Ray White Launches Auction Academy for Women

The auction academy was initiated by Valentina Parra, a successful corporate auctioneer for Ray White Victoria, and featured inspiring presentations from industry veterans who shared their journeys of overcoming significant challenges.

Trish Orrico of Ray White Craigieburn, who began auctioneering a decade ago, emphasised the importance of embracing discomfort, recalling how her mentors taught her to auction in grass fields while cars honked past.

Her journey began after witnessing a captivating auctioneer at her grandparents' Northcote home, igniting her passion for the profession.

“I started auctioneering 10 years ago, my leaders were super supportive, they would teach me how to auction in a grass field as cars drove past beeping, they taught me how to be uncomfortable. The first auction I ever witnessed was my grandparents house in Northcote, the auctioneer was amazing, his presence was captivating - I left that auction knowing I wanted to auctioneering”

“I remember my first auction, it was around the corner from my house and the vendor didn’t know I had never called an auction before. My family came, all the kids, our neighbours, it was a mammoth crowd, called it from start to finish and it was an amazing auction. When I admitted to the vendors it was my first auction, the vendors were in utter disbelief!”

Emma Brown Garrett, with 23 years in real estate and a background in acting, delivered a powerful message about persistence in the face of rejection.

Despite experiencing a lack of support from male colleagues and leadership throughout her career, she persevered through relentless practice, even auctioning household items to her family. Her dedication led her to compete in every available auction competition across Australia and New Zealand, making her a formidable competitor as often the only female participant.

“Prior to real estate I studied acting and thought one day I’d win an Oscar, however it wasn’t for me but my experience in acting has helped with the fear of rejection, and overcoming auctioneering. Real estate is a great sector if you’d like to learn and move around, from marketing, leasing and sales, it's a great opportunity.

“Once I moved back from India, I knew I wanted to get straight back into real estate. Not one man, not one office, not one CEO I worked for supported me to do auctioneering. It broke my heart. Nobody gave me a shot, but I knew I’d be really good, so I had to back myself.”

She highlighted the career benefits for working mothers, explaining how auctioneering offers superior work-life balance compared to traditional sales roles. "As an external person, I can honestly say there is no better business out there driving auction business like Ray White," she noted, praising the company's top-down commitment to auction excellence.

The academy incorporated practical elements, pushing participants beyond their comfort zones through public speaking exercises and storytelling challenges. Participants were randomly assigned topics and required to entertain the room for 90 seconds, building confidence and presentation skills essential for successful auctioneering.

Adding inspiration from the sporting world, AFL Collingwood player Brianna Davey and AFLW Head of Development Tom Wilson shared insights about leadership and supporting women in male-dominated environments. Brianna Davey emphasised the importance of women backing each other and building strong connections throughout their professional journeys.

“When I started in football it was very male dominated, I was captaining the boys football team. For the women in the room, always back each other up, build that connection and support each other with the journey.

“Leadership is all about relationships, you have to know everyone on an individual level; this is the foundation of being able to provide feedback. Show you care and that you care about the outcome.”

This initiative represents Ray White's commitment to diversifying the auction industry and creating opportunities for talented women to excel in this dynamic field.