Elite AgentOPINION

David Holmes: Long weekends don’t have to dampen auction opportunity

Queenslandโ€™s auction agents are on the eve of a disruptive time of year. But, withย  the marketโ€™s embrace of online bidding โ€“ a legacy of COVID - it shouldnโ€™t be. REIQย  Auctioneer of the Year David Holmes shares his thoughts.ย 

Three consecutive long weekends basking in Queenslandโ€™s invigorating autumn sun โ€“ that  should be a highlight on anyoneโ€™s annual calendar.

But, if youโ€™re an agent that favours auctions for premium results, the period isnโ€™t much fun or productive. 

For auction agents, the run of public holidays โ€“ Easter, followed by Anzac Day and Labour Day long weekends – has become a scheduling headache over the last couple of years.

Many agents have given up hosting auctions over the period, directing sellers towards the middle of May instead. 

Agents worry scheduling an auction that runs into a public holiday will ensure a low turnout.

I donโ€™t believe we should think like that anymore. 

COVID-19 showed us many things, one of which was the marketโ€™s enthusiasm and comfort with digital tools across the spectrum of applications: remote working, online shopping, studying and more. 

The pandemic showed buyers they didnโ€™t need to stand on the front lawn of a home to buy it.

Online bidding has become auction agentsโ€™ COVID-19 legacy. What originally started as a way to buy property in lockdown, has now become a mainstay of auctions. 

Over spring and summer, one in three bidders at auctions I called logged in via an online platform, comfortably competing with those in the room.

Itโ€™s been a game-changer for auction agents in expanding competition for their vendors. Indeed, some agents are now managing weekday, online-only events and achieving great results. 

When a buyer has discovered their dream home, theyโ€™re a serious bidder. And serious bidders don’t care when, where or how an auction takes place.

They will bid through their weekday lunch break and forgo Friday work drinks if it gets them and their family into their new palace.

Youโ€™ll get the same commitment from an investor who has identified outstanding capital growth potential in their due diligence. 

So, why do we have difficulty convincing vendors they can achieve a premium result at auction on a long weekend?

Serious bidders โ€“ the bidders that we really want to engage for our  sellers โ€“ will happily give up an hour of their three days at Noosa or Byron Bay to cast a winning  bid from their holiday apartment balcony.

So why do we avoid long weekends like the plague? 

Now, I agree that Easter is a no-go zone โ€“ you’ll be hard-pressed to find someone in real estate mode over the four-day break. 

But for the following long weekends โ€“ or the Queenโ€™s Birthday, later in the year โ€“ there are opportunities to be had. 

So, instead of giving up three consecutive weekends of auction opportunities, why donโ€™t auction agents talk to their sellers about the benefits of online bidding? 

April and May is already an amazing time to be in Queensland โ€“ but for sellers, it could be even better. 

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David Holmes

David Holmes, the Managing Director of holmes, has more than a decade of auctioneering, selling and training experience.