Digital technology and online buying is changing the real estate industry, with people now content to spend millions of dollars on a home – despite not having set foot onto the property.

The latest lockdown – and continued Alert Level 3 for Auckland – has seen a surge in interest for ‘lifestyle properties’, with buyers paying top dollar, sight unseen, for homes in areas such as Queenstown, Wānaka, Waiheke Island, Tauranga and Hawke’s Bay, according to New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty (NZSIR) managing director Mark Harris.