The average house price recorded by Auckland's largest real estate company was 3.2% higher in February than January, at $521,323.
The result is the highest Barfoot and Thompson has recorded for a February, but is still about $1000 below the average sale price for 2009 of $522,297.
New listings climbed to 1714, the highest in 23 months.
The number of houses sold in February was 626, an increase of 12% on the same month last year.
Barfoot and Thompson managing director, Peter Thompson, says the Auckland vendors still have to be realistic with their sale price, though big numbers of people are turning out at auctions.
New Zealand Institiute of Economic Research's principal economist Shamubeel Eaqub says rising mortgage rates and slowing net migration mean it could be 2011 or 2012 until there is a strong housing market recovery.
The Real Estate Institute is expected to release its February sales data next week, but its January figures show house sales hit an 18-year low, with just 3,500 homes sold nationwide during the month.
