A focus on mentoring and working as a team has been credited with helping AuctionWORKS’ auctioneers develop the skills to handle the plethora of situations auction day throws at them and generate the best results for clients.
AuctionWORKS Director and Chief Auctioneer Jesse Davidson said when it comes to experience, the AuctionWORKS team is unparalleled, having recently chalked up 60,000 auctions.
“It’s taken time and effort to build this team, and the strength of skills and knowledge when it comes to the auction process is nothing short of industry-leading,” Mr Davidson said.
Mr Davidson said every new auctioneer that joined the team went through the unique AuctionWORKS training and mentoring before moving on to call an auction.
“We go top-to-tail in training how to auction and we’ve got a team that consistently looks at each other and assists each other,” Mr Davidson said.
David Scholes established AuctionWORKS in 1996 and said he had worked hard to pass his nearly four decades of experience onto the younger auctioneers.
“Like so many trades, real estate auctioneering is a craft, which is learnt best when an experienced professional mentors younger people wanting to start their career,” Mr Scholes said.
“It’s not enough to have the gift of the gab, you need to know what you can and can’t say and how to protect the interests of all stakeholders.”
“It takes time to learn properly.”
Mr Scholes said the team mentoring element of AuctionWORKS’ training works by regularly reviewing the performance of the individual auctioneers and as a team.
It also reflects on different ways to manage situations and the dynamics that play out on auction day.
According to Mr Davidson, each of the AuctionWORKS auctioneers has a unique set of skills, along with their own personalities, that they bring to auction day.
Mr Davidson said he and Mr Scholes often handled the larger commercial auctions, which can be very different to residential auctions.
Inside the team, Jake Downs also handles both commercial and high-end residential auctions across Sydney and is known for his ability to connect with buyers.
The only female auctioneer on the team, Karen Harvey brings a personal approach to her auctions, is a highly-skilled negotiator and is renowned for her ability to help agents and vendors manage the entire auction process.
Team dynamics
Mr Davidson said having a large team allowed AuctionWORKS to draw on the experience of the entire group.
“If you’re a standalone auctioneer, you might be drawing upon 300 auctions of experience,” he said.
“The benefit to our business is you’ve got eight auctioneers all doing a minimum of 300 auctions.
“So suddenly you just get a vast amount more experience in terms of scenarios that our team has faced.”
A comprehensive process for agents
According to Mr Davidson, the team also places a big emphasis on working closely with sales agents to get the best possible result.
He said for agents new to the auction process, the AuctionWORKS team is able to provide thorough training and assistance to help them understand the process.
“That can be things like sitting down with the vendor to help win the listing,” he said.
“Or help with the campaign process, including the length of your campaign, where you are marketing that property, what sort of dialogue you are having with buyers and how are you keeping your vendor informed as to the developments that you’re finding out and the pricing feedback you’re receiving.”
For more information, contact AuctionWORKS today.
