Three consecutive long weekends basking in Queenslandโs invigorating autumn sun โ that should be a highlight on anyoneโs annual calendar.
But, if youโre an agent that favours auctions for premium results, the period isnโt 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 donโt believe we should think like that anymore.
COVID-19 showed us many things, one of which was the marketโs enthusiasm and comfort with digital tools across the spectrum of applications: remote working, online shopping, studying and more.
The pandemic showed buyers they didnโt 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.
Itโs 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, theyโre 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.
Youโll 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 Queenโs Birthday, later in the year โ there are opportunities to be had.
So, instead of giving up three consecutive weekends of auction opportunities, why donโt 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.