An Auckland real estate agent has received "horrific" comments after making a Facebook post about the sale of a home to overseas buyers, which New Zealand First leader Winston Peters shared.
Mr Peters said the post about the sale of a home to overseas buyers that were looking to buy more houses was like "a red rag to a bull". He said the agent "shouldn't be surprised" at the backlash she's received and she'd "rubbed New Zealanders nose in the fact foreigners are snapping up properties".
Real estate agent Fiona Li made the post that said: "SOLD! Very happy overseas buyers from China, just off plane arrived today. They are looking for more houses to buy." Ms Li declined to comment to Newshub, but her colleague said Ms Li has become a scapegoat when she's done nothing wrong.
Auctioneer Aaron Davis said "She's such a hard working conscientious lady, she's such an asset to New Zealand and for these people that are making comments about what she's done, she's done nothing illegal, she's doing her job and paying her taxes. It's just horrific."
"I can't even comment on some of the stuff that's coming out," he said.
Labour housing spokesperson Phil Twyford said he understands people's anger but it was being misdirected. "This is not about ethnicity, and I speak with some personal experience of this issue," Mr Twyford said. "This is an issue about unregulated foreign investment in our housing market and it's not helpful I think when it becomes about ethnicity or particular individuals."
"New Zealanders are angry about the fact that National has allowed foreign buyers to come in and bid up the price of housing in New Zealand, and bid up the prices out of reach of New Zealanders and particularly first home buyers."
Labour has a policy to ban foreign buyers from buying existing homes in New Zealand. Mr Twyford said the Government needed to gather more accurate data about the impact and scale of foreign investment in the housing market.
Associate Housing spokesman Alfred Ngaro has been contacted for comment.
Newshub.
