Australian Wins Trans-Tasman Auction Championship

Media Release
16 September 2010

AUSTRALIAN WINS TRANS-TASMAN AUCTION CHAMPIONSHIP

Queensland auctioneer Jason Andrew became the Australasian Real Estate Institutes Auctioneering Champion and will take home the trophy New Zealand auctioneers have won for the past three years.

Held at the Aotea Centre in Auckland this week, the championship drew a field of 13 real estate auctioneers representing each of the Australian states and territories, and two New Zealand contenders, Chris Kennedy (Epic Realty Ltd, Harcourts, Dunedin) and Robert Tulp (Cooper & Co Real Estate Ltd, Harcourts, North Shore)

Contestants are judged on their ability to maintain the chant or rhythm of an auction and build buyer interest while handling a challenging bidding sequence programmed to test their knowledge and skills.

From the 15 competing auctioneers, the panel of nine judges selected five finalists including the two New Zealand contestants, plus Damien Cooley (Cooley Auctions, New South Wales), Michael Fenn (L J Hooker Greenwith, South Australia) and Jason Andrew (Jason Andrew Auctioneers, Queensland).

The runnerup to Jason Andrew was Damien Cooley from New South Wales.

“Both the heats and finals drew a very large audience which indicates strong interest in auction procedures,” said Real Estate Institute of New Zealand Chairman Rosanne Meo. “"In the current variable real estate market conditions, auctions will remain a very relevant option as part of the sales process".

Chief Judge for the competition Ross Foreman said the auctioneering championships are a key to improving standards and showcasing the skills of the industry. “They provide an excellent way to maintain the professionalism and transparency of the auction system,” he said.

The five finalists and last year’s winner, Phil McGoldrick (Harcourts Christchurch) were called upon to further display their auction skills by conducting an impromptu fundraising auction of six generously donated items as part of the awards ceremony held at a cocktail function last evening. They raised $8,125 which will be donated to the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal.

ENDS

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