Our Story

Starting life in Greymouth with schoolteacher parents in an "old and cold" 100 square metre house, Mike Greer moved to Christchurch with the family in his early teens and began a building apprenticeship at 18.

When it came time to qualify he had already launched his own business and was too busy managing staff to sit the tests. He got the certificate anyway.

As part of a successful family - his brother became a physicist and cancer researcher and his sister a London banker - he attributes his non-academic career choice to being "the rogue youngest", and wanting to work outside.

"Which hasn't quite worked out, I spend most of my time stuck in an office."

Contractors "who have grown their businesses alongside ours" build the homes. As well as the well-known Mike Greer Homes, there is a premier "hills" brand, and a commercial construction arm.

He has not been tempted to franchise, fearing businesspeople with little knowledge of construction would get in and "damage my brand".

But he has brought in new shareholders to boost equity.

The company has a wide client base from the private sector to include Government and Iwi housing, retirement homes, and social agencies such as churches, charities and special needs providers.

Greer describes his business as "a construction company that turned into a housing company".

After the earthquakes hit Canterbury, the business was in the right place to ride the rebuild wave. Their output since has more than quadrupled.

Along the way, they figured out several ways of building cheaper.

Working bigger blocks of land, including part-ownership of some subdivisions, allows them to control the mass production of housing from site preparation to key handover. Size gives them leverage against suppliers.

Pre-fabricated parts are assembled on site. The whole process is master-planned, and every item, including the placement of the clothes line, is designed for efficiency.

Other practices are employing their own project managers to oversee up to 15 homes each, and paying subcontractors within seven days to keep hold of the good ones.

Greer says his business is New Zealand's biggest builder of affordable homes "by a screaming mile".

Despite having a quiet and thoughtful personality, Greer becomes passionate on topics such as buildings costs, housing affordability, and how New Zealand building productivity could be improved.