How School Zones Impact Sales and CPD

Denese Konowe

Alright, welcome back everyone to Kiwi Real Estate, Inside Out. I’m Denese Konowe, and alongside me as always is Dr. Lee. Today we’ve got a topic that, honestly, I think every salesperson in New Zealand—maybe every buyer and seller too—has tangled with at least once: school zones and just how much they’re shaping our property market right now.

Dr Lee Konowe

You know, Denese, when we first moved here, I—I guess I didn’t quite grasp how deep this obsession runs until I saw families literally camped outside school gates just to prove residency. Some might say it’s bordering on, well, a little intense, but the data, it’s pretty wild. I mean, we’re talking, what, nearly ninety percent premium for homes in the Epsom Girls Grammar zone? That’s not peanuts.

Denese Konowe

Yeah, and it’s not just Auckland. I’ve seen the Christchurch numbers lately—$1.18 million for homes zoned for Christchurch Boys’ or Girls’ High, versus maybe $650,000 or $700,000 if you’re just a bit out of the catchment. That’s more than an eighty percent jump. It’s remarkable—and it’s not just the money, it’s peace of mind for these families. And then you look at Wellington College, where in-zone is actually slightly cheaper than out-of-zone. No one-size-fits-all story at all. You really have to know your local patch, and why people want to be where they want to be.

Dr Lee Konowe

Yeah, in Wellington, it’s like the inverse! I don’t want to go off on a tangent but, like, sometimes there are these quirky little micro-markets that throw the pattern right out the window. I recall reading about Onslow College, though, where the in-zone premium is still a solid twenty percent or so. So...the pattern isn’t uniform but it’s powerful more often than not.

Denese Konowe

And Lee, I’ll never forget this one family—young couple, two little ones. We were looking at their shortlist in Christchurch, and all signs pointed to House A, right? But then the catchment boundary map entered the picture. The moment they realized they could slip into the Christchurch Girls’ High zone if we tweaked the search by just a few streets, their whole approach changed. They stretched their budget, yes, but they’ve never regretted it. The schooling, the long-term neighbourhood value—it just ticked all their boxes.

Dr Lee Konowe

It’s such a Kiwi story, isn’t it? “Right address, right pathway”—and it’s literally sometimes the difference of crossing the street and your whole future argues with your budget. The psychology here is so worth our attention as professionals.

Denese Konowe

So, how do the best agents spin this gold? School zones as a selling point, not just a footnote. I mean, for sellers—if you’re sitting in that Epsom or Remuera pocket, you know your open homes will be flooded at the start of every school year. And buyers, they’re laser-focused—sometimes filtering listings by school zone, not suburb. That’s an opportunity you don’t let slip.

Dr Lee Konowe

Yeah, I saw this masterclass in action—Remuera agency really leaned into Epsom Girls’ Grammar. They mapped the zone boundary like it was the Berlin Wall, honestly, and then got smart with their marketing. Targeted social ads, flyers in the right coffee shops, and their listings practically shouted, “In Zone!” The agents even hosted info nights about enrolment cutoffs. Result? They weren’t just selling faster—they were selling way above CV, and their sales volume just kept ticking up quarter after quarter.

Denese Konowe

There’s another side, though. We have to be, well—I’m going to say vigilant. REA code and ethical guidelines don’t let you fudge the lines. You can’t promise future enrolment if even the Ministry won’t commit. School zones are like living organisms, shifting a little every few years, or even mid-sale. I’ve seen deals wobble the moment a board proposes a new boundary, and the agent hadn’t flagged that risk.

Dr Lee Konowe

Exactly. I mean, if you’re an agent and you overstate, or maybe even inadvertently mislead about a property’s zone, it’s not just a slap on the wrist. It’s a trust thing—and it can unravel a sale entirely. I always, always suggest: tell your buyers to check the Ministry’s map, and if there’s a whiff of a potential boundary review, get that in writing and stay transparent.

