The John Kenel Show

John Kenel

Straight talk on property, money, and getting ahead in New Zealand.
John Kenel has spent over 20 years developing property and 27 years investing in it. More than 1,000 homes built. On this show he breaks down the property market, development, and money the way it actually works, not the way the system wants you to see it.
No jargon. No fluff. No spin. Just real talk for tradies, investors, business owners, and everyday Kiwis who want more freedom and more control over their lives.
If you've ever felt like the rules are stacked against ordinary people trying to get ahead, this is for you.
New episodes regularly. Education only, not financial advice.

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#62
September 30 · 1 hr 7 min
What NZ’s Largest Mortgage Broker Really Sees Happening in Property Right Now
John Bolton is the founder of Squirrel, New Zealand’s largest mortgage broker doing around $3 billion in mortgages annually, and one of the country’s biggest non-bank construction lenders with $700–800 million deployed into development finance. In this episode, John Bolton sits down with John Kenel for a straight-up conversation about what is really happening in the New Zealand property market right now. They cover buyer confidence, yield, pre-sales, product mistakes, developer margins, down-sizers, and where the next opportunities may be setting up. What you’ll learn: - What Squirrel is seeing across $3 billion a year of mortgage activity - What $700–800 million in development finance says about the state of the market - Why buyer confidence is still uneven - Why yield now matters more than easy capital gains - The product mistakes developers keep making - Why storage matters more than many people realise - Why down-sizers are an overlooked opportunity - What is happening to margins on real projects - Why this painful part of the cycle may be clearing the way for the next one If you’re building, investing, developing, or trying to make smarter decisions in property, this conversation is full of practical insight. Sign up to my FREE monthly newsletter to improve your finances: https://johnkenel.com Get finance for your property development with Squirrel: https://funding.johnkenel.com Free guide to wills, trusts & passing down your wealth properly: https://wealth.thepropertydevelopmentclub.com/ Learn how to become a profitable developer in New Zealand at https://thepropertydevelopmentclub.com
#61
September 24 · 19 min
How A Council Could Halve Your Building's Value Overnight
An election policy announced on Sunday would change how commercial leases work in New Zealand. Two parts. Rent reviews on leases already signed could go down, not just up. And if a CBD shop's been empty for more than a year, the council could give the landlord 8 weeks to find a tenant, then auction off a lease on the building. My area is residential, so I asked someone who works with commercial leases every day. My son Alex is a commercial broker at James Group Real Estate in Auckland. We go through what a ratchet clause actually is, why banks want one, how a commercial building gets valued, what happens to that value when the rent drops, what landlords would do on the next lease, and who actually turns up to a council lease auction. Then the honest bit: why shops really sit empty, and whether any of this fills them. Alex Kenel is an industrial property broker with James Group Real Estate, specialising in Penrose, Onehunga and Mt Wellington - the core of Auckland's industrial market. He works with owner-occupiers, landlords and tenants on leasing, sales and purchases, with a background in industrial valuation. If you're looking at industrial property in the area, or just want a straight read on rents, values and what's actually moving, get in touch: 📞 022 369 0406 ✉️ alexkenel@jamesgroup.co.nz 🔗 https://linkedin.com/in/alexkenel Sign up to my FREE monthly newsletter to improve your finances: https://johnkenel.com Get finance for your property development with Squirrel: https://funding.johnkenel.com Free guide to wills, trusts & passing down your wealth properly: https://wealth.thepropertydevelopmentclub.com/ Learn how to become a profitable developer in New Zealand at https://thepropertydevelopmentclub.com
