So far in 2022, some agencies in Croydon, Werribee and Craigieburn have shifted their auctions online even though they are allowed to be held on site.
Large crowds will become less appealing during Omicron.Credit:Peter Rae
Ray White Victoria chief executive Stephen Dullens said some vendors were keen to avoid the risk of having an in-person auction, while others were not as worried.
“We have gravitated more and more towards online auctions – there are some agencies that won’t do any on the street at all,” Mr Dullens said.
About 200 auctions had been booked across Victoria in January – 250 per cent more than a pre-COVID year, Mr Dullens said. Of these, between 40 and 50 per cent were expected to be held online.
Auctions at a hall or other public venue were being moved to a digital format, while special Australia Day events where 10 or more auctions would be held over the long weekend by particular agents were also being moved online, he added.
Between 40 and 50 per cent of Ray White’s Melbourne auctions are expected to be held online in January.Credit:
While auctions were being moved online, sales campaigns were being slowed by coronavirus cases, though it was not putting buyers off.
“Just like everyone, we are seeing more positive cases in our teams and customers like tenants and vendors,” Mr Dullens said. “Open houses have been a bit more challenging, but we haven’t had too many where they haven’t been able to just keep going with the campaign [after isolation finishes].
“Everyone is understanding of the circumstances. It’s just a matter of being open and honest about it.”
While Melburnians were moving auctions online, Sydneysiders were taking a more “business as usual” approach, Manor Real Estate director Jay Bacani said.
The Hills district agency was still holding in-person auctions, though they were using a hybrid approach for those bidding from another state or country or those wanting to avoid crowds and bid online.
Social distancing between bidders will continue, but possibly not between bids if the market stays hot. Credit:Peter Rae
Mr Bacani said he had also seen an early rush to the market, with at least 15 vendors approaching the agency to sell in January.
Though prices boomed by 21 per cent nationally in 2021, that’s not expected to be the case this year, with rises expected to be far more modest.
“It is still a sellers’ market, but it’s not as strong as it was in October and November, it’s starting to cool off – flattening out a bit,” Mr Bacani said.
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In Brisbane, agents are holding auctions where only registered bidders can attend to allow for social distancing, and are also holding hybrid in-person and online auctions.
Place Estate Agents Bulimba director Sarah Hackett said buyers were very respectful, with some buyers even offering to undertake rapid tests before inspecting the home of a client who worked in a children’s oncology unit.
Agents were also working in teams which never met face to face, meaning if one team member got sick, another could step in.
“We’ve got A and B teams,” Ms Hackett said. “My shadow … we won’t see each other so if one of us goes down, the other one can cover. All of our meetings are done on Zoom or on [Microsoft] Teams.”
Despite the challenges, Ms Hackett said she expected the real estate market to continue to be as resilient as it had been over the past two years.
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Agents prep for Plan B as Omicron hits the property industry
Source: Philippines Alive
