It’s a paradox that the most important decisions of our lives are made in the heat of the moment. Yet one man who really lives and breathes the emotion of inner-city exchanges is Gavin Croft, of BresicWhitney Auctions. This month Gavin explains his path to becoming an auctioneer, from cutting his teeth in Queensland to how he became the NSW auctioneer of the year.

As a career auctioneer, people sometimes ask me how I work. They are often surprised I work with more agents than just BresicWhitney’s. They also get a shock when I say I only work with career auctioneers.

It’s reasonably apparent in the industry that there are two types of auctioneers. Those who do it for “a bit of cash on the side” and those who look at it as a career – a craft. There are those that want to hone their skills and take the responsibility of selling someone’s biggest asset very, very seriously and those that toy with it. To my mind, being an agent and an auctioneer are two separate crafts.

We’ve all the heard the saying, ‘jack of all trades, master of none’. We all know it’s best to dedicate your time to master one skill and I think this is particularly true in real estate. Increasingly, we are seeing specialisation as a necessity. Consumers are demanding more expertise in home sales than they ever have before. They want to see the value agents and auctioneers can add. They are educated and they want the best.

Seven years ago, I was one of those who just did auctions to top up my 9-5 Monday to Friday job. Four years ago my approach totally changed. I took the time to understand the responsibility of an auctioneer and the intricacies of the craft. Last year I started BresicWhitney Auctions to work with our own auctioneers and to work with other agents to supply great auctioneers to big sales. I also mentor auctioneers as part of my new job.

The auctioneers I choose to work with now have decided to follow a similar path to my own. The strategy of focusing just on auctioneering – once again it comes down to craft and to being ‘auction fit’. Those who go into auctioneering discover it is deeper than it first appears. Take for example the invitations to attend state and Australasian auctioneering championships. Now these are events that can really take you out of your comfort zone.

They test you in situations that have a remote chance of actually occurring in real life, but these are situations you may be faced with in the course of practicing. The ability to remain composed, think on your feet and remain in control are elements the judges score you on. Executing at a high level in these situations reflects your ability to handle the toughest aspects of a Saturday auction.

The couple of wins I have had in the NSW auction championships have been nice, but it’s the translation of the execution to a Saturday on site, or midweek in-room auction, that’s most important to me.

In New South Wales we have some very good auctioneers in the fraternity. Scott Kennedy Green and Damien Cooley are perhaps two of the best I have seen. They have been at the top of their game and at the forefront of some of Sydney’s biggest auction sales for some time.

Now that I have an increased involvement with some of Sydney’s more significant sales, it only makes sense to me to continue to work and develop the craft I’ve chosen. I believe in mentoring others who are coming up through the ranks and I am still mentored myself to make sure I keep improving. This year I chose to work with Jason Andrew as my mentor. Being that he was the last Australian winner of the Australasian auctioneering championships, it made good sense to me.

Training keeps me in shape. For those who are bidding, there are times when neither party is prepared to lose. I have been involved in fast-paced bidding sequences in excess of 150 bids and I can tell you they are mentally very tiring. Then when an odd increment gets thrown at you (and they don’t give us calculators) you have to be ready.

Competing in state and national auction championships make you ‘auction fit’ and ready to handle the toughest of bidding sequences. It also means you are across the industry standard and actively involved in helping to raise the bar.

I know auctioneering isn’t for everyone. But if you love adrenalin, know the game and want a great lifestyle, then you’ll find auctioneering is a spectacularly exhilarating profession. I wouldn’t change it for quids.