News

STOCKHEAD & THE AUSTRALIAN
Traditionally, defensive investing meant a tilt toward fixed income – bonds and cash. For more cautious allocators, it also included real assets like gold. These assets were expected to provide protection when equities fell. But that assumption has been increasingly challenged in an environment where market correlations behave differently than they once did.

One asset class rising to meet this moment is private credit. At Zagga, we see firsthand how this market is maturing, how demand is growing, and how investors are shifting their thinking.

THE URBAN DEVELOPER
The transformation of a century-old Melbourne building—from silk merchant to police station, backpackers’ accommodation to premium commercial space—proves that heritage adaptive reuse projects are possible. The successful conversion of Invicta House demonstrates how heritage buildings can deliver viable returns when developers combine careful planning with experienced design teams and flexible funding structures.

STOCKHEAD & THE AUSTRALIAN
While the spotlight is on the building, the real story behind Invicta’s comeback was how it was funded.

Instead of going cap in hand to the big banks, STRE went the private credit route, and that flexibility made all the difference.

“Private credit, and in particular Zagga, provided quite a compelling option for us due to its flexibility and deep understanding of construction finance,” Burrows said.

STOCKHEAD & THE AUSTRALIAN
Not all credit is created equal and thorough due diligence is essential. But, while prudent risk assessment is essential, investors must also separate fact from fiction. In private credit, persistent myths often cloud judgement and hold investors back from otherwise sound opportunities.

STOCKHEAD & THE AUSTRALIAN
In today’s evolving funding landscape, banks, government initiatives, and private credit each play a vital role. While public infrastructure is best driven by government, and banks continue to support traditional home lending, private credit investment firms like Zagga offer the flexibility and responsiveness needed to fund complex mid-market projects – bridging the gap where timing, structure, or risk profile may fall outside conventional parameters.

INVESTOR DAILY
In buoyant times, it’s easy to overlook the role of the steady and stable parts of a portfolio – the conservative income-generators that don’t make headlines. But these are exactly the assets that provide stability when everything else is in flux. Yet the traditional 60/40 portfolio is no longer proving a robust stronghold among record volatility. Traditionally, multi-asset portfolios have relied on the negative correlation between bonds and equities for diversification. However, increasingly, we are seeing a positive correlation in public markets. The year 2022 was an extreme example, where we saw significant correlated dips in both bonds and equities, and it is what we have again seen repeated in the most recent bout of market volatility.

FIXED INCOME NEWS AUSTRALIA
Specialist Australian private credit investment manager, Zagga, has accelerated its regional expansion with the launch of a new real estate private credit fund tailored to meet growing demand among Southeast Asian investors.

DEAL STREET ASIA
Australian specialist private credit investment manager Zagga has launched an new real estate private credit fund designed to meet growing demand from Southeast Asian investors, according to an announcement.

ALTERNATIVE CREDIT INVESTOR
Alternative investment manager Zagga has launched a new real estate private credit fund, which will invest directly in prime commercial real estate along Australia’s east coast. The Zagga Real Estate Credit Fund has been established to meet growing demand from ASEAN investors in Australian real estate private credit. Alan Greenstein, chief executive of Zagga, recently reported seeing increased interest from both investors and borrowers in Australian private credit, which had led to an influx of managers.

FINEWS ASIA
Zagga has appointed Roushana Sjahsam as senior board advisor ASEAN, according to a statement. In the newly created role, she is charged with raising awareness of Zagga and its specialized real estate private credit offer amongst institutional investors, family offices and wealth managers across Southeast Asia. In addition, Zagga has launched a new Singapore Variable Capital Company (VCC) – the Zagga Real Estate Credit Fund. Established to support the growing appetite from ASEAN investors for Australian real estate private credit, the fund will invest directly in quality prime commercial real estate across Australia’s east coast.

AUSBIZ
Alan Greenstein, Zagga CEO & Co-Founder, points out a rising trend from public to private markets globally, hinting at Australia’s potential growth. With a new real estate credit fund in Singapore, diverse currency options and tax benefits await investors, Alan tells Ausbiz.

FINANCIAL STANDARD
Investment manager Zagga has unveiled a new real estate private credit fund that invests directly in quality prime commercial real estate across Australia’s east coast. Zagga chief executive Alan Greenstein reported “strong demand” from investors across the ASEAN region, and the company is “expanding its footprint to make it easier to invest with us,” Greenstein said.

RETALK ASIA
Specialist private credit investment manager, Zagga, has appointed Roushana Sjahsam as Senior Board Adviser, ASEAN, as it accelerates its regional expansion with the launch of a new real estate private credit fund tailored to meet growing demand among Southeast Asian investors.

