As the 2017 AFL, NRL seasons kick off, and the A-League season comes to a head, selling on a Saturday becomes a challenge. AFL attendance records are set to break this weekend. It’s the largest predicted round of all time, with an estimated total of 401,000 spectators nationwide. The previous record sits at 371,212 during round 15 in 2013. Exciting! But what does this mean for selling? And how can you maximise auction attendance throughout this period of time? If you’re thinking about selling at some point this winter, it’s important to consider sporting matches and weekend buyer behaviour when you’re choosing the best time to auction your home.
Things to remember when maximising attendance:
Hold off until mid-season
If you’re thinking about selling in late March or early April, it might be worth holding off for a few weeks. At least until the AFL season calms down a little, and the A-League winds up in mid-April.
Don’t forget kids sport
If you’ve got kids, you’re probably very familiar with frantic Saturday morning sport. And you’ll know that it’s probably not the best time to sell, especially during winter when netball, football and soccer take up the majority of the morning. So, if you’re selling a family home, mornings aren’t ideal. Throughout winter, many people devote their afternoons to AFL. So, auctioning your house at around midday might be the best option. Whereas if you’re selling a studio apartment or a smaller home suited to a couple, mornings may work best.
Travel time
If your property is rural and you’d like to attract people from the city, you need to give them travel time. So try not to hold the auction too early or too late in the day. This also gives time for the weather to warm up a little too.
Creating a buzz
It’s a good idea to hold as many open for inspections before the auction as possible, so people spread the word. Also, make sure your agent has a strong marketing campaign and heavily promotes auction day. This way, you’ll attract a large crowd. The bigger the crowd, the more pressure there is on buyers.
Best time to auction – what’s next?
A good agent will be aware of sporting events that could affect attendance at your auction. You can compare agents at LocalAgentFinder, including performance data, homeowner reviews, agency information, fees, commissions and more.