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Investors are naturally cautious about what or who the property developer is. And rightly so.

That’s because when buying a property off the plans, you’re buying drawings on a page – and you need to have the confidence that the property developer can turn those drawings into a fully-built house.

So, in this article we’ve compiled a list of our top 5 property developers.

These are developers that we here at Opes Partners can stand behind, because we’ve worked with them and have seen the finished product.

Although we work with 97 property developers around the country, we’ve specifically chosen smaller developers who you probably haven’t heard of. Ultimately, that means you have a few more names to consider outside the big established players.

Big disclaimer: This doesn’t mean that every property these guys build is going to be a banging investment.

But what this list can do is alleviate some concerns you may have about who is the driving force behind your property.

Do you have a question or comment about our top 5 developers? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section at the end of the page.

#1 Atlas property

Atlas Property is run by director Andrew Yeoman, who has been developing property in New Zealand for more than 17 years.

Altas tends to focus on townhouses, but also does some apartments, primarily focussed in Auckland and Hamilton.

The company initially started in the Waikato, and has now spread to the Auckland region.

An example of a recently completed project in Auckland is Hall Avenue, based in Favona. Investors who work with Opes purchased the bulk of these properties.

Altas’ Hamilton projects include The Village Quarter and Ridgedale developments, which both won the Urban Design and Architectural Merit award at the National Urban Design Awards.

Atlas makes our top 5 because here at Opes we have confidence in Yeoman’s experience. Over the years we have recommended many Atlas developments to investors. This is because he’s been in the business for such a long time and knows what it takes to get something built – on time and on budget.

Due to the longevity of the relationship we sometimes have exclusivity on Atlas developments. That means only Opes clients and investors are able to purchase in that development.

Builds: Primarily townhouses and some apartments.

Location: Auckland and Hamilton.

Best for: Property investors looking for capital growth, and first home buyers.

#2 Safari group

Safari Group Property Developers

Safari makes our top 5 list because they offer a different type of property to others on this list. They primarily build high-yielding properties.

For instance, the company will often build a hotel complex, and then sell hotel rooms, apartments and high yield dual-keys to investors.

One recent project – The Residences in Ellerslie, Auckland – featured on The Deal. The development offered a selection of studios, 1-bed, 2-bed, and dual-key apartments. It was a hot offer. Watch episode 3 at thedeal.co.

This project was not Safari’s first rodeo. Previous hotel/residential developments include Ramada Suites at various locations in Auckland, Queenstown and Wellington.

Safari Group is run by its two directors, Robert Neil and Stephen Taylor, licensed builders who joined forces in the mid-nineties.

This means the company has been around for 25 years and has a strong reputation and experience in the business.

Something cool for investors purchasing a Safari development is the live on-site cameras. This means you can see exactly what is happening at your build in real-time, or view a progression time-lapse.

Builds: High-yielding apartment and hotel rooms.

Location: Auckland, Wellington, Queenstown.

Best for: Property investors looking for yield.

Opes has sold 8 properties to investors.

#3 Ceta developments

Ceta Developments Property Developers NZ

Ceta Developments is another Auckland-based developer, focussing on first-home buyers and townhouses.

They are so focused on first home buyers they won’t let Opes investors purchase properties in their developments. We can only sell them to first home buyers through Opes First Home.

That probably raises a few eyebrows. However, directors Nic, Jason and Peter want to create communities of owner-occupiers. To make that happen they often sell the properties under their valuation to give first home buyers a go.

The fact that first home buyers can get a really good deal, and that they are a family business with experience, gives us the confidence to put them on our top 5.

An example of an up-and-coming project in Auckland is 36 Lyncroft Street, Mangere, a development of 80 townhouses with a mix of 2, 3 and 4 bedrooms.

The 2-bedroom properties in that specific development started from $700,000. That was chosen so that some first home buyers could still access the First Home Grant.

Fun fact, Ceta is an acronym for: Cost-Effective, Timely and Affordable projects. This is genuinely what we see when working with the team.

Builds: High-yielding apartment and hotel rooms.

Location: Auckland, Wellington, Queenstown.

Best for: First home buyers.

Opes has sold 9 properties to investors.

