“Without the Gavl app we wouldn’t have bought the property.”
Neil and Evelyn had looked at several properties, but they had their hearts set on 5/10 Sudeley Street in Orakei. They were understandably disappointed when they learned that the auction was going to be held on a day they’d planned to be away in Wellington.
But the couple weren’t the only prospects with their eye on the property. Rob Martin was also keen, and he too had made plans to be away on auction day.
Ross Tierney of Ray White Remuera managed the sale, and immediately suggested to both Neil, Evelyn & Mr Martin that they use the Gavl app to watch the auction and bid remotely. And a good thing for the vendor, too! Both parties became the final bidders for the property.
In the end, the couple were the successful buyers of the desirable residence. When asked about his experience with Gavl, Neil said “Without the Gavl app, we probably wouldn’t have bought the property. To be able to actually watch the auction, it’s like being there. It brought another depth to the bidding that we wouldn’t have had otherwise.”
Ross has been using Gavl to engage bidders for months now, feeling that it gives buyers more confidence.
We asked Neil if they would’ve bid differently had they not been able to watch the auction. “With most auctioneers, another $5k or $10k is rolling off their tongue, and you think ‘Crikey are they just pushing it up?’ But I’m certain Gavl gave us the extra confidence when we were bidding. You feel like you’re more genuinely in the auction zone.”
Rob Martin also found the Gavl experience beneficial. “My wife Leigh was on the phone with Ross. We both thought it gave us a feel for the room and what was happening.
“To see the reactions and the body language in the room, we found that helpful.”
“And as the secondary party in the bidding, for me it was great to be able to see it and feel part of the auction even though I wasn’t doing the bidding.”
We asked Rob if he’d use Gavl for another auction. “Without hesitation, we’d use Gavl again. It’s obviously great for anyone who can’t attend in person. But it’s also an ideal tool for anyone who has reticence of bidding at an auction.”
Having secured their new home, Neil won’t be in the market again anytime soon. But he would recommend Gavl to anyone. “We’ve already told a couple of friends about it. It just makes you feel like you’re at a real auction.”