Online auctions take over

TECHNOLOGY is keeping the Territory’s real estate industry on its feet, with agencies adopting new methods to keep properties selling and leasing during the coronavirus pandemic.

Leading agency Real Estate Central has begun hosting auctions online through digital platform Gavl and phone bidding.

Sales professional and auctioneer Daniel Harris said the new practice would continue the success of auction sales.

“There are still plenty of sellers and buyers that need to transact property,” he said.

“Our aim to will be to facilitate those needs whilst adhering to all recommended safety guidelines provided.

“The auction sales method has proven to be the best available to Darwin sellers to help them move forward with their plans so we aren’t about to take away that option.

“The only difference will be all parties will now need to bid remotely whilst social isolation measures are in place to protect us all.”

Real Estate Central will close its Cavenagh St office on March 31, with staff working remotely.

Raine & Horne Darwin general manager Glenn Grantham said a swift transition into virtual inspections has kept operations running smoothly.

“We recognised we were going be entering into the situation where inspections and opens and things along those lines were going to be compromised, so we actually commenced doing virtual tours of all of our properties,” he said.

“Everything is available, we’ve got 70 per cent of all the properties we’ve got on the market and 95 per cent of the properties we’ve got available for rental available for virtual inspections.”

Mr Grantham said shifting to these new operations was beneficial for business and his staff, who will begin working remotely in the next week.

“By and large we haven’t felt an overwhelming effect on rental and we have still sold houses during this period,” he said.