As economic fundamentals begin to fall back into line and business sentiment starts to improve, two strategic appointments to the Bayleys Canterbury land development team will position the firm strongly as the market enters a new cycle.
Senior brokers Greg O'Brien and Mitchell Ryder have joined Bayleys from another Canterbury agency, bringing a combined 17 years industry experience across property sectors to the team with a core focus on large-scale industrial projects and land sales across the South Island.
Bayleys’ general manager South Island commercial and industrial William Wallace says the appointments of O’Brien and Ryder will put a brighter spotlight on South Island land development opportunities with an emphasis on Canterbury, Nelson, Queenstown and the wider Otago region.
“Bayleys has a reputable and high-achieving national land development team acting for a wide range of vendors including private owners, corporates and local and central government.
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"To date, activity has largely focused on the North Island, however with huge identified opportunity in the South Island, we’ve been looking to strengthen our client offering out of our Christchurch office.
“Bayleys Canterbury has a strong and proven commercial and industrial team, but bringing Greg and Mitch onboard is a proactive and measured move to add to our capability in the development land sales and project space across the South Island.
“They will collaborate closely with Bayleys’ national land development team, driving key land transactions and also work alongside regional teams to strengthen Bayleys’ market presence, reinforcing its ability to offer a comprehensive, full-service approach across all property sectors.”
With an earlier career in public service, O’Brien’s pragmatic, fact-based approach to real estate, gives him a strategic edge in identifying opportunities, assessing risks, and negotiating with confidence, says Wallace.
“Greg has a track record in bringing transformational large business parks to life, is adept at identifying large-scale rezoning opportunities, and has brokered pre-lease design-build projects for multinational companies and nationwide developers.
“He’s experienced in high-profile, complex transactions often via off-market agreements and involving layered negotiations, with his clients including off-shore headquartered corporates, iwi groups, high-net-worth individuals, and sellers transitioning out of intergenerational assets.”
Ryder’s expertise is centred on negotiating complex industrial and rural land transactions, often dealing with large-scale off-market deals which requires strategic insight, and a long-term structured approach.
“Mitch’s 10-years’ experience in commercial and industrial real estate, and earlier 15-year career background in the FMCG sector, means he has deep understanding of the logistics market,” says Wallace.
“He brings vast knowledge to the table when working with clients in distribution and supply chain management fields, and as an owner of hospitality and event businesses in Christchurch, Mitch has core, first-hand and invaluable experience to assist business owners.”
Bayleys’ national land development arm works closely with the development sector in identifying and progressing brownfield and greenfield projects that can leverage new roading and infrastructural projects.
The easing of construction costs and a better interest rate environment should assist with developer efficiencies and project feasibility, and while infrastructure constraints in parts of the country are a handbrake to development, Wallace says 2025 is looking encouraging for the sector.
“Industrial land is pivotal to economic growth across the South Island so potential industrial projects will be a prime focus for our team.
“The government’s growth initiatives and wider-door policy to foreign investment could change the face of regional New Zealand, and we’re working towards having specialist teams available on the ground across the South Island.”
- Supplied by Bayleys
