The best auctioneers in Australia and New Zealand will battle it out for the top prize at the 2017 Australasian Auctioneering Championships this week.

The competition is being hosted this year by the Real Estate Institute of South Australia, and is being held from 5 September to 7 September at Crown Plaza Adelaide.

Visit the 2017 Australasian Auctioneering Championships web site.

This year's competitors are:

AJ Colman -  South Australia

Adrian AJ Colman is an independent auctioneer, and has conducted more than 1,000 residential, commercial and rural property auctions since 2008.

Bronte Manuel - South Australia

The 2015, 2016 and 2017 REISA Auctioneering Championships winner, Australasian Auctioneering Championships contestant and past winner of the Golden Gavel (2014).

Alec Brown - ACT

As well as calling the top three highest residential auction sales in the ACT, Alec was recently named the 2017 ‘Allhomes Charity Auctioneer of the Year’. 

Andrew Potts - ACT

Andrew Potts' professional approach and calm demeanor is an asset for both sellers and agents. His goal is to ensure all parties have a positive experience on auction day. 

Jesse Davidson - New South Wales

Jesse has now been conducting auctions at auctionWORKS for 9 years, and is now a director in the business. In 2010 he won the REINSW Novice Auctioneer of the year. This was followed up with the REINSW Senior Auctioneer of the year in 2015 and a finalist in 2016. 

Clarence White - New South Wales

Clarence began his auctioneering career with McGrath Estate Agents, then moved to Bresic Whitney in 2017. In 2014 he won the REINSW Award for Excellence (Auctioneer) and was a finalist at the Australasian Auctioneering Championships. 

Ned Allison - New Zealand

Ned enjoys the fast-paced nature of an auction, the engagement with the bidders, and achieving great results for his owners. 

Mark McGoldrick - New Zealand

Mark has been an auctioneer with NZ Powerhouse Harcourts in Canterbury for three years. 

Daniel Harris - Northern Territory

Daniel’s involvement in hundreds of auctions with Darwin’s largest agency Real Estate Central in the Northern Territory has instilled in him all the skills of a brilliant auctioneer with a determination for achieving outstanding results. 

Karl Secondis - Northern Territory

Karl Secondis has been auctioneering for over 20 years in the Territory and is well known for his passion and success. He lends his skills as an auctioneer to raise funds for various organisations including the Starlight Foundation. 

Matthew Condon - Queensland

Matthew is a no-nonsense and honest auctioneer, always seeking the best outcome for all parties.

Justin Nickerson - Queensland

Justin is one of Australia's most highly regarded auctioneers. He won Australasian Auctioneer of the Year for 2016. He is a four time winner of the REIQ Auctioneer of the Year award for 2018, 2017, 2016 and 2013 making him the state's most awarded auctioneer of all time.

Conor Canning - Tasmania

Conor has been nominated for the Rising Star Award and was recognised as a top two salesperson in Tasmania at the 2016 Ray White awards night. Conor is also a keen auctioneer.

Andrew de Bomford - Tasmania

Andrew is a 16-year veteran of the real estate industry and has been working with Harcourts Burnie for the last seven years. He has been the number one auction listing agent for Harcourts Tasmania five out of the last seven years. Andrew and his wife Heidi have 7 adult children between them.

Harry Li - Victoria

As a former winner of the Australasian Auctioneering Championships, Harry knows the tough road ahead to be able to regain the title. Harry is determined to bring the title back to Victoria.

Michael Wood - Victoria

Michael was selected as a finalist in the REIV senior auctioneering competition in 2013, 2014 and 2016. 

Tom Esze - Western Australia

Tom Esze commenced his real estate career in February 1987 following a six-year engagement in the Australian Army. 

David Vitale - Western Australia

David has his own boutique real estate agency, ‘Vitale Fine Properties’ that specialises in selling and leasing properties in Perth's waterside suburbs. David is an ‘auction focused’ agent to the extent that he eventually became an auctioneer himself. He calls auctions for many agents all over Perth as a consultant, and passionately advocates the advantages of the ‘auction option’.

Visit the 2017 Australasian Auctioneering Championships web site.

