many firms are still operating under sustained pressure.

As ANZAC Day approaches, I’ve noticed something. Our national conversation feels louder than usual. More opinion. More division. More certainty from people who, if we’re honest, don’t carry the full weight of what they’re speaking about.

Just before Christmas in 2025, we received a Notice of Hearing for a tenancy dispute. The tenant had lodged a claim with the Tenancy Tribunal alleging that we had compromised the safety of her and her child by renting a rural property with unsafe drinking water. There were other issues as well - a claim of retaliatory notice, breaches of quiet enjoyment, and a dryer breaking down, which took a total of four weeks to repair. Her claim was for $40,000.