Best approach to selling

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A lot of salespeople operate on a numbers game: pile listings high and hope enough of them sell. The more properties they have on the market, the better their odds of getting a result somewhere. From their perspective, another “For Sale” sign is a win because it is advertising.

 

The numbers may work for the salesperson, but they do not work for all vendors.

 

If I don’t believe it’s the right time for you to sell and you are in a position to wait, I’ll tell you. Timing is everything, and I’m not interested in a hit-and-hope strategy; I’m interested in selling every property I take on.

 

Have you ever had a conversation about price with a salesperson who was dismissive of your expectations, told you you were way off, or simply assumed you couldn’t afford the property — only to see it eventually sell for less than you would have paid, after sitting on the market for months? I have, and so have many of my clients.

 

Sadly, it happens more often than it should in this area.

 

My approach is the opposite. I will always take buyers seriously, give them an opportunity to put forward an offer and then work with all parties to explore every possible option through robust negotiation.

 

I’m in the trust and relationships business. Real estate is a long-term business built on reputation, referrals and repeat clients.

 

I treat every sale as if it were my own home and every dollar as though it were coming out of, or going back into, my own pocket. I make decisions based on what will achieve the best result for the owner, not what will get me a commission fastest.

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Omaha, Point Wells and Matakana are three markets — not one

 

I work across Omaha, Point Wells and Matakana because the buyer pool moves between all three. But they are not interchangeable markets.

 

Omaha is a beach community with a distinctive lifestyle, a high proportion of holiday homes and a relatively small number of sales each year. Every campaign matters because every result becomes part of the market evidence for the next seller.

 

Point Wells is quieter and more established, sitting on the estuary rather than the surf beach. Buyers are often looking for the same quality of lifestyle with a different pace, more privacy and quality bespoke modern homes.

 

Matakana is the village that services both communities, but it is also a destination in its own right. Buyers regularly move between the three markets depending on what they are looking for.

 

Local knowledge is not a marketing slogan here. It affects who your property is exposed to, how it is positioned and how buyers perceive its value. Trust in local expertise creates confidence — and that confidence can give a buyer the confidence to pay more than they originally intended.

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​Why my background matters

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I moved from Auckland to Omaha in 2015. Before real estate, I spent fifteen years as a television broadcaster and journalist with TVNZ and TV3, edited Junction Magazine, the Matakana region lifestyle magazine, and undertook a construction and carpentry apprenticeship building high-end architectural homes.

That background gives me a different perspective when assessing property. I can read plans, understand construction techniques and replacement costs, recognise quality and complexity, and present a home to a camera and on the page.

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Just as importantly, as a former television presenter and interviewer, I can get the best out of people and build trust and rapport quickly. Let’s be honest — real estate agents are not usually your favourite people to spend quality time with… unless you married one.

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One person. One point of accountability.

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Rod Cheeseman Realty is deliberately a founder-led business. When you list with me, you deal with me. I appraise the property, develop the strategy, manage the marketing, negotiate the contract and remain accountable throughout the campaign.

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There is no hand-off to a junior associate once the listing is signed. You deal directly with the decisionmaker, and so does your buyer before, during and after the sale.

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Marketing that sells the lifestyle — not just the house

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Every campaign is different because every home is different. I am not simply selling four bedrooms, three bathrooms and a garage; I am selling the lifestyle the property enables you to have.

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One campaign stands out. I knew the owner well, so instead of filming another talking-head real estate video, I made a short film about what the family loved most about living there. An old Jeep arrived with surfboards on the roof, reggae played softly in the background, and the owner and his daughter walked through the back gate and down to the beach for a surf. It was not a conventional property advertisement.

 

It was a love story about the Omaha lifestyle — an homage to a family whose children had grown up surfing, laughing and celebrating life with family and neighbours.

 

It remains one of my most-watched property videos, and almost every buyer who came through the open home mentioned it. The home was sold to a young family who connected with the lifestyle the video demonstrated. The owners and I then supplied beach gear for the new owners’ children so they could begin enjoying that same lifestyle.

 

That is what I mean by considered marketing. The goal is not simply to generate more views. It is to make the right buyer understand why your property is worth choosing.

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Why I do it

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I got into real estate because I felt poorly served in my own property transactions. I wanted to prove that the experience could be different.

 

Integrity is not a marketing word to me; it is the whole point of the job.

 

I stopped counting once my career sales passed $100 million because the number itself stopped meaning much. What I do keep track of are the thank-you dinner invitations, handwritten cards, fivestar reviews and WhatsApp videos from families settling into their new homes after they have bought or sold with me.

 

My buyers and sellers often become friends and neighbours. In a place like Omaha, Point Wells and Matakana, that matters. Life is stressful enough without a poor real estate experience. I want people to look back on their move as one of the best decisions they have made — not one of the most painful

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Frequently asked questions

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Who is the best real estate agent in Omaha?

 

There is no objective single answer, and I do not claim that title. A better way to assess an agent is to look at the evidence: verified client feedback, local experience, results, communication, marketing approach and their background before they got into real estate. My record includes a 5.0/5 average across 35 verified RateMyAgent reviews, the 2023 RateMyAgent Suburb Winner for Omaha, more than $100 million in career sales and residence in Omaha and Point Wells since 2015.

 

Why do people say Rod isn't like a typical real estate agent?

 

Because they enjoy communicating and working with me. I’ve had buyers apologise for not buying from me because I didn’t have the right property for them.

 

There is an agent in Australia whose advertisement is based on a vendor testimonial that reads, “We went with him because we hated him the least.” I love the honesty, but it’s sad that this is the general perception of real estate agents.

 

I find that when my focus is on providing exceptional service and genuinely helping people, this sort of feedback doesn't happen. I focus on long-term relationships, reputation and repeat business rather than simply accumulating listings.

 

Buyers appreciate the lack of ego, the depth of knowledge, the ease and speed of information sharing, and the fact that I will fight to help them find the right home. Sellers appreciate the results, overdelivering rather than over-promising, and knowing that every opportunity has been explored to the maximum.

 

Does Rod sell in Point Wells and Matakana as well as Omaha?

 

Yes. I work across Omaha, Point Wells and Matakana and understand how buyers move between the three markets.