#60
September 13 · 15 min
Why Socialism Suddenly Sounds Attractive (A Property Developer's Honest Take)
More young New Zealanders are looking at the housing market and deciding the system's rigged. In plenty of ways, they're right. I've been building houses for over 20 years and I've benefited from the way things are, so I'm not here to tell anyone they're wrong to be angry. The question is whether the fix being offered actually fixes it, or makes the same system bigger. In this episode: why the anger is rational, what actually failed (and why "free market" is the wrong name for it), who a bigger state actually suits, the Vienna question, the developer question, the tax question, and one test you can run on any policy before you buy it. Sign up to my FREE monthly newsletter to improve your finances: https://johnkenel.com Get finance for your property development with Squirrel: https://funding.johnkenel.com Free guide to wills, trusts & passing down your wealth properly: https://wealth.thepropertydevelopmentclub.com/ Learn how to become a profitable developer in New Zealand at https://thepropertydevelopmentclub.com
#59
August 13 · 24 min
Is UBI Really the Answer for New Zealand? Universal Basic Income Explained
Governments around the world are talking about paying you to exist. It's called a universal basic income, and AI is the reason it's back on the table. In this episode I look at what's actually being proposed here in New Zealand and overseas, what the real-world pilots in Finland and Ontario showed, what a land tax looks like from someone who actually holds land, and the part almost nobody talks about: what happens to the relationship between you and your government when your income and your money both come from the same place. And then the practical bit. $370 a week is about $19,000 a year. You don't have to wait for a government to give you that. You can build it yourself. Sign up to my FREE monthly newsletter to improve your finances: https://johnkenel.com Get finance for your property development with Squirrel: https://funding.johnkenel.com Free guide to wills, trusts & passing down your wealth properly: https://wealth.thepropertydevelopmentclub.com/ Learn how to become a profitable developer in New Zealand at https://thepropertydevelopmentclub.com
#58
July 30 · 16 min
Removing Investors Won’t Fix NZ’s Housing Crisis: Here's Why
Someone commented that developers are deluded and my 695,000 home was a ripoff. Fair enough, I've heard worse. But it got me onto the argument I have nearly every day: get investors out and more Kiwis will own a home. Partly right, but it answers the wrong question. So in this one I do something simple. I count the houses. When an investor sells a rental to a first home buyer, one household becomes an owner, and that's great, but New Zealand still has the same number of homes on the ground. The name on the title changed, the roof didn't. I get into the 2021 interest deductibility changes, why the government quietly wanted a different kind of landlord, what build to rent really does to supply, how Australia rolls out the red carpet for big operators, and why no pre-sales means no finance, no build, and no new front door. Two questions cut through all the noise: does it help more Kiwis own a home, and does it actually create another home to live in. Sign up to my FREE monthly newsletter to improve your finances: https://johnkenel.com Get finance for your property development with Squirrel: https://funding.johnkenel.com Free guide to wills, trusts & passing down your wealth properly: https://wealth.thepropertydevelopmentclub.com/ Learn how to become a profitable developer in New Zealand at https://thepropertydevelopmentclub.com
#57
July 20 · 1 hr 4 min
NZ Property Market Is Near the Bottom: What Happens Next?
John Kenel sits down with John Bolton from Squirrel, New Zealand’s biggest mortgage broker. What’s getting funded, what’s getting declined, and why? They discuss the OCR at 2.5%, the water companies that are now a bigger development risk than councils, why 41% of apartment sellers lost money last quarter, Australia’s negative-gearing changes, and how AI is starting to change the property industry. Sign up to my FREE monthly newsletter to improve your finances: https://johnkenel.com Get finance for your property development with Squirrel: https://funding.tpdc.nz/ Free guide to wills, trusts & passing down your wealth properly: https://wealth.thepropertydevelopmentclub.com/ Learn how to become a profitable developer in New Zealand at https://thepropertydevelopmentclub.com
