One house at a time
Nathan Miglani of Squirrel South Island on how he’s backing South Island builders.
From left, Nathan Miglani, Daniel Kuo and Archie Middleton.
Construction and development lending has always been close to my heart. Growing up around my family’s brick supply business, I saw firsthand the challenges builders and developers face in getting projects off the ground.
Long before construction finance became a focus of the wider mortgage industry, my good friend and fellow adviser, Daniel Kuo, and I were working in this space through NZ Mortgages. At the time, not many brokers wanted to deal with the complexity. We did, because we could see how much good advice and the right funding could help people move forward.
When NZ Mortgages merged with Squirrel in 2024, it gave us the opportunity to take that expertise even further. We gained access to innovative construction finance solutions and the backing of a nationwide business, while keeping the local relationships that matter. For builders and developers across Canterbury and the wider South Island, that has meant more options and better support throughout the lending process.
One of the most rewarding parts of the journey has been watching Archie Middleton grow into his role. After spending the past few years learning the ins and outs of construction and development lending as an analyst, Archie stepped into a Mortgage Adviser position this year. Since then, he’s built strong relationships with builders and developers across Christchurch, and we’re now helping clients not only in Canterbury but also, increasingly, in Queenstown and Central Otago.
The demand for specialist construction finance continues to grow. What started as around 5 per cent of our business now represents close to 20 per cent, and in my experience that trend is likely to continue as more builders and developers become aware of the lending options available to them.
Looking ahead, I see significant opportunity in Central Otago. Places like Clyde and Alexandra are well positioned for growth as housing demand continues to outpace supply.
For our team, the goal is simple: help more builders and developers access the right funding, bring quality housing projects to life, and continue building strong relationships across the South Island: one project at a time.