STOCKHEAD & THE AUSTRALIAN
With ASIC shining a light on fast-growing private markets, finding the sweet spot between regulation and investor protection is critical explains Alan Greenstein, CEO and co-founder of specialist real estate private credit investment manager Zagga.

FEAR AND GREED
Sean Aylmer speaks with Tom Cranfield, Executive Director at Zagga, about the rise of real estate private credit as a defensive asset. Tom explains how tighter bank lending has opened opportunities for alternative lenders, offering stable returns and low correlation to public markets. They also look at the growing role of private credit in portfolio diversification, particularly in the face of volatility on equity markets.

STOCKHEAD & THE AUSTRALIAN
With market volatility on the rise, investors are increasingly prioritising steady returns and capital preservation. Zagga’s conservative real-estate backed lending aims to offer exactly that. But as capital pours into the sector and headlines follow, it’s becoming increasingly clear: not all private credit strategies are built the same.

SUPER REVIEW
The consensus among alternative investment managers and the broader industry is that an added regulatory impost would stifle returns in private markets.

FS SUPER
With unrest and uncertainty rippling through markets and shaking investor confidence, we have seen a surge in private credit’s popularity – offering potential for reliable, steady income, protection against inflation, and diversification away from public markets. As this growth continues, private credit is set to become an even greater focus for investors, borrowers and regulators.

AUSBIZ
Alan Greenstein, Zagga CEO & Co-Founder, joined Ausbiz to discuss how declining interest rates are shaping private markets and what this means for both investors and borrowers.

INVESTOR DAILY
“I don’t think more regulation is going to necessarily improve the outcome of the performance and all that will do potentially is erode returns.”

FIXED INCOME NEWS AUSTRALIA
The Australian Securities & Investments Commission has released a discussion paper on the dynamics between public and private markets.

INVESTOR DAILY
ASIC has warned private market operators as it moves to expose the opaque market to greater transparency.

SUPER REVIEW
Despite easing rates, the Australian private credit market is poised to continue attracting investors seeking stable, income-generating alternatives to traditional fixed-income assets.

INVESTOR DAILY
Despite global uncertainty, Australia’s private credit market is predicted to see strong growth in 2025, fuelled by business lending and attractive returns, as the Reserve Bank’s cautious rate cuts support continued demand.

FORESIGHT ANALYTICS
ZCF has been assigned a VERY STRONG rating indicating a very strong level of confidence that the manager can deliver a risk-adjusted return in line with its investment objectives. Foresight Analytics & Ratings designation as a COMPLEX product indicates that the underlying assets require specialist investment skills to acquire, manage and monitor.

AUSBIZ
Tom Cranfield, Director, Investment & Risk, joined Ausbiz to discuss the critical role private credit plays in financing sustainable housing and tackling Australia’s housing supply shortage.

THE URBAN DEVELOPER
The commercial property market has become a cautionary tale for many investors as they turn to private credit as an alternative pathway to property, writes Tom Cranfield, Director, Investment and Risk.

THE TIMES
Leading boutique private credit investment manager, Zagga, has partnered with award-winning, celebrity landscape designer, Jamie Durie, on his latest project, a luxury home set to be one of Australia’s most sustainable builds.

THE REAL ESTATE CONVERSATION
Zagga, has partnered with award-winning, celebrity landscape designer, Jamie Durie, on his latest project, a luxury home set to be one of Australia’s most sustainable builds.

THE GOLDEN TIMES
With many economists expecting the Reserve Bank to start cutting interest rates in early 2025, returns on term deposits could feel the pinch. Private credit is an alternative, but those pursuing this investment option will need to do their homework – thoroughly.

THE URBAN DEVELOPER
Zagga Director, Frank Hageali says the growth of the non-bank lending sector warrants a framework. He says it could include accreditation, compliance, CPD and education, regular communication of industry related matters to members, membership, committees and potential rating systems.  

DOMAIN
This sad wreck of a terrace house in Sydney’s Redfern, abandoned by its owner, then occupied by a squatter and, as a final insult, set on fire, was once labelled ‘Australia’s worst house’.

SELFMANAGEDSUPER
Zagga has achieved an increased global presence with the registration of its CRED fund as a foreign investment trust in Japan. The development means the Fund will now be available for Japanese investors seeking exposure to the Australian real estate private credit sector and the benefit of its characteristics, such as providing increased diversification, delivering a strong source of income and enhancing the defensive component of a portfolio.

INVESTOR DAILY
According to the non-bank lender, this “significant milestone” will assist a growing cohort of Japanese investors seeking exposure to Australian real estate private credit for its income-generating, diversification, and defensive characteristics.

