For many years now female surveyors have made themselves indispensable in countless property auction businesses. But few of them have got to the rostrum – so far.
Auctioneers require a wide range of skills – both personal and organisational. But there is no way that an auctioneer today can be a one-person band. Every single auction business needs to discharge highly significant responsibilities: sorting the auction room and getting it fully equipped; compliance with legal and regulatory requirements; collation of the information that prospective bidders require; reviewing conditions of sale; handling telephone and internet bids as well as proxy bids; ensuring deposits are taken on a sale and, most importantly, collecting the commission.
Women have been a feature of the surveying profession for nearly a century. Thanks to the efforts of the RICS, the number of female surveyors has been climbing steadily for some years. And a good number of women surveyors have for some time done excellent work in the property auction industry – but, until now, rarely on the rostrum.
Katie Semmens, a senior auction valuer at Clive Emson’s West Country office in Exeter, won last year’s National Association of Valuers and Architects award. In what was widely recognised as a tough competition, her colleague from the Sussex branch, Emma Attrell, was runner-up. And three of the four entrants were women. It is quite clear to me that the days of property auctioneering being a male-dominated profession are now on the way out.
Semmens is presently on the rostrum at charity auctions with a view to burnishing her skills. She feels an auctioneer needs to spend time working generally in auctions before he or she is ready to do rostrum work. But after 10 years, Semmens is now inexorably drawn to running an auction room.
Jo Seth-Smith began her career at JLL in 2003 as an investment surveyor in the auction department and went on to win the RICS Matrix Young Auctioneer of the Year award in 2004. She spent 12 years working in the property market for JLL and Acuitus and in that time undertook a lot of auction work for a variety of clients. She finally took to the rostrum at the Acuitus sale last December.
Like every other auctioneer, Semmens and Seth-Smith have had to spend a good deal of time building up profiles in the respective markets in which they operate. Auctioneering is a profession in which entrants must first earn the trust and respect of the players in those markets, a process which can take considerable time. And, like any other auctioneers, they have quickly recognised that, while their clients are the sellers, they must also be able to deal respectfully and even-handedly with the bidders.
Another way of putting it is that, although an auctioneer is bound to the client, he or she instinctively understands the duty of care owed to bidders: “No bidders, no business” would be a good mantra.
An auctioneer’s life is not easy. Standing on the rostrum will inevitably bring some tough moments. Any auctioneer will (deep down) recognise that the atmosphere of a buzzing auction room can be pretty intimidating. But, just as the top chefs learn to stand the heat of the kitchen, top auctioneers recognise that, however tense you are, once you have done the preparation, you need to get onto the rostrum and ensure that the show goes on – that’s what you are there for.
There is no doubt in my mind that Semmens and Seth-Smith could talk for hours about the experience of controlling the auction room and motivating the bidders (like every other auctioneer, they surely will whenever they get a chance). They talk of their nervousness evaporating as the bidders start to respond and the adrenalin pumping as they create liquidity in the property market.
Richard Auterac, as chairman of RICS’ real estate auction group, is determined to raise the bar when it comes to inclusive employment. He wants to ensure that the auction industry attracts, nurtures and retains the brightest and best talent – regardless of gender, social background, beliefs or disability. He clearly feels that this is intrinsically the right thing to do but feels that it also makes sound business sense.
So, the future looks bright for those women working in property auctions and wishing to wield the gavel. But there is a pressing equality issue in the auction world. It concerns Estates Gazette’s auction columns. The panel is, following the commencement of Samantha Collett’s sabbatical, all male. But no fear, I am assured the magazine is on the case to diversify the roster.
Nicholas Redman is a senior professional support lawyer at DLA Piper
