Used Boat Market Insights - October 2026
2 November 2026
Month ending October 2026 · National
Used Boat Sales rebound 12% as Western New Zealand leads sell-through nationwide
Every month we pull listing, sale and lead activity from across BoatsOnline's New Zealand marketplace to show how the used-boat market is actually moving — how many boats are newly listed, sold and actively for sale in each state, and where buyer leads and days-on-market activity concentrate by category and by state.
New listings
943
▲ 8% MoMSold listings
830
▲ 12% MoMActive listings
7,040
▲ 1% MoMBuyer leads
5,367
▲ 1% MoMMedian days on market
142
▼ 3% MoMMonthly insight
October at a glance
Sold listings rose 12% in October as new listings climbed 8%, and Western New Zealand again converted listings into sales faster than any other state, posting a 17.3% sell-through rate against an 11.8% national average.
Listing numbers
Western New Zealand leads sell-through as national conversion recovers
Nationally, sellers listed 943 new boats and sold 830 in October — an 11.8% sell-through rate, up from 10.6% in September. Western New Zealand's 17.3% sell-through rate leads every state, with Queensland second at 12.4%.
Active listings by state
View as table
| State | Active listings |
|---|---|
| Queensland | 2,337 |
| New South Wales | 2,044 |
| Western New Zealand | 1,170 |
| Victoria | 923 |
| South New Zealand | 319 |
| Tasmania | 211 |
Sell-through rate by state
National average — 11.8%
View as table
| State | Sell-through |
|---|---|
| Western New Zealand | 17.3% |
| Queensland | 12.4% |
| Tasmania | 11.8% |
| Victoria | 10.5% |
| South New Zealand | 10.0% |
| New South Wales | 8.8% |
Market activity · Leads
Small sail boats lead buyer interest as national leads hold steady
Power boats over 10m carry the most active stock, but sail boats under 10m draw the most leads per boat — 1.16 per active listing, the only category above one, while sail boats over 10m slipped to 0.95. The two power categories sit at 0.72 for boats under 10m and 0.64 for boats over 10m. By state, New South Wales' leads rose 8.9% month-on-month, the largest move of the states charted, while the national total held roughly flat, up 1.0%. Tasmania still draws the most leads per boat of the states charted, at 1.16 against a 0.76 national average.
Boats for sale and leads, by category
Boats for saleLeads
Power over 10m
0.64
leads per boat
Power under 10m
0.72
leads per boat
Sail over 10m
0.95
leads per boat
Sail under 10m
1.16
leads per boat
Personal watercraft
0.84
leads per boat
Green marks categories drawing at least one lead per boat for sale.
View as table
| Category | Boats for sale | Leads | Leads per boat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power over 10m | 2,767 | 1,781 | 0.64 |
| Power under 10m | 2,354 | 1,684 | 0.72 |
| Sail over 10m | 1,439 | 1,368 | 0.95 |
| Sail under 10m | 419 | 484 | 1.16 |
| Personal watercraft | 61 | 51 | 0.84 |
Leads per boat by state
National average — 0.76 leads per boat
View as table
| State | Leads per boat |
|---|---|
| Tasmania | 1.16 |
| Western New Zealand | 0.89 |
| Queensland | 0.82 |
| New South Wales | 0.68 |
| South New Zealand | 0.67 |
| Victoria | 0.55 |
Market activity · Days on market
Personal watercraft moves fastest; large sail boats and South New Zealand take longest
Median time on market ranges from 42 days for personal watercraft to 202 days for sail boats over 10m, well ahead of power boats over 10m at 185. Among the states charted, Western New Zealand clears boats fastest at a 121-day median, while South New Zealand is now slowest at 212 days, with Tasmania next at 169.
Median days on market by category
View as table
| Category | Median days on market |
|---|---|
| Personal watercraft | 42 days |
| Power under 10m | 100 days |
| Sail under 10m | 168 days |
| Power over 10m | 185 days |
| Sail over 10m | 202 days |
Median days on market by state
View as table
| State | Median days on market |
|---|---|
| Western New Zealand | 121 days |
| Queensland | 142 days |
| New South Wales | 150 days |
| Victoria | 153 days |
| Tasmania | 169 days |
| South New Zealand | 212 days |
Get in front of this demand
Thinking of selling? Buyers are looking.
Western New Zealand's standout sell-through this month shows strong buyer demand is out there. A fresh listing gets the most eyes right now.
Methodology
Figures are drawn monthly from BoatsOnline's own marketplace: listing and sale timestamps for new, sold and active counts, and days-on-market from sold listings. Buyer leads combine enquiry-form submissions with phone-reveal and click-through activity, each weighted toward an enquiry-equivalent. Northern Territory is excluded from state-level figures this month due to very low volumes (5 sales).