The latest edition of the Asia Pacific Property Investment Guide delivers up-to-date property and tax legislation for investors and businesses interested in the Asia Pacific region.

Published jointly by Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) Inc. and Ashurst LLP, the 2024 guide contains legal and regulatory information on foreign property investment in 16 territories across the region, including New Zealand.

Now into its eighth annual edition, the guide offers a practical overview of the laws and regulations in each region relevant to real estate investors, covering topics such as:

  • options for land tenure (freehold, leasehold, etc.)
  • major legislation touching on property investment
  • operational requirements for foreign companies
  • restrictions on foreign property ownership/leasing
  • foreign investment regulation (and incentives)
  • foreign exchange controls
  • tax structures, and
  • leasing, including common terms of lease for tenancy agreements.

The guide is ideally suited to businesses looking to extend their geographic reach and access new markets, and it provides summaries of what to know when looking at markets. 

New Zealand’s global standing as an investment destination

What’s underscored by the new report is the ease of doing business in New Zealand. It notes, for instance, ways for investors to extend their reach into the country – through a local subsidiary, as a local branch, or as a limited partnership.

With its stable economy and political system, transparent tax structure, low corruption and ease of doing business, New Zealand is a safe country for investing, offering strong yields on commercial real estate. It has, for instance, been ranked:

  • 1st out of 141 countries for macroeconomic stability (World Economic Forum, Global Competitiveness Report, 2019)
  • 2nd in the world for corruption transparency (Corruptions Perceptions Index, Transparency International, 2022)
  • 11th in the world for attracting foreign investment (Global Opportunity Index, Milken Institute, 2021)
  • 11th out of 77 countries for least complexity of doing business
  • in the top 3 per cent of globally placed universities (QS World University Rankings, 2021).
  • New Zealand enjoys trade agreements with Hong Kong, China, Malaysia, Thailand, Korea and Singapore, as well as new agreements with the United Kingdom and the European Union, and a digital economy partnership between New Zealand, Chile and Singapore.

Auckland: an innovative region that fosters work-life balance

Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland is home to one-third of the country’s population, spanning more than 180 ethnicities. World-class digital infrastructure, a thriving tech and business environment, and the country’s largest logistical facilities have helped established Auckland as a major Asia-Pacific hub and the economic centre of New Zealand, generating more than one-third of the country’s GDP.

With its highly educated workforce, and its culture of tolerance and diversity, the region offers a great lifestyle for residents and visitors. Surrounded by outstanding natural beauty and beaches, the Auckland region is uniquely positioned between three harbours, featuring maunga (mountains), beaches, forest reserves and lakes.

JLL has been investing in Auckland for over 35 years

JLL’s 120-strong team in Auckland offers a range of services for investors, including property sales and leasing, valuation and debt advisory, strategic consultancy, and research, as well as project design and delivery. The investment guide is a useful third-party view of the market attributes. To download the full guide, visit JLL.

Find out more

To learn more about opportunities in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, get in touch with our team of experts.