Following carefully considered sales strategies, these properties, featured in the Spring 2025 edition of Property Express, have since achieved successful outcomes.
At Glenside, near Waitahuna in South Otago, long-held family ownership and local market insight combined to deliver a successful sale outcome.
Held by the McCorkindale family since 1867, Glenside had been farmed by five generations when Garry and Julene McCorkindale decided it was time to explore their options. They engaged Craig Bates and Brent Irving of PGG Wrightson Real Estate, Otago, to provide advice on the best pathway to market.
Craig and Brent identified strong local interest, reflecting Glenside’s scale, location, and reputation. When a neighbouring farmer presented an offer, they worked closely with the McCorkindales to assess its merit against current market conditions.
Confident the offer stood up commercially, the family chose to proceed.
“Although we’d bought land previously, we’d never sold before. Craig and Brent were very experienced and measured in their approach. Their advice gave us confidence that the offer reflected fair market value,” Garry says.
The property, a 752-hectare sheep and beef breeding and finishing unit, has grown steadily over time and is home to the McCorkindales Simmental stud, established in 1985 and widely respected within the breed.
Craig says outcomes like this highlight the importance of tailoring the sales strategy to both the property and the vendor.
“Every sale is different. Our role is to ensure vendors understand their options and can make informed decisions,” he says.
A dispersal sale of the Simmental stud, conducted by PGG Wrightson Livestock, is scheduled for mid-March.
Weka Pass and Gowan Hill, North Canterbury
A large farm in a highly regarded part of North Canterbury attracted strong buyer interest, resulting in a successful sale in December.
Deciding to sell, the Murchison family engaged Peter Crean and Mark Clyne of PGG Wrightson Real Estate to manage the campaign.
“Due to their scale and infrastructure, we knew interest in Weka Pass and Gowan Hill would be strong,” says Peter.
“We fielded plenty of local interest from neighbouring farmers and others within the district, as well as enquiries from further down the South Island and the North Island.”
Comprising Weka Pass and neighbouring Gowan Hill, the property had been farmed together since 1999, forming a single 770-hectare operation located 22 kilometres north of Amberley.
“The sale price exceeded expectations,” Peter says. “Our purchaser was motivated to expand his holdings, taking advantage of the scale on offer. Fully firm on other comparable recent North Canterbury sales, the amount paid was a fair reflection of general farming confidence and current commodity prices.”
Acquired by the Murchison family in 1954, the property’s long history, sound infrastructure and proven productivity helped underpin buyer confidence throughout the process.
In October, a Mid Canterbury dairy property attracted strong buyer interest and achieved a successful sale at auction.
The 223-hectare Dorie farm, marketed by Dan van der Salm of PGG Wrightson Real Estate, Ashburton, sold under the hammer for $13.5 million, equating to $63,400 per effective hectare.
Dan says the decision to go to auction was deliberate, with few Mid Canterbury dairy farms having been offered that way in recent years.
“Farmers selling property generally prefer private treaty or tender. An auction is a more immediate and transparent way to test the market,” he says. “We knew such a quality listing would attract plenty of attention, and an auction was the best way to focus that interest.”
Interest came from a wide range of purchasers, including established local dairy farmers looking to consolidate their holdings. More than 30 on-farm visits were recorded during the campaign.
Conducted by PGG Wrightson Real Estate specialist auctioneer Sloane Morpeth, the auction attracted around 120 attendees, including half a dozen registered bidders, with a similar number of genuine buyers observing to gain market insight.
The property, which had been farmed by the Brown family for almost three decades, sits on some of the region’s most fertile coastal soils. Originally run as a sheep and cropping block, it was progressively developed into a modern, high-performing dairy unit, averaging 434,033 kilograms of milk solids, or just over 2,000 kilograms per hectare.
With family support, a young local couple purchasing their first farm secured the property.
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