Ray White leads the way with online auctions

LAST week showed Ray White members can adapt to almost anything including the new online auction format with the help of our cutting edge technology. The group still cleared 52 per cent of all our auctions last Saturday, 10 per cent higher than the same period a year ago in the pre-election period.

Ray White is continuing to embrace the new live online method with 443 homes scheduled auctions booked this Saturday. The volume number represents a 37 per cent increase from this time last year.

In Sydney, families have been eager to inspect the three bedroom house at 4A Dening St, Drummoyne which Ray White sales agent Chris Wilkins said has had some good interest despite much of the doom and gloom.

“It’s been all young families who want something that’s finished and in the heart of Drummoyne for that inner city lifestyle,” Mr Wilkins said.

“It’s six kilometres from the centre of Sydney with mixed styles of homes from blocks to flats and $20 million waterfront properties. There’s a wide variety of buyers and demographics, younger people, long time families, singles and people moving in.

Mr Wilkins said he’s had about 40 groups through the property.

In Melbourne, Ray White Ferntree Gully is ready to take nine properties to auction using the new online format. Office sales agent Ben Thomas is quietly confident about the four bedroom home at 13B Coolibah Crescent, Bayswater.

“We’re getting interest mainly from young families as the property is only six months old and they’re looking for a low maintenance lifestyle,” Mr Thomas said.

“Bayswater is also a good little pocket of Melbourne, close to shops and the station”

The house is listed with a $800,000 to $880,000 price guide.

In Queensland, private auctions are going full steam ahead including for the four bedroom home at 19 Messara Circuit, Durack. Being sold by Andrew Van Bennekom of Ray White Toowong, the family home has attracted more than twenty groups through private inspections.

“It’s getting a lot of attention from families because the key features of home are the fact that it’s modern for the area and it has a separate kids’ zone, nice separation from the master suite and kids area and a separate media room,” Mr Van Bennekom said.

The auction, at 2pm, will be taking place virtually in line with the Australian Government legislation and all inspections will be private, upon request. Something that Mr Van Bennekom said hasn’t affected the sale.

“We were still conducting private inspections up until Saturday and that has been fine, the owners have been very obliging as well. We have already been observing the two person rule, spacing them out appropriately and doing a full wipe down after each inspection," he said.

“Everyone has been really good about it and no one has given us a hard time when we ask them not to touch things.”

Queensland’s golden triangle on the Sunshine Coast will see some action this weekend with 85 Yakola Parade, Alexandra Headland going under the hammer for the first time in twenty years. Ray White Mooloolaba sales agent Simon Howe is representing the property.

“Alexandra Headlands is one of the higher suburbs so it’s right near the beach and right near the Alex Surf Club. You can stroll through the rainforest to get to the beach with only a ten minute walk. It’s close to the new Sunshine Coast CBD and all the facilities that people want right at their fingertips,” Mr Howe said.

“The owners are lovely and long standing clients, they have already bought somewhere else in the area because they are approaching their senior years and want to downsize but still stay in the area.

“We’ve had a mixed range of buyers, some in their 30s right through to some in their late 60s. They are all after the great location, size and love the immaculate presentation.”

South Australian agent Tristian Kennedy of Ray White Norwood is gearing up for a great online auction this weekend for 14 Willow Bend, Marden. While it may be his first online auction, Mr Kennedy is confident online training sessions will ensure a good result.

“We are doing everything we can to make buyers more comfortable including doing training sessions which we will do over a digital platform to keep with government regulations,” Mr Kennedy said.

“We’ve had almost 20 groups through the property in the past two weeks and on Friday alone we had eight enquiries as well.

“The demographics we’re seeing are younger families and people looking to downsize as the house is low maintenance with a bedroom downstairs.

“Marden is a good spot, pretty close to the city and a small suburb that is relatively tightly held so when anything comes up it usually goes pretty well.”