Nelson's leading real estate firm marks two decades of their popular property publication, now reaching 39,000 readers across the region

For two decades, Summit Real Estate has been making it easier for Nelsonians to find their dream home through their flagship publication, the Summit Property Weekly. The locally owned real estate firm celebrates this significant milestone this week, highlighting how the popularity of Summit Weekly continues to grow year after year.

Summit Weekly by the Numbers

"The launch of the Summit Weekly in Spring 2004 became a very integral part of maintaining Summit as the most preferred real estate agency by far. From the growth of web based marketing that Summit maintains through Summit.co.nz, realestate.co.nz, One Roof and Trade Me, thousands of prospective buyers find their new home via the Summit Weekly. The buyer reach is unparalleled with the distribution growth to 39,000 throughout the region and also read online."
— Allister Nalder, Founder and Managing Director, Summit Real Estate

The publication has undergone significant evolution since its inception. Summit Weekly first appeared inside the Nelson Mail each week but in 2016 made a strategic move to be distributed inside the Nelson Weekly, Waimea Weekly and Motueka Golden Bay Guardian, almost quadrupling its reach to just under 40,000 copies each week.

This expansion has proven to be a game-changer for the company's marketing reach and effectiveness in connecting properties with potential buyers across the greater Nelson region.

"The Summit Weekly sets us apart by showcasing our clients' properties to a wider audience of buyers, which is why we continue to rely on this valuable marketing tool."
— David Turnhout, Operations Manager, Summit Real Estate

Operations manager David Turnhout emphasises that Summit Weekly represents a huge point of difference in the competitive local real estate market, effectively getting their properties in front of more buyers than traditional marketing methods alone.

The success of Summit Weekly reflects the company's commitment to both traditional print media and digital marketing strategies, maintaining a strong presence across multiple platforms while serving the local Nelson community's property needs.

Photo: Glyn Delany, Sapphire Laurence and Ben Nalder celebrate 20 years of the Summit Property Weekly.
Credit: Andrew Board (Top South Media)

Summit's auction marketing programme achieves one of the highest success rates in the real estate industry, consistently delivering results that exceed vendor expectations. The auction method is suited to all properties, especially those with unique features, sought-after locations, and situations of high buyer demand.

Auctions let the market determine your property's true value through competitive bidding. Compare this with private treaty where your price may be so high that no one will make an offer, or it could be so low that you run the risk of underselling your property. Through buyers actively bidding and openly competing, Summit has produced some fantastic auction sales with prices well over the vendor's expectations.

The deadline for auction day creates a sense of urgency and helps buyers who may otherwise procrastinate to make a buying decision. When buyers compete openly, competitive bidding often drives prices beyond initial expectations. If there's a premium in the market for your property, the auction method is the most effective means of securing it through this competitive environment.

Auctions eliminate complicated conditions and lengthy negotiations - it's a binding contract on the fall of the hammer with no cooling-off periods, no subject-to-sale clauses, and no last-minute renegotiations.

Marketing without an asking price means buyers judge the features and benefits that the property offers them and removes any objections regarding price. This method exposes the property to the broadest possible range of prospective purchasers.

Your Summit salesperson will provide you with regular market feedback so you will be fully informed when setting your reserve with the auctioneer. We will assist you in setting the terms, conditions and auction day deadline including any specific instructions you have, such as possession date and chattels (your solicitor will vet these).

The auction method has proven time and again to deliver exceptional results for property sellers. If you are considering selling and would like to talk to one of our salespeople about the benefits of auction marketing,

Get in touch today.

Summit Rural Sales and Marketing Consultant Angus Malcolm, from our Richmond office on the current Rural Market. Here is what Angus had to say.

The rural market, impacted by different drivers to the residential market, has seen stock levels falling over the past six months and prices have remained strong in most sectors. With just 17 rural properties over 2ha in size listed in the Tasman District and 19 lifestyle properties, buyers are limited for choice.

Some of the main drivers for this change are:

- Supply volume remains constrained due to strong commodity prices in most sectors meaning vendors aren’t selling as their cash flows remain strong.
- Banks are keen to lend to rural properties with a proven cash flow, keeping their risk low.
- Rural demand has increased as people realise what can be bought for the same money as in town.
- Working remotely and flexible work options have become more common. This is enabling migration from cities to the countryside.

Although some of the rural sectors have increased uncertainty due to the Ukraine conflict, rising fuel costs, rising interest rates and disrupted supply lines, the overall sentiment is still relatively strong. Below we highlight three of the largest sectors:


1. Dairy. The industry has had a succession of payout forecast increases this season. Fonterra now sits at a mid-range forecast of $9.30 per kg of milk solids, making it the highest ever.

2. Beef. The strong overseas demand and a tightening of global beef supply are increasing prices and have led Beef and Lamb NZ to lift farm profit forecasts by 29% in 2021/22. Competition for traditional dry stock pasture land has seen significant pressure from forestry interests as the carbon price has strengthened over the past year.

3. Forestry. The industry has seen a highly volatile log market over the past year with overall profitability now also impacted by cost increases due to rising fuel prices.

Offsetting this is a massive expansion of new plantings on the back of carbon prices lifting 68% in the past year to over $76/tonne.

Overall, the strong commodity prices in many of the rural sectors will result in significant debt reduction, improved cash flows and improving bank balance sheets which will in turn free up lending for the rural sector. The Summit rural team is available to cast a fresh pair of eyes over your property to give you an up-to-date appraisal of its current value.

Summit Real Estate has dominated the real estate market since 1992, building from a modest Stoke office into the region's most successful real estate company. Our formula for sustained market leadership isn't complicated: we recruit exceptional sales and marketing professionals who share our commitment to integrity, transparency, and delivering outstanding results for every client.

Maintaining market leadership for over three decades requires more than just ambition—it demands the right people. We specifically seek sales and marketing consultants who embrace hard work and are passionate about creating unparalleled service experiences. If you're ready to elevate your career beyond what you thought possible, Summit provides the platform for extraordinary professional growth.

The Summit difference lies in our proven development culture. We've witnessed hundreds of professionals transform their careers with us, building substantial businesses that have genuinely changed their lives. This isn't a casual opportunity—we expect dedication and strong work ethic from every team member. In return, we provide comprehensive support including industry-leading coaching, strategic management guidance, cutting-edge systems, and ongoing professional development.

Our track record speaks for itself: decade after decade of market leadership, hundreds of successful careers launched, and countless professionals who've achieved financial and personal growth they never imagined possible. The nurturing environment we've created focuses entirely on your success, providing you with every tool and resource needed to excel in today's competitive real estate market.

Ready to discover what your real estate career could become? Our management team is actively seeking motivated sales and marketing consultants who want to join a winning organisation. Don't let this opportunity pass—your future self will thank you for taking action today.

Contact our management team to start your Summit journey. We're excited to hear from ambitious professionals ready to achieve exceptional results.

Get in Touch