It was a smooth transition for Ray White New Plymouth, which held its first-ever online auction on Friday.
With seven bidders registered and active, the property, located at 68 Victoria Road, sold for $990,000 — $340,000 above CV.
Ray White New Plymouth principal Jane Simonson said the auction had been very successful thanks to support from Ray White New Zealand and the Ray White Remuera team.
“It was great we could adapt and change our plan to hold our auction online during lockdown,” Ms. Simonson said.
“The vendors were pleased they could go ahead as they had already bought elsewhere at one of our auctions in July.
“We’re so grateful to Megan Jaffe and her team at Ray White Remuera.”
Ray White New Plymouth was able to hold two weeks of open homes prior to lockdown, but during the week leading up to the auction, potential buyers weren’t able to view the home.
But Ms. Simonson said buyers weren’t deterred from bidding on the stunning four-bedroom home.
“It’s in a premium real estate location — right near Pukekura Park,” she said.
“It’s on a tree-lined street, just a moment’s walk to the city.
“It’s a beautiful part of New Plymouth.”
Ray White New Zealand auctioneer Ben East called the online auction.
“The remarkable thing we’re seeing is terrific success for our sellers across the online platform,” Mr. East said.
“This result is a true litmus test for the strength of the market.”
Ms. Simonson said her team had been promoting sales via auction since starting Ray White New Plymouth two years ago.
“When properties come to market we’re really focused on bringing them to auction,” she said.
“They’re a fair and transparent way to buy and sell property.
“Putting a price on a property eliminates the potential of what someone may ultimately pay for a home.
“The auction process removes price barriers and does not exclude anyone from buying the property.
“It comes down to what someone wants to pay on the day.”