What Marketing Should Your Christchurch Real Estate Agent Provide

Marketing is the engine that connects your property with its buyer. A poorly marketed property in a good market will still sell - but it may take longer and attract fewer competing offers than it should. Understanding what good marketing looks like in the Canterbury market helps you ensure your agent is actually doing their job.

The Non-Negotiables

Every Canterbury property listed for sale in 2026 should have, at minimum: professional photography with a licensed real estate photographer (not phone photos, not the agent's camera); a written property description that accurately and compellingly describes the property's key features and location; listing on realestate.co.nz and Trade Me Property, New Zealand's two dominant property search platforms; a property sign placed visibly at the front of the property; and weekly feedback reports to the vendor summarising open home attendance, buyer feedback, and enquiry levels. These are baseline. If your agent is not providing all of these, ask why.

Strong Marketing Adds

The best Canterbury marketing campaigns also include: a professional floor plan (most buyers expect this and its absence creates doubt); videography - either a walkthrough video or a high-quality video tour that can be shared digitally; drone/aerial photography for properties with land, views, or where the setting is a key feature; pre-campaign database marketing to registered buyers before the listing goes publicly live; social media promotion through the agency's own channels (particularly Facebook and Instagram, where Canterbury property generates significant organic reach); and premium placement on realestate.co.nz, which boosts listing visibility significantly above standard placement. Premium placement on realestate.co.nz typically costs $500-$1,500 for a four-week campaign - ask whether this is included or charged additionally.

What Marketing Actually Costs

Photography, videography, and floor plan for a standard Canterbury property typically costs $800-$1,500. Premium realestate.co.nz placement adds $500-$1,500. Trade Me listing is $200-$400. Print advertising in a local publication, if used, adds $300-$800. A comprehensive Canterbury marketing package typically runs $2,000-$4,000, not counting the agent's time. Some agencies include all marketing within their commission. Others charge marketing at cost separately. Understand exactly what is included and what will be charged additionally before signing the agency agreement.

Push Back on Poor Marketing

If your agent is proposing to market your $700,000 Canterbury property with amateur photography, no floor plan, and standard (non-premium) listing placement, push back. The difference between $1,500 in quality marketing and $400 in minimal marketing can be measured in the number of buyers who attend your open home and in the final sale price achieved. In a market where Harcourts Grenadier alone has 724 active listings competing for buyer attention, standing out from the pack requires deliberate effort and investment.

Marketing cost estimates from Agent Finder NZ, calculate.co.nz, and Canterbury real estate agency marketing packages. For general information only.