Real estate agent confesses wildest stories

PHOTO: A Melbourne real estate agent has revealed his uncomfortable run-in at a house inspection, exposing the vendor’s risqué secret. ASIA ONE

A Melbourne auctioneer has revealed some of the most awkward encounters he’s had in his 30-year career, including a very embarrassing bedroom situation.

Craig Stephens, the executive chairman of Jas Stephens Real Estate, recalls one Monday morning he was out inspecting new stock with his sales team.

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The agent knocked on the front door of a house expecting the owner to answer, as “it had been arranged,” but there was no answer.

“We knocked again, nothing,” Mr Stephens told news.com.au. “But we had a key so of course, the agent who was listing the property let us all in.

“And as we went through the second bedroom, (the owner) was in the bed with someone else. Maybe his mistress, because he jumped out of bed pretty quick. We’re pretty sure there was someone tucked away in one of the walk-in wardrobes.

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“Something was up because he came out all flustered. When we went inside, it was only a very small single-front Victorian house, so with 14 people … (we were) standing in every single room.

“But for some reason we couldn’t get into the walk-in wardrobe.”

Auctioneer Craig Stephens at work. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

The auctioneer of 30 years tells of one auction that, at the time, he “thought was going to struggle”.

“But I was quite surprised … (when) I walked outside of the house to conduct the auction, there were 10 people all lined up quite oddly at the front of the auction on the nature strip,” he said.

Mr Stephens says he went through his pre-auction spiel, and called for opening bids. But when there were none, he went back inside to meet with the vendor.

“And I returned, as you do, three or four minutes later to see the whole crowd, all 10 or 12 of them actually get on a bus, and it drove away.

“And needless to say, there was a bus stop, just to the left of where the house was.

“I had to walk inside and explain to my vendor that the whole crowd that was just part of the auction were on a bus. And yeah, it was a little bit awkward.”

Mr Stephens shares another wild tale, this time at a commercial auction with a man who was, quite literally, bidding blind.

“He had a white cane and a seeing eye dog. And we had another bidder bidding but we had to actually go across to him and explain that there was someone else actually bidding against him, because he obviously couldn’t see them.

Mr Stephens says he has seen some wild things over his years as an auctioneer. Picture: Supplied.

“I’ve never encountered someone bidding at an auction, who was actually a blind bidder.”

Nevertheless, the man went on to win the auction, Mr Stephens confirms.

“He’s been there for many, many years.”

Mr Stephens was not prepared for what he found inside this house. Picture: iStock.

Jokes aside, Mortgage Choice broker Tim Leonard describes auctions as a “very risky process,” particularly for first homebuyers who might have little experience and a minimal deposit.

Mr Leonard says that in today’s market, he prefers private negotiations over auctions.

“You’re in more control, then,” he said. “So you’re able to negotiate with the agent back and forth. And it makes it a lot easier to pull out a sale, if any issues occur with your finance.

“So if, for instance, a client purchases a property, pre approved at a previous number, and that purchase, or that pre approval price has changed, they can always get themselves out of the agreement or the contract of sale without any penalty.

“But once you’ve purchased at auction, you’re locked in. There’s no escaping the purchase … There’s no cooling off periods.”