Matt Lauer Blamed for New Zealand Ban on Foreign Homebuyers

Real estate enthusiasts are not pleased with Matt Lauer, blaming the former Today Show anchor for a new ban on foreign homebuyers in New Zealand.

On Wednesday, the New Zealand government passed a law which prevents most non-citizens from buying property in the country, according to a report by Page Six. The ban comes after years of turmoil, with a lot of moving pieces at play to debate. However, angry locals and real estate moguls see Lauer as the main culprit.

He came to blows with the New Zealand government in July, when he was accused of denyiing access to his $9.2 million ranch in the area. Lauer had purchased Hunter Valley Station in February 2017, with the understanding that the dirt road through his 27,000 acres would be available to the public. The road leads to a public hiking area, and locals said that Lauer had blocked the passage in an attempt to keep the extra space for himself.

Infuriated, Lauer gave his first interview since losing his job at NBC. However, instead of talking about the Me Too movement, workplace conduct or journalism, the 60-year-old spoke to Radio New Zealand for 20 minutes about his rights as a landowner.

"I think this is why this fight has been chosen now," he told host John Campbell. Lauer was subject to a "good character test" when applying to purchase the ranch, and he feels that after his termination, the government is looking for a way to go back on their deal.

"This easement that's been proposed is being proposed to solve a problem that does not exist, and that's the misinformation that's out there and it's out there on purpose," he said. Lauer was answering questions by phone from his home in New York, but he assured Campbell that no one had been asked to leave his massive getaway in the land down under.

"Show me the logs of the people, of Walking Access [Commission] and other people, of all the people who they say have been denied?" he said. "They don't exist.

"I don't know what the problem [is] they're trying to solve because we have never denied people access who have gone through the correct procedure and called the station and said they were prepared to be on the road and properly equipped," Lauer added.

While Lauer makes an easy target for victims of the turbulent housing market in New Zealand, the issue is even more complicated than one bad apple. The country has become a popular investment among the ultra-rich, who have snapped up ranches in the rural regions as "bolt holes," or places to escape to in case of some kind of disaster. Before Wednesday's new ban, 3 percent of homes in the country were reportedly being sold to non-citizens.