The new wave of female auctioneers

It’s no secret that men dominate the auction block, however, female auctioneers in Melbourne are on the rise, which brings huge benefit to workplaces and customers. At Nelson Alexander, we’re pushing forward with the introduction of a female auctioneering team across our Melbourne network and as Nikki Gervasi  from our Essendon office notes, it’s a real thrill ride.

Finding comfort in discomfort

Nikki has been working with Nelson Alexander for three and a half years, and entered the world of auctioneering a little under a year ago. As with any new career path, it wasn’t easy at first.

“You have to be comfortable feeling uncomfortable,” she tells us. ” It’s daunting at first… but you pick yourself up and do it in front of more people and get good at it quickly.”

Widening her audience was an exciting prospect for Nikki. As part of the training with her mentors, Nikki started random auctions in train stations and crowded public spaces and took singing lessons to get better control of her voice.

Now, Nikki comfortably holds sway over  auction crowds on a Saturday. It’s a win for her, for women in the industry and also for the customers in Melbourne.

A different perspective

Speaking on the edge she brings to auctions, Nikki noted that a woman running the process “isn’t something people see every day”.

“Everyone is curious about how I control a crowd but once they see me working they get right into it. Neighbours, vendors, so many people come to check it out.”

“It drums up business and is great for the company.”

Nikki thinks her take on running an auction isn’t so much about the sale, but presenting a genuine and reassuring process – particularly to the nervous first home buyer.

Currently, she is one of the only female auctioneers operating in the inner north, commanding the prestige market around some of Melbourne’s best suburbs. On top of selling homes, she helps out with charity auctions that raise money for the local community. But rather than keep the focus on herself, Nikki hopes to see more women coming up through the ranks.

“People are often frightened of the industry, but we’re encouraging more women to get involved, in the auctioneering process.”

Alongside Nelson Alexander’s Annalise Newell , Tania Johnston and Jacqui Knapsey, this could be the start of a strong movement for female auctioneers in Melbourne. If you’re anywhere in our network, make sure to check out our strong female auctioneering team in action.