116a Marlborough Street Bentleigh East
On the final week of the campaign on the Monday prior to the Auction, we believed we had good interest in the property. This was until the latter part of the week where the buyers were either buying other properties or said they would be there but didn’t show or just weren’t prepared to commit. Auction day comes round and two parties turn up that had each inspected the property twice, throughout the campaign. It looked promising. The Auction kicked off. Bidding was slow and we ended up passing the property in to the highest bidder. Unfortunately, they were not willing to pay the reserve price so we spoke with other buyers at length, that were just not prepared to commit, that day.
One buyer only saw it on the Saturday so wanted to do some due diligence first and this couldn’t be done until the Monday. We had another buyer that wanted to get a contract review by their legal rep before committing.
There was interest there, but they couldn’t commit. Finally we wrapped up negotiations the following Wednesday with the two competing parties in a highest and best offer scenario, achieving $5000 more than our vendors expectations, the Saturday prior. A great result all round.
Passed In at Auction: Where a Vendor Advocate Adds Real Value
When a property passes in at auction, many sellers feel like they have lost momentum. In reality, this is often where the strongest negotiating position begins and where the value of a vendor advocate becomes very clear.
Buyers who were active at auction have already shown genuine interest and often have an emotional attachment to the property. They have invested time, energy, and mentally committed to the purchase. This creates an opportunity, but only if it is managed properly.
A vendor advocate brings structure and strategy to this stage. Rather than reacting to the first offer or post auction pressure, they help control the pace of negotiations. They work with the agent to identify the most motivated buyers, manage communication carefully, and avoid revealing your bottom line too early.
Importantly, they also help create and maintain competition. Even in situations with only one strong bidder, the way the negotiation is positioned can influence how far that buyer is willing to go. Small details like timing, messaging, and how interest from other parties is communicated can have a real impact on the final result.
This is also where many sellers can make costly mistakes. Fatigue from the auction campaign or disappointment from the pass in can lead to rushed decisions. A vendor advocate provides an objective layer, keeping the process disciplined and focused on achieving the best possible outcome.
At this stage, it is not about the auction result, it is about negotiation execution. The difference between accepting the first offer and running a well managed post auction strategy can easily be tens of thousands of dollars, which is exactly where a vendor advocate proves their value.