Wellington, May 13 NZPA - Lower interest rates and more affordable property prices are boosting activity in the property market, according to real estate agent Harcourts.

Harcourts said it wrote an average 44 percent more sales in April than in the same month last year.

The number of written sales in Christchurch rose 75 percent. In the northern region of New Zealand, which includes Auckland, the rise was 72 percent.

The volume of sales was returning to a more normal level after falling last year, said Harcourts New Zealand chief executive Bryan Thomson.

"Kiwis have become sick and tired of all the negativity and fed up with putting their lives on hold, so they've decided to be positive, to stop stalling and to take action in the real estate market," he said.

Sellers hanging on for higher prices are being ignored by buyers who are competing for properties offered by realistic sellers.

NZPA