YOUR INVESTMENT PROPERTY
The Federal Government is acutely aware that property prices are a simmering intergenerational issue and while ‘build more homes’ seems like a sensible solution, the reality is achieving this goal is more difficult than the campaign slogan sounds.

SELFMANAGEDSUPER
Private credit can avoid the volatility often seen in public markets for products such as bonds – which are extremely sensitive to interest rate movements and sentiment – instead, providing a predictable income stream based on the loan’s interest rate and duration.

NO HAIR, JUST FINANCE
Zagga has carved a niche in the finance industry by providing innovative lending solutions that resonate with today’s challenges. Tom will share insights into what makes Zagga stand out in the competitive finance landscape, discuss the current economic environment, and share a few ‘war stories’ from the field.

THE URBAN DEVELOPER
The Vue le Pont development is a multi-level building designed to the highest standard, with views of Sydney Harbour, the bridge, and the city. It is expected to garner appeal from locals, expats, and high-net-worth international buyers, who are looking for ‘lock-up & leave’ right-sized product situated within the local neighbourhood.

FINANCIAL REVIEW
With developers knocking on their door for finance, Zagga CEO and co-founder Alan Greenstein said the group’s aspirations were to “slowly and carefully” double its funds under management to about $1.5 billion and attract a deep pool of funders. “Non-bank lenders have carved out a space for themselves in the market by offering a highly credible solution,” Mr Greenstein told The Australian Financial Review.

SELFMANAGEDSUPER
SMSF investors can access private credit opportunities through the Zagga CRED fund, which is a unitised version of the Zagga Feeder Fund. The underlying investments for the offering are high-quality, mortgaged-secured loans in the commercial real estate sector.

FEAR AND GREED
Australia is still in the midst of a housing crisis. House prices have risen for 15 consecutive months. Rents are soaring. Demand is outstripping supply. Alan Greenstein talks to Sean about the potential for private credit to make a difference to the housing crisis.

SQM RESEARCH
The Zagga Investments Lending Trust rated 4-star, SUPERIOR rating for fourth year running.

THE URBAN DEVELOPER
As risk-averse banks pull back from lending, a significant opportunity is rising for developers and investors.

SELFMANAGEDSUPER
Boutique investment manager and non-bank lender Zagga has launched its initial unitised private debt fund aimed at providing investors with access to an asset class that can operate as a hedge against the rising interest rates currently pervading the Australian economy.

INVESTOR DAILY
Boutique investment manager and non-bank lender Zagga has announced the launch of its inaugural unitised private debt fund, the Zagga CRED Fund (ZCF). According to the firm, given the asset class’ ability to serve as a robust hedge against rising interest rates, the fund presents as a compelling alternative for advisers aiming to increase their clients’ allocation to private debt in the current inflationary climate.

FEAR AND GREED
Alan Greenstein talks to Sean Aylmer (Fear and Greed) about the wild ride for parts of the property market, and where he sees the opportunities for investors in the midst of a global inflation storm.

NEST EGG
Marketplace lender, Zagga, recently partnered with UTS to design a machine learning algorithm that predicts investor behaviour to shorten the matching process. But what ramifications will artificial intelligence have on the investment sphere?
Nest Egg sat down with Zagga CEO, Alan Greenstein, to learn more about the project and AI in the world of investing.

MORTGAGE BUSINESS
“We’re very pleased to be embarking on the next phase of our growth journey with Crowd Bank, and continuing to support Australian businesses with flexible funding to help them realise their own growth objectives.”
Alan Greenstein, added that the alternative investment platform has been seeing particular growth from small businesses over 2020, as “more businesses turned to alternative finance due to banks effectively closing their doors to many of their existing clients, including small businesses”.

AUSTRALIAN FINTECH
Japanese crowdfunding platform Crowd Bank is venturing into the Australian small business lending market, tipping A$50 million into Zagga, a marketplace lender set up in 2016. Since its launch, Zagga has originated almost $400 million in loans across more than 100 transactions, the company said in a statement yesterday outlining the deal with Crowd Bank.

MPA
Japanese crowdfunding platform Crowd Bank is looking to break into the Australian market through a $50 million funding deal with alternative lending platform Zagga.

SELFMANAGEDSUPER
A major challenge for SMSF investors is their of lack understanding of alternative asset classes and products such as peer-to-peer lending, one lender has said.

SELFMANAGEDSUPER
A lack of diversification and limited exposure to debt-based products was constraining the portfolios of Australian SMSF trustees and a new approach to income investments was needed, according to marketplace lender Zagga.

FS SUPER
The Australian investment market of 2017 is evolving rapidly. Low interest rates and global monetary policy have pushed yields to record lows. Property prices have reached “bubbly” …