Yianni Mooney wins 2024 REIQ Auctioneer of the Year comp
27 Nov, 2024
By Lauren Brewer
Apollo Auctions’ Yianni Mooney was recently named the 2024 REIQ Auctioneer of the Year – after competing in the prestigious competition six previous times.
The win means Mr Mooney, 25, has fulfilled a career goal but he’s not done with the competition just yet.
“I just want to keep competing and keep calling auctions,” he said.
“Nothing was going to change whether I won or not, but it is just so good to be associated with it.
“I’ve had plenty of unexpected comments, messages and calls from a lot of clients. That’s been very rewarding and encouraging, but it’s business as usual for me.”
Mr Mooney took part in the respected competition in August, which involved auctioning two different properties on the same day if he made it through to the final.
He had previously been a runner-up in the comp, but say this time his finals’ call had felt different to him.
“I made it through the heats and into the finals. During my heats call, I felt OK, but my finals call felt really strong,” he said.
“Obviously, it was a very long wait to find out the results, because normally these things are decided on the night.
“It was probably my cleanest auction call in a competition ever. I didn’t drop any numbers and, overall, it just felt amazing.”
Mr Mooney predominantly sells real estate and calls auctions for Apollo on the southern end of the Sunshine Coast, particularly in and around Caloundra.
He said his vendor and agent clients not only benefit from his auctioneer prowess but also his negotiation ability, which is regularly required during auctions on the Sunshine Coast.
“One of my strongest attributes is my negotiation ability,” he said.
“Most auctions in Southeast Queensland at the moment, the numbers are great, but there’s a lot of work to do in the lead up to the auction with the agents and also pausing on the day for negotiations.
“So, that’s probably above the numbers and the call, it’s what I am doing behind closed doors to secure a successful result for all parties.”
Just like Apollo Auctions Director Justin Nickerson – who has won the REIQ Auctioneer of the Year a record five times – Mr Mooney believes that auction comps are vital for any auctioneer who wants to consistently improve their practice.
“I remember my first comp, I almost didn’t want to do it again as I didn’t know what to expect and it’s very daunting sitting in a lockdown room with nine other fabulous auctioneers,” he recalls.
“But you just have to do it. It’s about going in the deep end because I don’t think there’s anything that will expedite learning more than auction competitions for continual improvement.
“There’s still a fire in my belly. I want to keep competing because I believe they provide the biggest learning curve.
“I’ve tried to improve each and every time and there was a terrific judging panel this year that gave me feedback after my call.
“So, I think for self-improvement, there’s isn’t a better way as an auctioneer than auction competitions, which is why I will continue competing in the years ahead.”