Not to compare, but here in Canada, to sell a house, a Real Estate agent lists his house on the MLS (The Multiple Listing Service) and virtually every house on the market is on that site and you can search my SO many criteria's and there is even a map that shows where all the houses are.
For example. Here is a link to an area near by. http://bit.ly/gl8jn1
I can ask for a 2-story, 4-bedroom house, between $400k-$500k with a garage, pool and fireplace and there you go... points are dropped on the map with all the houses on the market meeting that criteria. Furthermore, there are NO houses without prices. It would be crazy to not post the price. LOL.
How is one capable of looking for a house in NZ from the comfort of their computer? I cannot find a site with all the listings. Any recommendations? Perhaps I should build an MLS Website when I get there. Mouahahaha