Three RE/MAX agents performed in front of more than 200 of their peers, RE/MAX business partners and invited guests when they competed for the title of 2018 Auctioneer of the Year title at the mid-year RE/MAX Australia Rally at Victoria Park Golf Complex in Brisbane.
Finalists Paul Gaffney of RE/MAX Executives, Greg Mulvihill of RE/MAX Riverside and Yianni Mooney of RE/MAX First did their best to out-auctioneer each other to claim victory… and proved just how good the level of competition was this year.
It was entertainment and professionalism at its best from all, but Paul Gaffney triumphed, though the judges – Matthew Andrews, General Manager, Pivotal Financial; Chris Chapman, Finance Director RE/MAX Australia and RE/MAX New Zealand; and Michael Davoren, RE/MAX Australia and RE/MAX New Zealand Managing Director – were not unanimous in their decision and it came down to points.
Mr Gaffney first auctioneered in public at the2016 competition and went on to claim victory that same year. While Mr Mulvihill had his first ‘auction’ at this year’s competition and Mr Mooney is a licensed auctioneer, they, along with Mr Gaffney, had been through two days of intense training with professional auctioneer and trainer, Dene Tucker, before being selected as finalists.
“Going through the course with Dene provided a good opportunity to refine my call, and add to it from a new perspective,” Mr Gaffney said.
Having already shown they can ‘talk the talk’, ‘walk the walk’ and can think on their feet to get to the finals, the three took to the stage at the Rally, where they put their skills to the test conducting a mock auction of a Highgate Hill colonial currently listed with RE/MAX, under the scrutiny of the judging panel while negotiating their way through the mental arithmetic and questions from the floor.
RE/MAX Australia Professional Development Manager, Melanie Marsh, said “The exceptional standard made it hard for the judges, and it seems the talent just keeps on getting better with each competition.”
“The two-day course covers important auction skills and processes in a practical environment and is fantastic for building confidence and understanding the auction process whether someone is considering becoming an auctioneer or not,” she said, “and there is a day three option to complete assessment required to qualify for an auctioneer license.
The other option for experienced auctioneers or rookies who have completed this course in the past three years is to enter the auctioneering competition heats. The top three agents from this day are chosen to compete for the title.
“I think we were a bit more competitive as a whole this year,” said Mr Gaffney, a sales associate and licensed auctioneer who plans to be a full time auctioneer in time.
Lyn Cox, Public Relations, RE/MAX Australia M. +61 418 793 096
About RE/MAX: RE/MAX was founded in 1973 by Dave and Gail Liniger with an innovative, entrepreneurial culture affording its agents and franchisees the flexibility to operate their businesses with great independence. With more than 120,000 agents and almost 8000 offices globally, nobody sells more real estate than RE/MAX.