by Paul McBeth
Wizard Financial Services, Australia's second-largest non-bank lender, plans to have operating systems set up here next month and its first offices open for business in May.
Wizard, which has been offering home loans across the Tasman for the past decade, started advertising for New Zealand staff late last year. The company said its intention was to establish niche market operators and satellite offices throughout the country.
Director Paul Ryan said from Sydney earlier today that a back office would be operating in New Zealand mid-April and the first two satellite offices in May. Both offices would be in the Auckland region.
Wizard has been offering borrowers online mortgage applications and approvals since last April, through its web-site ewizard.com.au. Ryan said a New Zealand web-site would be set up once Wizard had a physical presence here and would be translated to "the New Zealand way of doing things".