Squirrel South Island, based in Christchurch CBD, is the local arm of Squirrel, a New Zealand mortgage broker formerly known in the region as NZ Mortgages. The Christchurch team has been operating for over 8 years, bringing local market knowledge to home loan advice across the South Island.
Squirrel compares home loan options from all the major banks — including ASB, ANZ, BNZ, Kiwibank, Westpac, TSB, SBS, Co-Operative Bank and AIA — to give clients unbiased, personalised advice and access to better rates. The company arranges around $3 billion of home loans per year, giving it negotiating power with lenders, and its advisers are paid the same regardless of which provider they recommend, including Squirrel's own products, so their only incentive is finding the best outcome for the client. In most cases, there is no cost to the client, as Squirrel is paid by the banks.
The Christchurch-based South Island team includes advisers covering first home buyers, refinancing, property investment, new builds and business lending, with several team members speaking languages including Hindi, Punjabi, Mandarin, Filipino and Samoan. Squirrel holds over 1,513 five-star reviews on Shopper Approved and 500+ five-star Google reviews.
Squirrel South Island brings expert mortgage advice to Christchurch and the wider South Island, building on the local knowledge of a team formerly known as NZ Mortgages, which has been operating in the region for over 8 years. As part of Squirrel, a nationwide New Zealand mortgage broker, the Christchurch team combines local expertise with the scale and negotiating power of a large, established brokerage.
Squirrel compares home loan options across all the major banks, including ASB, ANZ, BNZ, Kiwibank, Westpac, TSB, SBS, the Co-Operative Bank and AIA, to give clients personalised, unbiased advice. Because the company arranges roughly $3 billion of home loans every year, it carries real negotiating power with lenders — often translating into better rates than clients could secure on their own. Crucially, Squirrel's advisers are paid the same regardless of which lender's product they recommend, including Squirrel's own offerings, meaning their only real incentive is getting the client the best outcome. In most cases, there's no cost to the client at all, since Squirrel is paid by the banks rather than charging fees directly.
Beyond straightforward home loans, Squirrel South Island supports clients through refixing and refinancing, first home buying (including help getting a deposit together), moving house (with bridging finance available), property investing, and buying a new build — including guidance for those purchasing from overseas. The team also works with business owners on lending needs specific to running a company. On top of mortgage advice, Squirrel offers savings and investment products, including a high interest on-call account, term investment options, a Monthly Income Fund and wholesale investing options, alongside property finance for developers and builders.
Squirrel positions itself as doing considerably more than the average mortgage broker. The team works out how much a client can borrow, provides detailed property reports on potential purchases, helps clients make sense of LIM reports and Sale & Purchase agreements, and negotiates both a competitive rate and a mortgage structure that genuinely fits the client's situation — cutting through the jargon that can make the home buying process feel overwhelming.
The Christchurch-based South Island team includes advisers with a range of language skills, including Hindi, Punjabi (Ari Bains and Nathan Miglani), Mandarin (Daniel Kuo), Filipino (Mark Magbanua) and Samoan (Tasmania Sapi) — a genuine asset for a diverse city like Christchurch. Client reviews reflect the quality of service across the team: one long-time client described working with adviser Faye Foster multiple times — for bridging finance, moving banks, new mortgage lending and rental property lending — describing her as "amazing to deal with" and someone who "does a lot of work so we don't have to." Another client praised Ari Bains for his "excellent communication & advice."
Clients can apply online, book a chat, or visit the Christchurch office directly to get started. With over 1,513 five-star reviews on Shopper Approved and more than 500 five-star Google reviews, Squirrel South Island offers Christchurch home buyers and investors a well-reviewed, locally grounded option for navigating the mortgage process — all backed by the resources of a nationwide brokerage.