New blood in auctions
FORMERLaunceston mayor Janie Findlay is a fresh face of the future of the real estate industry after being declared the state’s 2012 top auctioneer.
Blake Shepherd of Shepherd and Heap of Launceston has been the number one auctioneer in the state for the past five years, but there were surprise changes at the 2012 REIT auctioneering championship Hobart last week.
Janie Findlay is a director of NAI Harcourts in Launceston, and despite her relative auctioneering inexperience, she was judged as the best of the best.
The winner willnow travel to Adelaide for the Australasian Auctioneering Championships from October 1 to 4 to compete against the best of the best from all states and territories of Australia andNew Zealand.
The REIT provides air fares, accommodation and registration fees for the winner to attend, and Janie will be accompanied by this year’s Tasmanian runner-up, Brett Boxall of Halliwells.
Auctioneers in Tasmania might personally undertake between just a handful through to about 20 auctions each year, whereas interstate auctioneersmaydo up to 10 ormanymore properties every weekend.
The auction challenge for Tasmanians can be very daunting but they remain eternally optimistic.
The REIT has approached Blake Shepherd (previous winner) to agree to be part of the REIT auctioneering judging panel for 2013 and beyond which would be very rewarding and extremely beneficial for the whole industry.
REIT is an industry membership body representing 95 per cent of all agents in Tasmania by choice. MARKBERRY
CEO Real Estate Institute of
Tasmania