First-home buyers are being offered a real shot at stepping onto the property ladder with Aera, a new service that is transforming home ownership from a distant dream into an achievable goal.
By lowering deposit barriers and offering up to $10,000 as a head start, the platform helps New Zealanders buy their first home in half the usual time.
“Our mission isn’t just to help Kiwis into their first homes, it’s to get them there faster,” says Aera founder Derek Handley. “The longer you wait, the harder it gets, and the more it could cost you, potentially hundreds of thousands in a normal market.”
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Experts predict New Zealand house prices could rise by up to 16% in 2025, driven by lower interest rates and a persistent housing shortage. Handley, a well-known entrepreneur, believes these factors make it crucial for first-home buyers to act now, rather than wait.
Aera’s approach centres on speed and simplicity. While many believe a 20% deposit is essential to buy a home, Aera is challenging that notion head-on. “Around 68% of first-home buyers don’t realise that buying a brand new home requires only a 10% deposit. If they bought new, many of them would be a year or less away from owning a home,” he says.
Aera partners with developers of new builds to offer affordable entry points into the market. By focusing on brand-new homes in Auckland and Christchurch – the areas it currently services – buyers can halve the usual deposit requirement, often reducing it from the perceived 20% to just 10%. This shift could be a game-changer for those struggling to save.
“Dreaming about the old villa with a quarter acre and a big deck might be the single best way to never get a home,” says Handley. “Your first home isn’t meant to be your forever home; it’s the one you get into as fast as you can to start building equity and moving up.”
Beyond lowering deposit barriers, Aera simplifies the often overwhelming buying process with its ‘First Home Faster Team’ which provides coaching and expert guidance through every step and is just a video call, message, or email away. Most of the process happens through the Aera app, which is where members access Aera’s high interest savings accounts, track milestones and build cash credits towards their deposit. “We’re bringing everything together in one service through our team and our app: getting a game plan, saving faster, lending, finding a home for you, everything but moving in. And we’re doing it in a way that puts money back into Kiwis’ pockets instead of letting it slip away.”
A standout feature is Aera’s savings programme. With competitive interest rates on savings and milestones that convert into cash credits of up to $10,000 towards a home deposit, buyers are incentivised to stay on track and reach their goals faster. These credits come from Aera splitting all their commissions to give back to the first home buyer.
Handley’s broader vision extends beyond Aera’s home-buying services. The company shares its name with his charitable foundation, which focuses on tackling pressing social and environmental challenges. This alignment reflects Handley’s belief in addressing structural problems that impact everyday lives.
“Owning a home is foundational to financial stability,” he says. “That’s why we’ve poured our energy into making it happen for as many people as possible.”
Handley is also keen to reform what he sees as misaligned industry incentives. “Everyone in this value chain is financially incentivised to sell you something, not to help you get that first home,” he says. “There’s no service 100% dedicated to the first home buyer experience in New Zealand. That’s the brand we’re building, to fight for and champion them and to be in their corner every step of the way.”
Aera’s mission has already struck a chord with thousands of Kiwis. More than 5000 people have joined its platform, suggesting a strong demand for a service that truly understands the unique challenges faced by first-home buyers. Handley claims the service is so innovative he knows of only one similar operation, which is based in Europe. “We’ve built the largest community of future first-home buyers in the country,” he says. “Our goal is to be the obvious choice for anyone thinking about buying their first home. Renting forever isn’t a safe or predictable future here – New Zealanders need to own their homes.”
By addressing deposit hurdles, simplifying the process and sharing commissions, Aera’s integrated approach should get them there quicker and more easily.
Visit aera.nz to learn more about its app, tools, coaching services, and deposit-friendly new builds.
