YIJU New Zealand

Industry Articles

Property · Building · Design

Tackling the industry’s pain points: an exclusive interview on Myland Partners’ construction industry survival strategy for 2025

New Zealand’s land development industry has faced multiple challenges over recent years. Rapid inflation has driven up material, labour and borrowing costs, while persistent shortages of skilled workers have further extended project timelines and increased budget pressures. Delays in infrastructure delivery have also become a bottleneck, hindering efficient land development.

Auckland’s housing market shifts in buyers’ favour: Peter Thompson draws on 45 years of experience to explain market cycles and human behaviour

After more than forty years at the helm of Barfoot & Thompson, Peter Thompson, managing director of New Zealand’s largest privately owned real estate company, speaks calmly and confidently about the market’s rises, falls and recoveries. ‘Property always comes back.’ Looking back on a career spanning 45 years, he has long since learnt to navigate cyclical fluctuations with composure: ‘It is only a matter of time.’

Will these rate cuts send house prices soaring? Hold on: new policy is quietly rewriting the rules. A round-up of recent developments property investors should watch

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand cut the Official Cash Rate (OCR) to 3.25% last week, as expected, marking the first cut of 2025. But the question the market really cares about is: will these rate cuts send house prices soaring? The latest data and policy developments suggest a sharp rise is probably unlikely in the short term. Here are five key housing market developments to watch:

Rents stabilise, building stops and rates fall: is the housing market nearing its floor? New Zealand property shifts from betting on gains to cash flow

Among the many signals in the property market, the most significant are often the trends beneath the changes rather than headline-grabbing figures. In the first half of 2025, New Zealand property sent three key signals: rental yields stabilised and recovered, construction supply fell markedly, and the Official Cash Rate (OCR) entered a downward cycle. These seemingly separate developments point to an important turning point: the property market is undergoing a profound restructuring, and a new investment rationale is emerging.

Major banks have started cutting rates! New Zealand's monetary battle through the lens of expectations: looking three moves ahead

As the Reserve Bank of New Zealand prepares to announce its Official Cash Rate (OCR) decision this Wednesday (28 May), New Zealand stands at a turbulent economic crossroads. Although markets widely expect a modest cut of 25 basis points to 3.25%, the debate, divisions and uncertainty surrounding the decision extend far beyond a simple choice between cutting and holding.

Interest rates below 5%? New Zealand's housing market enters an era of twin declines: how will mortgage and construction costs shape its future?

New Zealand mortgage borrowers could see rates below 5% in the coming months, a prospect generating considerable market anticipation. Several economists predict that continued falls in wholesale rates and potential Official Cash Rate (OCR) cuts will be the main drivers of this trend. However, industry views differ on whether rates will actually fall below 5%.

Chinese worker left unconscious after a fall! From falls from height to stalled projects: how can New Zealand's construction industry overcome its troubles?

On 28 December 2024, a sudden fall from height sent 37-year-old Chinese worker Jun Jiang to Auckland City Hospital's emergency department. The SD Aluminium worker was wearing no safety equipment and landed head-first. He remains unconscious. Jun Jiang's family travelled from China to New Zealand in search of a better life, but now faces the tragedy of losing its mainstay. The incident exposes serious gaps in safety protection within New Zealand's construction industry and reflects deeper problems across the sector.