#56
July 11 · 26 min
Kiwi's Are Working Harder But Falling Further Behind
You're not falling behind because you're lazy or doing something wrong, the ground has genuinely shifted under ordinary Kiwis and nobody's bothered to explain why. Power up 12%, council rates up 9%, insurance up 30% in three years, but the official inflation number says 3.1%. Once you understand what's actually happening, you'll stop blaming yourself and start building a life that can't easily be pushed around. Sign up to my FREE monthly newsletter to improve your finances: https://johnkenel.com Get finance for your property development with Squirrel: https://funding.tpdc.nz/ Free guide to wills, trusts & passing down your wealth properly: https://wealth.thepropertydevelopmentclub.com/ Learn how to become a profitable developer in New Zealand at https://thepropertydevelopmentclub.com
#55
July 1 · 8 min
NZ's Inheritance Tax: The Government's Cut of Your Life's Work
The Greens are calling it a capital acquisitions tax because inheritance tax doesn't poll well, but whatever you call it, it means the government takes a third of what you've spent your life building. This isn't just a tax debate, it's a family debate. Most inheritance isn't super yachts and mansions... It's a house, a small business, a few rentals that mum and dad built by working hard, taking risks, and saving for decades. Get finance for your property development with Squirrel: https://funding.tpdc.nz/ Sign up to my FREE weekly newsletter to improve your finances: https://newsletter.thepropertydevelopmentclub.com/yt Free guide to wills, trusts & passing down your wealth properly: https://wealth.thepropertydevelopmentclub.com/ Learn how to become a profitable developer in New Zealand at https://thepropertydevelopmentclub.com
#54
June 15 · 12 min
New Zealand Must Learn From Australia's Tax Changes
Its time New Zealand start taking a look at Australia's tax changes and learn from them, both their mistakes and what they do well... Get finance for your property development with Squirrel: https://funding.tpdc.nz/ Sign up to my FREE weekly newsletter to improve your finances: https://newsletter.thepropertydevelopmentclub.com/yt Free guide to wills, trusts & passing down your wealth properly: https://wealth.thepropertydevelopmentclub.com/ Learn how to become a profitable developer in New Zealand at https://thepropertydevelopmentclub.com
#53
June 4 · 13 min
New Zealand's Pension Problem Is Bigger Than You Think
New Zealand's pension system is heading for a cliff. In 1965, seven working-age people supported every retiree. Today it's four workers per retiree. By 2065, it'll be two workers supporting every person over 65. The system was built for a different country with a younger population. Now we're trying to run the same pension promise with half the workforce to pay for it. The usual answer is 'just lift the retirement age.' But that hits people with physical jobs hardest - tradies, builders, roofers can't work until 67 like office workers can. Australia saw this coming and acted early. They made super compulsory at 12% contributions. Average Australian retirement balance: $420,000. Average Kiwi: $69,000. We did it at half speed. The real problem? This was never about pensions - it's about whether people own enough of their future to make their own choices. The pension shouldn't be your whole plan, it should be your backup plan. Get finance for your property development with Squirrel: https://funding.tpdc.nz/ Sign up to my FREE weekly newsletter to improve your finances: https://newsletter.thepropertydevelopmentclub.com/yt Free guide to wills, trusts & passing down your wealth properly: https://wealth.thepropertydevelopmentclub.com/ Learn how to become a profitable developer in New Zealand at https://thepropertydevelopmentclub.com
#52
May 27 · 15 min
What If NZ Interest Rates Go UP From Here?
