Last year, Mitch Peereboom was appointed chief auctioneer with Ray White Queensland. While Brisbane vendors are increasingly selling through auction, taking the view that the auction process will generate higher prices, Peereboom aims to bolster the auction services the company offers.

How did you first get into auctioneering?

My first role was with a major real estate franchise as their Auction Procurer, whose job was to speak about the benefits of the auction process with potential sellers at a listing presentation. Naturally, after following my mentor around to many auctions over a 12 month period, I started to conduct the auctions for the sellers I was speaking with. I called over 800 auctions in my first year after I made the progression to auctioneer. 

What do you enjoy most about your job?

Knowing that what I do can have a genuine impact on someone's life. 

Congratulations on your recent appointment as chief auctioneer with Ray White Queensland. Can you tell us about what you will be hoping to achieve in the new role?

Thank you. I am excited to join Australasia's largest real estate group, where Ray White represents 31.9 per cent of the auction market in this Queensland. Ray White Queensland is supported by a number of talented auction agents and auctioneers, and my ambition is to deliver the best auction service available in the marketplace to the network. Not only through calling auctions, but bolstering our service to include procurement, training and performance coaching to further enhance our position. 

Are auctions a large part of the Brisbane market?

Trends are indicating significant growth in auction numbers, particularly over the past five years, as more sellers see the benefits of the process for achieving the premium price. This has also been combined with many agents choosing to upskill themselves to offer the process to ensure our strong marketplace has the right platform for records to be broken through competition from buyers. 

Can you tell us how the Brisbane market is at the moment?

Brisbane is a buoyant marketplace that represents vastly superior value to Sydney and Melbourne. We have seen some extremely strong sales in the high end sector of the market in 2017, indicating a high level of confidence in the future of the marketplace as our population continues to grow, and we benefit from the infrastructure and investment that comes with that.

It all comes down to how well your agent can generate competition. We see auctions for a variety of properties and price points achieve excellent results provided they have the right exposure. Remember, regardless of the market people are always buying and selling it comes down to where their attention is. 

Are concerns about oversupply in the apartment market valid?

Whether the issue of oversupply affects a seller depends on their strategy and timeframe. Less development will mean the market will mean supply and demand will balance out overtime, particularly with population forecasts. If you are selling right now, be aware of increased competition with other comparable units and ensure your expectation reflects this. If you are buying now, think long term as correction will happen eventually. 

If you could change one thing about the real estate industry, what would it be?

For agents to offer sellers all the methods and all the marketing options when discussing the strategy. Many sellers could achieve higher sale prices if they had been given the right advice about how to effectively market their properties to attract as many buyers as possible to find the right buyer, not just the first one who walks through the front door. 

Where do you live now, and where would you live if you could live anywhere in the world?

I live in Teneriffe. Sounds cliche - Teneriffe. I love Brisbane!

Read more about auctioneers:

Get to know Clarence White, 2017 Australasian Auctioneering Championship finalist

What makes a great auctioneer?

The solution to auction 'tyre-kickers'