House prices around the country have gone up by nearly a quarter in the past year

Real Estate Institute figures show the median price is now 826-thousand dollars.

Acting chief executive Wendy Alexander says 12 out of 16 regions reached record median prices, as did 32 districts.

She says the 10-billion dollars Kiwis normally spend on international travel is now landing in New Zealand.

Alexander also says a love of property means people are buying more of it, if they can.