That was a question raised by Harcourts Group chief executive Hayden Duncan when interviewed in Dunedin yesterday.
"It could well change people's perspective of the sort of homes they want. Earthquake risk is not something that Christchurch people have traditionally thought about," he said.
"Some areas will have a stigma, compared to areas that came through the earthquake well. Just like some long-term Dunedin residents might still have a stigma about Abbotsford, after the landslide there [in 1978]. There will be slow demand and lower prices in areas and difficulty in finding buyers in those areas."
Mr Duncan also said spring would be a quiet time for real estate sales in Christchurch.
"It's hard to sell a damaged home. But there will be good, strong demand for unaffected homes.
"From a pricing point of view, it will be interesting to see what happens over the next six months, but I think it will have an impact on values."
Quotable Value manager Glenda Whitehead said last night it would be months before the full impact of the earthquake was known.
