Southern Cross Partners
Southern Cross Partners is a New Zealand privately held non-bank lender founded in 1997 that originates short-term property-secured loans and matches them to first-mortgage secured investments from individual and wholesale investors nationwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersHowick, New Zealand
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Southern Cross Partners does
Southern Cross Partners Limited is a New Zealand-based, privately held non-bank financial services company that operates a vertically integrated property lending and investment platform. Founded in 1997 by Barry and Julia Milward, who initially deployed their own capital, the company lends against residential and investment property in three core categories: investment property lending, equity release, and construction and development lending. On the funding side, it originates first-mortgage secured investments for individual and wholesale investors at rates starting from 6.00% p.a. with a $10,000 minimum.
The company is wholly New Zealand owned and operates under a P2P Market Service licence issued under the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013. It maintains regional sales and relationship management coverage across Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch, supported by dedicated Property Finance Managers for borrowers and Investor Relationship Managers for investors. Operational technology is centered on a self-service investor portal for account management and loan tracking, with electronic identity verification handled via the third-party APLYiD service to satisfy AML/CFT compliance requirements.
Revenue is generated through the interest spread on property-secured short-term loans, complemented by fees associated with the investment platform. The company targets two primary customer segments: property investors and developers seeking flexible short-term secured lending that traditional banks may not provide, and individual (plus wholesale) New Zealand investors seeking first-mortgage-backed yield. With 11–50 employees, no external institutional shareholders, and no public funding rounds, Southern Cross Partners operates as a relationship-led, founder-controlled specialist lender.
Southern Cross Partners firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Southern Cross Partners
- Legal name
- Southern Cross Partners Limited
- Website
- https://southerncrosspartners.co.nz
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Southern Cross Partners is a New Zealand privately held non-bank lender founded in 1997 that originates short-term property-secured loans and matches them to first-mortgage secured investments from individual and wholesale investors nationwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Southern Cross Partners industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Property Finance Services
- NAICS
- Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (52231)
- SIC
- Loan Brokers (6163), Mortgage Bankers & Loan Correspondents (6162), Short-Term Business Credit Institutions (6153)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Bridge & Short-Term Real Estate Loan Intermediation (FSAEAEAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Alternative Investments for Private Wealth (Hedge Funds, PE/VC Access, Private Credit) (FSAAABAI), Private Credit / Direct Lending (FSAAAHAG)
Keywords
Where Southern Cross Partners is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Howick
- HQ country
- New Zealand
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices4 records
Markets served
Southern Cross Partners business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Interest Income from Property Lending: Southern Cross Partners generates revenue through interest charged on short-term property secured loans. The company offers specialist property lending solutions with flexible terms for borrowers, including investment property lending, equity release, and construction and development lending.
- Investment Returns: The company facilitates secured investments for investors, offering first mortgage secured investments with rates starting from 6.00% p.a. and minimum investment of $10,000, generating returns for investors through interest payments.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Secured investments from 6.00% p.a. with $10,000 minimum |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Southern Cross Partners product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Southern Cross Partners provides short-term, flexible property-secured lending, including investment property lending, equity release, and construction and development lending. It also offers first mortgage-secured investment opportunities for investors, with stated rates from 6.00% p.a. and a $10,000 minimum investment, subject to change and availability.
Product overview
Southern Cross Partners operates a dual-platform model offering Loans and Investments as its core products. The Loans platform provides specialist property secured lending including Investment Property Lending, Equity Release, and Construction and Development Lending, offering short-term, flexible solutions for borrowers. The Investments platform enables investors to participate in first mortgage secured investments starting at 6.00% p.a. with a $10,000 minimum. The company also provides ancillary services including an Investor Portal for account management, wholesale investment options, and a Help Centre. Founded over 25 years ago, the company is wholly New Zealand owned and focuses on secured lending against property assets.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Investment Property Lending
- Equity Release
- Construction and Development Lending
- Investments
- Wholesale Investments
Companies that use Southern Cross Partners
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Southern Cross Partners technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Southern Cross Partners partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- APLYiDsupportingSouthern Cross Partners uses APLYiD (aplyid.com) as their electronic identity verification service provider. This enables customers to verify their identity through government databases using passport or driver's licence information combined with facial recognition technology, fulfilling AML/CFT compliance requirements.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Southern Cross Partners competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Northbridge Finance: New Zealand non-bank specialist property lender offering short-term secured loans to property investors and developers, closely matching Southern Cross Partners' core lending proposition.
- Squirrel Mortgages: New Zealand P2P/online mortgage broker that matches borrowers with investor capital for home loans, operating a similar intermediary model to Southern Cross Partners in the NZ residential property market.
- Go Finance: New Zealand specialist short-term property and development lender providing bridging and construction finance, directly comparable to Southern Cross Partners' construction and development lending product.
- LendingCrowd: New Zealand P2P lending platform that intermediates between borrowers and retail/wholesale investors, directly comparable to Southern Cross Partners' investor-facing P2P model under the FMC Act.
- First Mortgage Trust: New Zealand first mortgage investment manager offering secured property investment products to investors, directly comparable to the investment side of Southern Cross Partners' business.
- Asset Finance Direct: New Zealand non-bank specialist lender focused on short-term, property-secured lending to SMEs and property investors; comparable target market and product mix to Southern Cross Partners.
- Origin Capital: New Zealand private lender and investment manager specializing in property-backed loans to investors and developers; closely comparable in product set and investor base to Southern Cross Partners.
Regional players
- Resimac: Australia-and-NZ non-bank residential and commercial mortgage lender; a regional peer that operates in the same property-secured lending category, providing scale benchmarks for Southern Cross Partners.
- Liberty Financial: Australia/NZ non-bank lender with a strong reverse mortgage and specialist property lending franchise, comparable to Southern Cross Partners' equity release and short-term property lending focus.
Broad incumbents
- Heartland Group Holdings: Listed NZ non-bank lender offering reverse mortgages, asset finance, and specialist lending — a much larger, established operator that competes with Southern Cross Partners' equity release and property lending products.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Southern Cross Partners social profiles
Digital presenceSouthern Cross Partners financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Southern Cross Partners leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
Southern Cross Partners funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Southern Cross Partners M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Southern Cross Partners
What does Southern Cross Partners do?
Southern Cross Partners provides short-term, flexible property-secured lending, including investment property lending, equity release, and construction and development lending. It also offers first mortgage-secured investment opportunities for investors, with stated rates from 6.00% p.a. and a $10,000 minimum investment, subject to change and availability.
Is Southern Cross Partners a public or private company?
Southern Cross Partners is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Southern Cross Partners founded?
Southern Cross Partners was founded in 1997. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Southern Cross Partners based?
Southern Cross Partners is headquartered in Howick, New Zealand, in the Oceania region.
How does Southern Cross Partners make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Interest Income from Property Lending is the primary driver. The others are investment Returns.
Who are Southern Cross Partners's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Northbridge Finance, Squirrel Mortgages, Go Finance, LendingCrowd, First Mortgage Trust, Asset Finance Direct and Origin Capital. Regional players are Resimac and Liberty Financial. Heartland Group Holdings is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Southern Cross Partners have an API?
No public API is recorded for Southern Cross Partners.
What industry is Southern Cross Partners in?
Southern Cross Partners's product category is Property Finance Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAEAEAG, Bridge & Short-Term Real Estate Loan Intermediation, with a secondary code of FSAAABAI, Alternative Investments for Private Wealth (Hedge Funds, PE/VC Access, Private Credit). Its NAICS code is 52231 and its SIC code is 6163.