Inside Commercial Property

New Zealand commercial property is drawing serious attention from Australian investors, and the yields are a big part of why. In this episode of Inside Commercial Property, Scott O’Neill is joined by Matt Harris and Michael Vincent of Lighthouse Financial to unpack what’s making the New Zealand market so compelling right now.

Lighthouse is one of New Zealand’s leading financial services firms, guiding more than 4,000 Kiwis toward financial freedom since 2014 with holistic advice spanning accounting, lending, and investment. The conversation covers the forces shaping New Zealand property in 2026. New Zealand has moved through the interest rate cycle ahead of Australia, with the official cash rate easing significantly from its peak, and that shift is changing how investors think. For an everyday Australian investor, the combination of a favourable exchange rate, no stamp duty, and a maturing commercial market makes a genuine case for diversification.

Matt and Michael also explain the practical side of buying across the Tasman: how the structures, lending, and tax considerations work for a foreign investor, and why the experience is more familiar than most Australians expect.

In this episode, we cover:
- Why New Zealand’s position in the interest rate cycle is reshaping investor behaviour.
- How the shift toward income-driven assets is opening the door to commercial property.
- What the exchange rate, stamp duty, and lending environment mean for an Australian buyer.
- How New Zealand’s commercial market is maturing, and where the opportunities sit.
- The structures, tax, and first steps for an Australian investing in New Zealand.

Explore New Zealand commercial property with Rethink Investing:
- New Zealand: https://www.rethinkinvesting.co.nz/
- Australia: https://www.rethinkinvesting.com.au/

Book a Consultation: https://www.rethinkinvesting.com.au/lets-talk
Explore Lighthouse Financial: https://lighthousefinancial.co.nz/

With sentiment turning cautious, interest rates remaining elevated, and major policy changes looming ahead of the Federal Budget, many investors are sitting on the sidelines. But as this podcast episode explores, market hesitation often creates the best opportunities for those willing to act with conviction.

On Inside Commercial Property, host Phil Tarrant is joined by Scott O’Neill to unpack the current state of the property market, and why we may be entering one of the most important investment periods of the decade.

In this episode, we cover:

Why negative sentiment isn’t always a bad thing for investors.
The impact of the upcoming Federal Budget and potential tax changes.
Why affordability policy could reshape how and where people invest.
The growing importance of cash flow versus capital growth.
How commercial property differs structurally, and why it’s gaining attention.
The risks of poor advice in an unregulated buyer’s agent market.
How business principles (cash flow, margins, risk management) apply directly to investing.
With potential changes to capital gains tax, negative gearing, and broader housing policy, the rules of the game may be shifting. But one thing remains constant: The investors who succeed are those who focus on fundamentals, not headlines.

With rising interest rates, geopolitical tension in the Middle East, and potential changes to capital gains tax, investors are facing a perfect storm of uncertainty. But while some are sitting on the sidelines, others are moving decisively – creating a clear two-speed market.

In this Inside Commercial Property podcast episode, Phil Tarrant is joined by Scott O’Neill to discuss one of the most complex market environments in recent memory.

The pair explore how global events are flowing through to Australian and New Zealand property markets, what higher rates mean for asset selection, and why income-focused investing is becoming more critical than ever.

They also break down real, on-the-ground deals – highlighting where value is being found, how investors are negotiating in today’s market, and why fundamentals matter more than ever.

If you’re trying to make sense of where the market is heading and where the opportunities lie, this is an episode you can’t afford to miss.

In this episode of Inside Commercial Property, host Phil Tarrant is joined by Scott O’Neill, CEO of Rethink Group, and Margie Baldock, senior buyer’s advocate at Rethink Investing, for a candid conversation on what really drives successful commercial property investing, beyond just yields and headlines.

The discussion opens with the latest interest rate movement and its unexpected impact on investor behaviour. Scott explains why rising rates may actually strengthen the commercial case, as capital shifts away from low-yielding residential portfolios and towards higher-income, long-term assets.

The episode also touches on the capital gains tax debate and why structural differences between residential and commercial ownership vehicles may further increase commercial property’s appeal. Margie’s perspective reframes the buyer’s agent role entirely: not just sourcing assets, but helping high-performing investors define “how much is enough”, align investments with life goals, and protect long-term strategy from emotional decisions.

Also discussed in this episode:
Why commercial property can still be accessed later in life, even when residential lending becomes restrictive.
The structural advantages of lease-backed lending and self-managed super fund (SMSF) purchasing strategies.
How to reframe vacancy as an opportunity rather than a failure, and how short leases can be leveraged into equity gains.
Why most high-net-worth investors don’t actually know their required passive income number and how reverse engineering that number simplifies portfolio planning.
The behavioural differences between overconfident and underconfident investors, and why sometimes “doing less” leads to stronger compounding outcomes.

This episode is essential listening for investors who want a deeper understanding of how experienced commercial buyers think – from negotiating risk and pricing problems, to resisting short-term temptations, to structuring portfolios that genuinely support lifestyle freedom over decades.

In this episode of Inside Commercial Property, host Phil Tarrant is joined by Scott O’Neill, CEO of Rethink Group, to kick off 2026 with a comprehensive outlook on where commercial property markets are heading and how sophisticated investors should be positioning capital in the year ahead.

Building on the momentum of a strong 2025, the conversation unpacks the major structural forces shaping commercial property today – from constrained development pipelines and rising construction costs to increased private and offshore capital flowing into Australian and New Zealand markets. Drawing on hundreds of active buyers and transactions across the Rethink platform, Scott provides a real-time, ground-level view of how investors are deploying capital and where competition is intensifying.

The episode delivers a detailed asset-by-asset outlook for 2026, including industrial, retail, and office markets. Scott explains why secondary industrial assets are expected to deliver some of the strongest risk-adjusted returns, supported by owner-occupier demand, replacement cost pressures and yield expansion. Retail is also assessed, with neighbourhood shopping centres and large-format retail emerging as standout performers due to severe supply constraints, resilient tenant demand and improving investor sentiment.

Listeners will gain practical insight into:
- How to think like a family office when allocating capital.
- Why blended portfolios across asset classes outperform concentrated strategies.
- Setting minimum yield thresholds to protect downside risk.
- Balancing income security with long-term capital growth.
- Which asset types and deal structures to avoid in the current cycle.

Scott also shares a disciplined perspective on interest rates, reinforcing why short-term movements should not drive long-term investment decisions, and how investors can build portfolios that remain resilient across changing economic conditions.

This episode is essential listening for investors seeking clarity on where value exists in commercial property today, how professional capital is being positioned, and what a disciplined, long-term investment strategy looks like as markets move through the next phase of the cycle.

Learn more: https://www.rethinkinvesting.com.au/ https://www.rethinkinvesting.co.nz/ https://www.rethinkresidential.com.au/Book a consultation: https://www.rethinkinvesting.com.au/l...