Most of the sellers I sit down with have never run a full auction campaign before. They have lived in the home for ten or twenty years, the rules of selling have changed, and the process feels like a black box. So let me open the box.
Here is exactly what a typical 4 to 6 week auction campaign looks like on Brisbane's south side, week by week, from the day we agree to list right through to settlement.
Week 0, launch week
This is where the heavy lifting happens, and most of it happens in the first 7 days. Once we sign the agency agreement, my team gets to work on:
Professional photography and twilight shots if the home suits it. A property video walkthrough. A drone aerial for larger blocks. A measured floor plan. Copywriting for the listing. Contract preparation by the conveyancer. The signboard installed out the front. The listing going live on realestate.com.au, Domain, raywhite.com and my own site.
The goal is simple. By the end of Week 0 your home is ready to be seen by every active buyer on Brisbane's south side and a chunk of out-of-area buyers we reach through social media and the Ray White database.
Weeks 1 to 3, the campaign
This is open home season. Saturday inspections every week, often a midweek twilight inspection as well, and private viewings booked around them for serious buyers.
What happens behind the scenes during these three weeks matters just as much as the open homes themselves. Every single enquiry, whether it comes through the portals, by phone, or through the Ray White buyer database, gets followed up within 2 hours. I want feedback while the property is still fresh in the buyer's mind.
You also get a written weekly update from me. Buyer numbers, enquiry numbers, feedback themes, the level of interest from the people I think are real contenders, and what we are doing differently next week. No spin, just data.
Week 3, the decision point
By the end of Week 3 we have a clear picture. We know who the genuine buyers are, what they are prepared to do, and how the auction is shaping up. This is also the point where one or two of those buyers might table a pre-auction offer.
Selling before auction is not always the right move, but sometimes it is. If a buyer brings a number that is genuinely above what we expect to achieve under the hammer, with unconditional terms, you and I have an honest conversation and you decide. My job is to give you the information, not to push you either way.
Auction Day
Auction day is the easiest day of the campaign for you. The hard work is already done. On the day the auctioneer runs the bidding, I work the buyers, and you sit back and watch.
If your reserve is reached, the hammer falls and the property is sold unconditional. The buyer signs the contract on the spot and pays a 10% deposit. No finance clause, no building and pest clause, no cooling-off period. You have certainty.
If bidding does not reach your reserve, the property passes in to the highest bidder and we go straight into private negotiation while their adrenaline is still up. The vast majority of passed-in properties I run end up selling within days.
Weeks 4 to 6+, contract and settlement
Once the contract is signed, the conveyancers take over the paperwork and the buyer organises their finance and inspections. Typical settlement on the south side is 30 to 45 days from contract date.
During this period your conveyancer handles the legals, the buyer's bank registers the mortgage, and we coordinate the final inspection. On settlement day funds are transferred, the title changes hands, and the keys move from you to the new owners.
A few honest notes
A small percentage of campaigns run longer than 6 weeks, usually because of a buyer's finance approval timing or a specific settlement date the vendor needs. That is normal, it is built into the process, and I will tell you upfront if I think your campaign is one of them.
The most important thing to know is that you are never on your own at any point in the process. I am one phone call away from Week 0 right through to settlement day.
If you are thinking about selling and you want to see what your campaign would actually look like, book a free appraisal at junaidally.com/appraisal or call me on 0410 218 499.
Frequently asked questions
Want to see what your own campaign would look like?
Book a free, no-obligation appraisal and I will walk you through the exact campaign I would run on your property, week by week.
Written by
Junaid Ally
Ray White Rochedale agent. I've been selling homes across Brisbane's south side for 18+ years. I write about what I see on the ground each week: auctions, results, seller questions and the small things that make a real difference to a sale.
Stay up to date
Receive occasional market updates, auction results and practical advice for Brisbane's south side homeowners.
