The Government's being urged to heed international warnings about its foreign buyer ban.

The International Monetary Fund has warned the ban is an over-reaction to a problem that might not exist and amounts to discrimination.

The real estate sector fears it will put off much-needed foreign investment in the housing market.

Real Estate Institute chief executive Bindi Norwell told Kate Hawkesby that will make it more difficult to increase housing supply.

"We do not want any policies that come into place that impede new supply and these policies may prevent the supply of new-builds as well."

Norwell says the ban discourages housing investment, when the Government should be boosting housing supply.

"Initiatives such as KiwiBuild [are] fantastic."

She says that the Government should look at "decreasing the take rather than a very small proportion of the market with foreign buyers."

LISTEN TO BINDI NORWELL TALK WITH KATE HAWKESBY ABOVE