Previous Australasian Auctioneering Champions

2016 - Justin Nickerson, Queensland
2015 - Harry Li, Victoria
2014 - Andrew North, New Zealand
2013 - Daniel Coulson, New Zealand
2012 - Daniel Coulson, New Zealand
2011 - Mark Sumich, New Zealand
2010 - Jason Andrew, Queensland
2009 - Phil McGoldrick, New Zealand
2008 - Mark Sumich, New Zealand
2007 - Mark Sumich, New Zealand
2006 - Scott Kennedy-Green, New South Wales
2005 - Justin Long, Victoria
2003 - Peter Kakos, Victoria
2001 - Michael McCarthy, Victoria
1999 - John McGrath, New South Wales
1997 - Peter Hawkins, Victoria
1995 - Peter Batrouney, Victoria
1993 - Michael Brock, South Australia

Visit the 2017 Australasian Auctioneering Championships web site.

This year's judges

Jonathon Moore - Chief Judge

Jonathon has 37 years of national and international auctioneering experience in South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Northern Territory and New Zealand. He has conducted over 20,000 property auctions. Jonathon sits on the REISA Auction Committee and was Chief Judge for the REISA Auctioneering Championships in 2015, 2016 and 2017. 

Peter Walker - Inaugural Critique Judge

Peter entered the real estate industry in 1987 and is principal auctioneer at Bolton & Co. Peter won the REIACT Auctioneer of the Year in 2007 and 2011, also the inaugural Canberra Times People’s Choice Auctioneer of the Year 2011 and the Allhomes People’s Choice award in 2014. Peter has competed five times at the REIA national auctioneering championships. 

Sandra Masters - ACT

Sandra Masters commenced her real estate career over 15 years ago, and is now principal of LJ Hooker Kippax. She is a board member of the REIACT with a passion for the Auction Chapter in particular.

Bob Jury - NSW

With more than 40 years’ experience as a professional auctioneer, Bob is a true auction guru. Previously the Auction Director for Raine & Horne, Bob has conducted more than 26,000 property auctions in all categories of real estate. He is still actively involved in auctions in Sydney every weekend. Bob is REINSW’s go-to trainer for the Auctioneers Accreditation course, as well as the Chief Judge for both the Awards for Excellence live auction final and the Novice Auctioneers Competition. 

Mark Sumich - New Zealand

Mark has been calling auctions on the streets of Auckland since 1987 and continues to perform regularly. He is a four-time NZ champion auctioneer and a three-time Australasian winner. As part of the REINZ Auction Sector special interest group, he has been involved in the preparation of Codes of Practice/Conduct and agreements for the sale of property by auction. 

Morgan Shearer - Northern Territory

Morgan has been in the industry for more than 30 years and is a three times winner of the Real Estate Institute of the Northern Territory (REINT) ‘Auctioneer of the Year’ award. He is a past Vice President of the Real Estate Institute of Australia and past President and long-term board member of the Real Estate Institute on NT. Morgan remains a fellow of the REIA and is a fully licensed Land and Business Agent.

Wally Boydell - Queensland

Wally Boydell is a Fellow of the REIQ having been a selling Principal and Auctioneer since 1997. He has been a regular judge of the Queensland Auctioneer of the Year competition for many years and a contestant in the competition beforehand. Wally has been a committee member of the REIQ Auctioneers Chapter and is still very involved in the industry as a Principal/Auctioneer.

Michael Fenn - South Australia

Michael Fenn has been in Real Estate for 16 years and is a multiple franchise owner and Accredited Auctioneer with in the LJ Hooker family. He is a past three-time winner of the prestigious Golden Gavel Auctioneering Championships, has represented South Australia at the Australasian Auctioneering Championships five times, and was a grand finalist on three occasions. 

Michael Walsh - Tasmania

Michael has been in real estate for over 30 years. While he still regularly auctions properties, he is keen to put something back into the industry, and has been on the judging panel of the REIT State Auction Championships for eight years (2008-2015). Michael is heavily involved in the REIT Auction competition and takes great pleasure as the organiser of the REIT Schools Championship. 

Adam Docking - Victoria

Adam is celebrating 25 years in real estate. As the director of Docking Real Estate, Adam says, “Because we are a boutique agent, we are able to be totally ‘hands on’. That’s our point of difference. Once listed, a lot of agencies will flick the marketing to an assistant. That’s not our style, we are there for our clients from start to finish.”

David Lynch - Western Australia

David Lynch has been an auctioneer for 25 years and is the current chairman of the REIWA Auction Committee, which he has served on for the last eight years. 

Visit the 2017 Australasian Auctioneering Championships web site.

Read more about the Australasian Auctioneering Championships:

Australasia’s best auctioneers to compete at 2017 Australasian Auctioneering Championships

Justin Nickerson is Australasian Auctioneer of 2016

Justin Nickerson reflects on his auctioneering win