Du Val Group

Du Val Group

Founded by Kenyon and Charlotte Clarke, Du Val Group operates a vertically integrated model spanning land acquisition, development, construction, and property management. The firm established its foothold in Auckland's housing market during a period of acute supply shortages, scaling rapidly through private capital raises marketed to wholesale and sophisticated investors. Its structure combines an in-house construction arm with a licensed property management entity, allowing the group to retain control from site selection through to tenancy. The firm's investment strategy revolves around large-scale mixed-use and residential developments in high-growth Auckland corridors such as Mt Wellington, Manukau, and Papakura. Du Val deploys capital through a series of closed-end property partnerships and mortgage funds, offering investors exposure to speculative development gains alongside income from completed rental portfolios. Confirmed projects include the award-winning Lakewood Plaza in Manukau and the Vanguard and Wellesley apartment complexes. The group has also developed townhouse communities in Papakura and Mt Wellington, concentrating its geographic footprint in the broader Auckland region. Du Val Group reported managing a $250 million development pipeline, with additional assets under management held across its build-to-rent portfolio and mortgage fund (per New Zealand Herald, 2023). The firm's professional headcount has expanded alongside its project volume, with offices maintained in central Auckland. In July 2024, the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) of New Zealand confirmed an ongoing investigation into Du Val Group relating to disclosure and governance matters, including an interim stop order on certain offers of financial products (per FMA, July 2024). The group operates the Du Val Foundation, supporting youth housing and community initiatives distinct from the commercial property business. Du Val's structural distinction lies in its closed-loop development ecosystem: the firm's mortgage fund provides debt capital to its own developments, while its construction arm builds the assets and its property management arm retains them, creating a self-contained pipeline that internalizes margins normally shared across three separate counterparties. This architecture, combined with direct-to-investor capital raising, makes it an institutional player by scale with a family-office governance posture.