Rotorua's Equine Estate attracts Hollywood interest, sells to local for $7.6m

The farm managers home. Photo / Supplied

A rural Rotorua property that attracted interest from overseas - including a Hollywood movie director and international sportspeople - has sold for $7.6 million.

Equine Estate spans 272 hectares and was sold by negotiation to a Bay of Plenty family last month.

The property featured six dwellings on two separate titles, including a luxury homestead, manager's residence, gamekeeper's residence and a three-bedroom family home for "staff residence".

It also included a shooting range and a sporting clay bird course designed by internationally renowned New Zealand sportsman Bill Hamill.

New Zealand Sotheby's International Realty Rotorua sales associates Marilyn Christian said the property sold for $7.6m and was a record sale for the company, selling $2m above capital value.

Inside one of the homesteads at the Equine Estate. Photo / Supplied

Christian said the property was on the market for 598 days before selling by negotiation to a Bay of Plenty family who wish to remain anonymous.

Fellow sales associate Peter Guilford said the property created interest from as far as Europe, the Middle East and India.

"It also had interest from a Hollywood director and international sports personalities," he said.

Guildford said the vendors chose to sell as the property was "surplus to the off-shore owner".

"The vendor lives in Europe and is very private. The sale was negotiated through a close friend of the vendor and manager of the property."

Real Estate Institute of New Zealand chief executive Jen Baird said median residential house prices in Rotorua increased 21.6 per cent year-on-year to $620,000 in August 2021.

"Equine Estate is a unique type of property that doesn't come to the market too often, and the $7.6m price mark is a significant sale for the Rotorua district."

The Equine Estate sold for $7.6m. Photo / Supplied

The Shooting Range. Photo / Supplied

The staff residence. Photo / Supplied

The managers residence. Photo / Supplied

The gamekeepers residence. Photo / Supplied