Auctioneer has it hammered

SPRINGVALE real estate agent Harry Li has brought the hammer down on his opponents to win a prestigious auctioneers’ award.
Mr Li, who is director of McDonald Real Estate, Springvale, won the Australasian Auctioneering Championships at a gala event held at Crown on Thursday.
Competitors from New Zealand and Australia conducted mock auctions in front of industry peers as they vied for the cross-Tasman crown.
It is 10 years since a Victorian competitor has won the top title so it was fitting that Mr Li’s performance impressed the judges in his home town.
“I was stoked. It’s still sinking in,” an elated Mr Li said.
Mr Li competed last so he didn’t get to see his rivals’ performances, but he is sure only a technicality would have separated the competitors, such was the calibre of the field.
“I had good momentum and good energy going into the final.
“In the end it comes down to fine margins, little technicalities.”
It was third time lucky for Mr Li who used his past failures to win the title as a springboard for this year’s success.
“It’s surreal. It was one of those moments I had dreamed of. Because we hosted the conference in Melbourne, it is a like a fairy-tale that someone from Victoria could win.”
The win will help boost Mr Li’s profile both here and in New Zealand.
Mr Li has been conducting auctions for seven years, and brings down the hammer on six or seven properties every week.
He said auctions were the real estate industry’s “showtime”.
“To be a good auctioneer you’ve got to have professionalism, friendliness and confidence but not arrogance.
“You have to build rapport with people instantly and also be accurate with numbers and enjoy doing it.”
The annual championships are conducted jointly by the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand and the Real Estate Institute of Australia.