#4 Tuakiri Property

Screen Shot 2023 08 02 at 11 13 17 AM

Ryan Matthews (Founder and Managing Director) and Broden Race (General Manager) run this young, up-and-coming development firm.

The Auckland-based duo focusses on boutique-sized developments on the city's North Shore. But they are also looking at development sites over the bridge.

One of Tuakiri's recently sold out projects is 8 new townhouses (a mix of 3 and 2-bedrooms) at 157 Beach Haven Road. All properties are under contract, ahead of construction starting in October 2023.

This is 1 of Tuakiri's 4 future development sites which they have under-contract. All are due to start within the next 3 to 6 months.

So far, the company has settled 3 properties on Salisbury Road, Birkdale. Another on Rangatira Road, Beach Haven will finish in January ‘24.

To date, all developments have had 8 properties with a mix of 2 and 3 bedrooms. All properties have either a carpark, carport or garage.

One thing Opes likes about Tuakiri is they are great to work with. The tight-knit team makes communication easy.

Having said that, the team won't be staying small for long.

Ryan and Broden move into their Beach Haven offices next month. And they plan to bring a few more people on board to bolster their workforce ahead of their expanding stock list.

Broden says property designs may be different between developments. This is dependent on the target market.

For example, properties for first-home buyers will have more premium products.

These are things like:
- higher-spec bathroom finishes,
- more architectural design features such as larger glazing and screens,
- enhanced landscaping. 

Whereas properties for investors will be built with harder-wearing materials. Rental properties have to brave multiple-tenant use and so less maintenance is desirable.

Builds: Boutique-sized townhouse developments (less than 20)

Location: Auckland (primarily North Shore)

Best for: Property investors looking for capital growth and first-home buyers.

Builds: Boutique-sized townhouse developments (less than 20)

Location: Auckland (primarily North Shore)

Best for: Property investors looking for capital growth and first-home buyers.

#5 Freedom built

Freedom built Property developers NZ

Freedom Built is unique on this list because they are the only ones who primarily build standalone homes – for homeowners and property investors.

Outside Canterbury, Opes doesn’t tend to recommend house and land packages because the land is now so expensive. But in Canterbury investors can still purchase a standalone property and achieve a reasonable yield.

The company is run by Grant, Cole and Chloe Askew, all from the same family who live and work in the areas they build.

Cole and Chloe appeared on episode 5 of our series, The Deal.

What we like about Freedom Built is they build for the market they’re operating in.

Because they’re building family homes in outer Christchurch towns, they build 4-bedrooms on a decent-sized plot of land. The homes provide a good option for tenants and a decent yield for investors, without compromising on capital growth potential.

Builds: Standalone houses.

Location: Rolleston and Canterbury.

Best for: Property investors looking for capital growth and owner occupiers.

Opes has sold 20 properties to investors.

Final thoughts …

These 5 developers aren’t the big names you probably think of when considering purchasing a New Build investment property. But it is important to note that the person building the ‘best’ property doesn’t necessarily have the biggest marketing budgets.

That doesn’t mean big companies build bad properties at all. Of the 97 developers we work with here at Opes, some are very large, some are very small.

But here are 5 developers you may not have considered in the past. And several members of our staff have purchased properties from each of these.

If you’re looking at this list and want to buy a New Build investment, then we can help you find the right developer and right property for your investment portfolio, or as a first home. It’s all part of the service we offer.

Additionally, if you were wanting to learn more about these property developers and property investment strategies then listen to our full webinar below.

Write your questions or thoughts in the comments section below.

Opes Partners
Ed solo

Ed McKnight

Our Resident Economist, with a GradDipEcon and over five years at Opes Partners, is a trusted contributor to NZ Property Investor, Informed Investor, Stuff, Business Desk, and OneRoof.

Ed, our Resident Economist, is equipped with a GradDipEcon, a GradCertStratMgmt, BMus, and over five years of experience as Opes Partners' economist. His expertise in economics has led him to contribute articles to reputable publications like NZ Property Investor, Informed Investor, OneRoof, Stuff, and Business Desk. You might have also seen him share his insights on television programs such as The Project and Breakfast.

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