In construction, timing is often treated as something you wait for. The right market. The right conditions. The right sense of certainty. But markets rarely pause, and clarity does not usually arrive before action. More often, it is pressure that forces it.
This time last year, much of Auckland’s construction sector was bracing for what many referred to as “surviving ’25.” Budgets were tightening, projects were being delayed, and conversations across the industry increasingly centred on cost, risk, and uncertainty. The shift in tone was hard to miss.
In environments like that, the prevailing advice is usually to be cautious. Wait it out. Let confidence return. Hold off until conditions improve.
The problem with waiting is that it assumes stability eventually presents itself. In construction, that rarely happens. The market does not stop. It adjusts. And when it does, it exposes how businesses really operate.
As pressure increases, expectations change. Clients look more closely at spend. Programme certainty becomes more important. Decisions are questioned, often in greater detail than before. Every choice carries weight, and the consequences are felt more sharply.
Cost driven markets also test behaviour. Pricing tightens. Scope shifts. Quality is challenged. There is constant pressure to compromise, often in subtle ways that move risk around rather than resolving it. Chasing every opportunity can feel necessary, but it usually comes at a cost. Teams stretch, relationships strain, and accountability becomes harder to maintain.
One thing a downturn does offer is clarity.
When the market is busy, momentum can disguise inefficiency. When it slows, reliability becomes visible. Clients ask more questions and expect clearer answers because the margin for error is smaller. Trust is no longer assumed. It is built through consistency and follow through.
That environment forces discipline. Decisions need to be deliberate. Systems need to work. Commitments matter because there is little room for recovery when something goes wrong. There is no buffer for poor communication or loose process.
It also shapes culture.
Teams formed in uncertain times tend to be grounded. People are not there for quick wins. They are there because they value clarity, leadership, and shared standards. In smaller teams, accountability is visible. Everyone sees the impact of decisions, and everyone carries responsibility beyond a job title.
Long term thinking becomes more than a concept in those moments. It is no longer about getting through a phase of the market. It is about building ways of working that can hold up over time, through both pressure and growth.
Auckland’s construction market will recover, as it always does. But the businesses that come out stronger will not be the ones that compromised the most just to stay busy. They will be the ones that used the pressure to get clearer about how they work, who they work with, and what they are prepared to stand behind.
Looking back, uncertainty does more than test resolve. It sharpens it. And sometimes, what feels like the wrong time to move is exactly what brings the clarity needed to build with intent.
Marisa Lorigan
Co-Director, INC Group and Property Council Auckland Regional Committee Member
Marisa Lorigan, Co-Director of interior construction company INC Group founded in 2025. Marisa has spent over 20 years in commercial construction across New Zealand and Australia, advocating for more innovative delivery, stronger teams, and more meaningful outcomes for clients and communities.