Report
The Economic Contribution of Residential Property Investors
Independent analysis for New Zealand Property Investors Federation
March 2026
Residential property investors are often labelled speculative or unproductive. This independent report, prepared by Infometrics, for NZPIF with support from Opes Partners quantifies their actual economic contribution to New Zealand.
Why this report matters
Residential property investors provide rental homes, fund new builds, and invest heavily in maintaining existing housing stock. Their spending supports construction, manufacturing, professional services, finance, retail, and hospitality.
This report moves the conversation from opinion to evidence.
What the report covers
• GDP contribution and employment impact
• Direct, indirect and earnings effects
• Maintenance and improvement vs new builds
• Industry breakdown across 109 sectors
• Methodology based on Stats NZ input-output tables
Key findings snapshot
About the analysis
This report was prepared by Principal Consultant Rob Heyes with input from Associate Economist Dirk van Seventer and Chief Forecaster Gareth Kiernan at Infometrics.
The modelling uses 2020 Stats NZ input-output tables, updated to 2024, to estimate direct, indirect and earnings contributions in terms of GDP and employment.
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