As first home buyers activity starts to decrease across Australia and New Zealand, investors are returning to the market strongly, according to Harcourts International's Managing Director, Mike Green.

Mr Green said that over the course of the year most activity has been from first home buyers taking advantage of the First Home Owners boost (in Australia), as well as low interest rates and the best housing affordability in several years.

"The First Home Owners boost has begun to decrease and interest rates climb a little as the New Zealand and Australian economies  improve, and as a result of increased confidence across both Australia and New Zealand, we are seeing investors slowly returning to the market  with all price brackets  becoming active," he said.

"The lower price brackets throughout Australia and New Zealand are now receiving enquiry from investors, which is good news for our rental market, as more opportunities should be provided for renters who are finding it difficult to find homes to rent due to our current low vacancy rate."

According to Mr Green, recent Australian statistics indicated an upturn in investment loans from a national average of 27.1 per cent in August to 29.8 per cent in September.

"Property investment in New South Wales was head and shoulders above the rest of the country in September, with a massive 33.4 per cent of all new loans arranged for investors. Queensland's investor loans were sitting comfortable at 29.6%, above Western Australia at 28.0%, and both Victoria and South Australia at 27. 9% and 26.9% respectively," he said.
Mr Green said that the return of investors to the market was as a direct result of media and expert commentary over the last few months, pointing toward the first step in the recovery of the economy, and has caused a lift in confidence among investors.

According to Mr Green, both Australia and New Zealand are especially well placed to benefit from the improving economy.

"Rapidly growing infrastructure on both sides of the Tasman, together with other benefits such as comparatively strong economies and tourism industries, have attracted many overseas companies to expand their operations into Australia and New Zealand, creating employment and retail growth opportunities across the board," he said.

Harcourts is New Zealand's largest and Australia's fastest growing real estate group.  Founded in New Zealand in 1888, the operation expanded into Australia in 1997. Currently there are over 600 offices in Australia, New Zealand, China, South Africa, Singapore, Zambia, Indonesia and Fiji.

Harcourts has four key factors which have contributed greatly to its ongoing success - the strength of the Harcourts brand, superior business and information systems, proven marketing tools and strategies plus incredibly talented, skilled and committed people.

Harcourts is also the exclusive South Pacific member of Leading Real Estate companies of the world^TM. Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® is a global network of over 600 premier real estate firms with 5,000 offices and 150,000 sales associates in 35 countries around the world.