PHOTO: Matt Chisholm. SUPPLIED
🛣️ The Unlikely Journey to Real Estate
You might once have seen Matt Chisholm lighting up your TV screen — now you’ll find him in rural New Zealand, selling dream lifestyle properties. The former broadcaster, adventure-show host and mental-health advocate has reinvented himself as a licensed real estate professional based in Central Otago. pggwre.co.nz+1
His early life in the rural heartland of Milton and Oamaru, combined with a 72-hectare farm at Chatto Creek, has given him a deep connection to the land and the lifestyle property market. NZ Herald+1
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✅ Why Honesty Became His Core Principle
Chisholm’s past hasn’t been without turbulence. In a candid podcast interview, he revealed struggles with alcohol, drugs and sex-work circles, saying those times pushed him to embrace radical honesty. Apple Podcasts
“I’m looking forward to spending more time at home… I don’t want to work for people that don’t treat people well.” — Matt Chisholm NZ Herald
That ethos now underpins his real estate brand-promise: being transparent, grounded and genuine — especially in an industry often criticised for spin.
📍 Where He Is Now: Rural & Lifestyle Specialist
Chisholm is working with PGG Wrightson Real Estate in Central Otago as a Rural & Lifestyle Sales Consultant, licensed under REA 2008. pggwre.co.nz
Some of his current listings:
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2 Waldron Place, Clyde — House at $950,000
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33 Kokonga Road, Kyeburn — Lifestyle with dwelling (4 ha)
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3440 Becks-Lauder Road, Lauder — Lifestyle property (4 ha)
pggwre.co.nz
With a focus on rural blocks, lifestyle homes and farmland, he plays to his background — farm life, family life, and connecting with people who want that kind of escape.
🎯 What Sets Him Apart from the Typical Agent
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Storyteller-turned-agent: his background in journalism and television gives him strong communication and presentation skills.
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Country roots: born in rural Otago, he knows the territory literally and figuratively. pggwre.co.nz
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Authenticity: open about past struggles, he says that adds credibility — “I’ll say what needs saying.”
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Lifestyle focus: rather than crowded city apartments, he sells space, land, quiet nights, wide horizons.
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Community embedded: coaches junior sports, runs farm pursuits, lives the lifestyle he sells.
📌 His Real Estate Philosophy in One Line
“I just want to stay living where I live with my family… and survive in this community.” — Matt Chisholm NZ Herald
In other words: he’s not out to be the flashiest agent in the city. He wants to help people realise their dream of rural living, while staying true to himself.