Dr Lee Konowe

Let’s pivot a bit: CPD—Continuing Professional Development. Now, there’s some good news for agents who really dig into school zones. Recent CPD requirements have put a bigger emphasis on local market deep-dives, and school zoning is now part of that matrix. I’ve seen agents in our Auckland workshops come to life playing with these digital maps. The ones who learned to overlay boundaries with listings, and crosscheck every address, ended up standing out big—not just in test scores, but in their client feedback. It’s smart CPD and, frankly, smart business.

Denese Konowe

Oh, totally. And the 2025 REA compliance means you’ve gotta keep up. That’s mandatory hours under “Issues Beyond the Boundary”—and, well, school zones are as beyond the boundary as it gets! I vividly remember this veteran salesperson in a session last month—years and years in the business. She realized, during our catchment mapping practice, that she’d been under-marketing her listing by not mentioning it was just, literally, inside the Onslow College zone. One line on her marketing flyer and it unlocked a whole new pool of interested buyers. Sometimes these little CPD upgrades, they actually give you the tools to deliver much more value.

Dr Lee Konowe

And let’s not forget, missing those ten hours of CPD can mean losing your license for five years. If that doesn’t put the wind up you, I dunno what will. But yeah, workshops now let you network, check map overlays live, share case studies—basically, it’s hands-on learning with immediate payback both for your compliance and your bottom line.

Denese Konowe

Okay, I want to talk rules of the road. Because every time someone asks, “Is this home in the right school zone?”—it’s a legal and ethical minefield if you haven’t brushed up. For agencies, it means having rock-solid guidelines for your team and auditing your marketing. You can’t just cut and paste yesterday’s boundary lines and call it done. Every description, every claim about a school zone, needs to link back to the most current Ministry of Education info. Otherwise—well, clients have access to those same maps, and all it takes is one slip-up to erode your trust.

Dr Lee Konowe

Couldn’t agree more. That’s why we run internal training, frankly. Agents need to say it straight, right? “Based on Ministry information as of today, this property is in zone.” And if that might change—be honest about it. Overhyping or guessing is a fast track to complaints or worse. We also recommend, you know, regular marketing audits. Pull your flyers, listings—just check now and then that nothing is outdated or—uh—borderline misleading.

Denese Konowe

And look, I get it—it’s tempting. You really wanna help your seller, you wanna close that deal, but overstating is just not worth the risk to your reputation or your license. So the real win is: be the agent who’s known for accuracy, not just enthusiasm. That pays off triple in referrals over time.

Dr Lee Konowe

Now, here’s a scenario that’s getting less theoretical every year: boundaries change. Sometimes it’s subtle, sometimes it’s seismic, but either way—you’ve got to stay ahead. I mean, if I were still flying, I’d say you need your radar turned up, not coasting on autopilot. Subscribe to local council or school newsletters, check their minutes, talk to principals if you can. If a review’s coming, you need to be the first—not the fourth—to know.

Denese Konowe

Exactly. That’s also when you shift gears in your marketing. If the catchment line is fuzzy, don’t just harp on about the zone; talk up the other perks—community, parks, quick commute, whatever fits. You’ve gotta prep your sellers and your buyers that, yes, the school matters, but even if a zone drops away, a home with good bones in a great spot still holds real value. Transparency is your friend, especially mid-negotiation.

Dr Lee Konowe

I’ll add—make sure your team is trained to have those difficult conversations. It’s not just a script; it’s about managing expectations from day one. If there’s uncertainty, say so, and talk through alternatives. Maybe a client sticks with a property for lifestyle reasons, not just the school. Goes back to building trust, really.

Denese Konowe

Couldn’t have said it better, Lee. Listen, folks—school zones aren’t just another checkbox on a property portal anymore. They’re living, breathing factors with real consequences for value, marketing, even compliance. Stay sharp, stay ethical, and—well—keep learning. That’s it from both of us, but we’ll be back next time with even more Kiwi real estate insights. Thanks Lee, always a pleasure to dig in with you.

Dr Lee Konowe

You too, Denese. See you next episode—and to everyone listening, take care and stay curious out there.