Bexley pre-auction reserve disclosure the one swallow before spring

A Bexley vendor and their estate agent have publicised their reserve price ahead of its 19 July auction.

The unusual tactic has already garnered a boost for its marketing with a feature in yesterday's Daily Telegraph, and featured on a Channel 10 news report by Daniel Sutton.

Their web marketing doesn't actually give the reserve price, so presumably inspectees of 15A St Georges Road have been advised of it when they turn up or ring the agent.

The LJ Hooker listing agent confirmed to Property Observer that there was no marketing of the reserve price as he needed to engage possible buyers in a conversation which might not happen if the reserve price was publicly available.

Which highlights the concern of disclosed reserves in the lead up to any auction. 

There is a $570,000 disclosed reserve price for the two bedroom, two bathroom property which traded at $400,000 in 2004.

My view is that disclosed reserves are worthy for run of The Mill property, but likely to work against any vendor with a property tapping emotional purchase aspirations.

I am a bigger supporter of price guidance, as long as vendors and buyers are being told the same figure.

The last survey reported by Property Observer on the gap between real estate agent price guides and actual auction results in Sydney sat at 12%, according to an August 2013 survey by Intelligent Property Services.

In 2012 there was an 9% variation and in 2011 an 8% variation.

Head of research at Intelligent Property Services, Joe Kotevich, suggested the surge came more as a result of buyer demand than any deliberate lowballing by agents. 

Intelligent Property Services obtains the price guides after the first week of showing the property, allowing time adjustment of expectations. The auctions are monitored following inquiry from its buyers agent department.