Get finance for your property development with Squirrel: https://funding.tpdc.nz/ Sign up to my FREE weekly newsletter to improve your finances: https://newsletter.thepropertydevelopmentclub.com/yt Free guide to wills, trusts & passing down your wealth properly: https://wealth.thepropertydevelopmentclub.com/ Learn how to become a profitable developer in New Zealand at https://thepropertydevelopmentclub.com
#51
May 17 · 10 min
Record Kiwi Leaving: Why Im Still Optimistic
Get finance for your property development with Squirrel: https://funding.tpdc.nz/ Sign up to my FREE weekly newsletter to improve your finances: https://newsletter.thepropertydevelopmentclub.com/yt Free guide to wills, trusts & passing down your wealth properly: https://wealth.thepropertydevelopmentclub.com/ Learn how to become a profitable developer in New Zealand at https://thepropertydevelopmentclub.com
#50
May 12 · 58 min
NZ Property Development Market Has Changed: Here's What To Do Now
Get finance for your property development with Squirrel: https://funding.tpdc.nz/ Sign up to my FREE weekly newsletter to improve your finances: https://newsletter.thepropertydevelopmentclub.com/yt Free guide to wills, trusts & passing down your wealth properly: https://wealth.thepropertydevelopmentclub.com/ Learn how to become a profitable developer in New Zealand at https://thepropertydevelopmentclub.com
#49
May 5 · 58 min
NZ Property Development Market Has Changed: Here's What To Do Now
Get finance for your property development with Squirrel: https://funding.tpdc.nz/ Sign up to my FREE weekly newsletter to improve your finances: https://newsletter.thepropertydevelopmentclub.com/yt Free guide to wills, trusts & passing down your wealth properly: https://wealth.thepropertydevelopmentclub.com/ Learn how to become a profitable developer in New Zealand at https://thepropertydevelopmentclub.com
#48
April 29 · 32 min
What NZ Councils Aren’t Telling You About Water Reforms
Get finance for your property development with Squirrel: https://funding.tpdc.nz/ Sign up to my FREE weekly newsletter to improve your finances: https://newsletter.thepropertydevelopmentclub.com/yt Free guide to wills, trusts & passing down your wealth properly: https://wealth.thepropertydevelopmentclub.com/ Learn how to become a profitable developer in New Zealand at https://thepropertydevelopmentclub.com
#47
April 21 · 8 min
Why Capping Rent Won't Work In New Zealand
Get finance for your property development with Squirrel: https://funding.tpdc.nz/ Sign up to my FREE weekly newsletter to improve your finances: https://newsletter.thepropertydevelopmentclub.com/yt Free guide to wills, trusts & passing down your wealth properly: https://wealth.thepropertydevelopmentclub.com/ Learn how to become a profitable developer in New Zealand at https://thepropertydevelopmentclub.com
#46
April 14 · 23 min
Whats Actually Happening with NZ Property Lending
Get finance for your property development with Squirrel: https://funding.tpdc.nz/ Sign up to my FREE weekly newsletter to improve your finances: https://newsletter.thepropertydevelopmentclub.com/yt Free guide to wills, trusts & passing down your wealth properly: https://wealth.thepropertydevelopmentclub.com/ Learn how to become a profitable developer in New Zealand at https://thepropertydevelopmentclub.com
#45
April 9 · 6 min
Why New Zealand Needs Property Investors
Property investors get a bad rep in the media, but as someone who works in the property space, I think its a bit misguided, here's why... Get finance for your property development: https://funding.tpdc.nz/ Sign up to my FREE weekly newsletter to improve your finances: https://newsletter.thepropertydevelopmentclub.com/yt Free guide to wills, trusts & passing down your wealth properly: https://wealth.thepropertydevelopmentclub.com/ Learn how to become a profitable developer in New Zealand at https://thepropertydevelopmentclub.com
#44
April 3 · 13 min
Rent Cap's Wont Work In New Zealand
The greens have come out with a handful of new plans around property and whilst on the surface they may seem attractive, the reality is very very different, today I break it all down. Get finance for your property development: https://funding.tpdc.nz/ Sign up to my FREE weekly newsletter to improve your finances: https://newsletter.thepropertydevelopmentclub.com/yt Free guide to wills, trusts & passing down your wealth properly: https://wealth.thepropertydevelopmentclub.com/ Learn how to become a profitable developer in New Zealand at https://thepropertydevelopmentclub.com
#43
March 28 · 13 min
Waikato Signed Away $3billion In Water Assets: Whats Actually Happening
Ive got a funny feeling about whats going on... Let me know what you think in the comments Get finance for your property development: https://funding.tpdc.nz/ Sign up to my FREE weekly newsletter to improve your finances: https://newsletter.thepropertydevelopmentclub.com/yt Free guide to wills, trusts & passing down your wealth properly: https://wealth.thepropertydevelopmentclub.com/ Learn how to become a profitable developer in New Zealand at https://thepropertydevelopmentclub.com

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