Auctions – a brilliant career path 

Over the course of nearly two decades in the real estate profession, Chantel Dielwart has clearly never rested on her laurels.

She started her career in residential sales, but was always interested in commercial, so after a decade or so she found herself pivoting to work in that sector.
“I was looking for a new challenge. I had always found the commercial sector very interesting and was keen to learn as much as I could about it,” Chantel recalls.

“One of the first deals that my director put me on was a pub, so, I was learning about liquor licenses and food licenses – there was so much to it.
“Commercial is less fluffy than residential. It’s just very logical. It’s about the numbers. If the numbers don’t work, then the deal is not going to happen – just like auctions.”

About the same time, Chantel also realised another long-term aspiration when she completed her auctioneer’s licence.

“I’ve always loved auctions, so, I decided there was no time like the present,” she says.

“I love chatting with agents and owners and I especially thrive on really hard negotiations – especially advising owners on where we’re at and where they should be if they need to sell.

“I also love being in front of people. I love talking to people. I love the spotlight. I love the thrill that it gives me. I guess you could say I love everything about auctions!”

It’s clear that Chantel has found her true real estate passion, but it’s also not lost on her that as a woman she has generally been the exception rather than the rule in both the commercial and auction sectors.

However, she believes being female is an attribute that will not only benefit her sale agent and vendor clients, but also hopefully help to inspire more women to become auctioneers in the future.

“I like to think I bring a different aspect to auctions,” she says.

Chantel prides herself on her networking ability and also prioritises spending time with vendors as well as bidders before each auction.

Born and bred on the Sunshine Coast, Chantel recently joined the Apollo Auctions team and will call auctions across South East Queensland.
“I’m very conscious of who I surround myself with because life is short and I choose to only have select people around me,” she says.

“So, when I was thinking about joining an auction house, in an ideal world, who did I want to work for? And I’m like, of course it’s Justin and the Apollo team.

“When I was offered a position as an auctioneer, I was ecstatic. All of the Apollo auctioneers, honestly, hand on heart, they’re so lovely and they’re so happy and genuine to share their knowledge.

“We are here to learn, to improve, and to get better, and that’s what I wanted.

“I wanted someone to hold me accountable and to help me learn and then, eventually, I can pass on what I’ve learned to the next person, hopefully to more female auctioneers.”

As Chantel embarks on the next phase of her multi-faceted career, her eyes are set firmly on the horizon with her love of auctioneering front and centre for the years ahead.

“In five years’ time, I’d love to be a full-time auctioneer,” she says.

“I also hope to be helping more females into the industry because I think it’s such a brilliant career path.

“I’d love to be able to inspire women to become more confident about becoming an auctioneer, so, they can step forward and say, ‘I want to do that, too’.”

Article written by Nicola McDougall of Bricks & Mortar Media.