Competition Terms & Conditions

REINZ National Auctioneering Championships 2025

  1. Each entrant must read and accept these Competition Terms & Conditions prior to the competition. Participation in the REINZ National Real Estate Auctioneering Championship 2025 (the “Auctioneering Championships”), serves as confirmation of your intention to be bound by all matters covered.

  2. Entrants must be a current financial REINZ Member at the time of entry and competition. The winner and runner-up of the Rising Star division and up to four finalists from the Senior division must also remain as REINZ members at the time of the Australasian Auctioneering Championships in May 2025.

  3. Rising Star entrants must have called 25 auctions or less at the date of registration for NZAC 2025 to be eligible for entry in this category.  Entrants who have called 26 or more auctions at the time of registering for the event would need to enter a senior category.

  4. The finalists of both the Rising Star and Senior divisions agree to be publicly involved in any promotion by REINZ of their participation in this event as well as AUSTROS.

  5. The winner and runner-up of the Rising Star division and up to four finalists from the Senior division will represent New Zealand in the 2025 Australasian Auctioneering Championships (AUSTROs), to be held in Adelaide South Australia on 13-15 May 2025.  Rising Star and Senior Division entrants agree to be available on these dates.

  6. REINZ will cover the ticket cost and entry fees associated with the 3-day AUSTROS 2025 event, as well as 3 nights’ accommodation, which will be arranged and booked directly by REINZ. However, finalists will be required to arrange and bear the costs of their flights and any other travel-related expenses.

  7. As soon as possible after the time of entry, each entrant must submit:

    a. the signed declaration (at the end of this document); plus

    b. a headshot photograph (JPEG format, ideally 300dpi) to be used in any promotional material by REINZ, added to the event website and throughout the competition; and

    c. a bio (max 150 words) that can be used in any promotional material by REINZ and added to the event website; and

    d. the Auctioneer Release Form

  8. Prior to the heats, each entrant will be provided with:

    a. a verbal briefing with the other competitors at a time nominated by REINZ;

    b. a draw to establish the order of the auction presentations;

    c. judging criteria;

    d. documentation; and

    e. a property information pack, including a property brochure, photos and contract of sale.

  9. Entrants agree to be in “lockdown” on the day of competition until such time as they are called to conduct their auction. Entrants may be grouped into heats. Where there are multiple heats, each heat may have a different bidding script so that lockdowns are limited to reasonable time periods. This ensures that no-one is provided an unfair advantage.

  10. Entrants will not be permitted to use a penciller for this competition.

  11. Entrants and finalists must use the conditions of sale relevant to auctions, including:

    a. Any person may bid in person or by their proxy representative, subject to the conditions of auction.

    b. The property is being offered subject to a reserve price.

    c. The Auctioneer may make as many bids as they want on behalf of the vendor, and those bids will be declared as “vendor bids”.

    d. The Auctioneer may refuse a bid and will not be obliged to give any reason.

    e. The highest bidder at or above the reserve price will be the purchaser.

    f. The Auctioneer will not accept a bid made after the fall of the hammer.

    g. At the fall of the hammer, the property will be at the risk of the Vendor until settlement occurs or possession is given, whichever is earlier.

    h. At the fall of the hammer, the purchaser will be required to sign the contract and pay a deposit as per the auction contract, with the balance due in cash at settlement.

    i. The Auctioneer will have the discretion and authority to sign the contract of sale on behalf of the purchaser or vendor if required.

  12. REINZ will project images of the property on screen during auction calls. Entrants are not permitted to use any additional aids. Auction gavels are permitted.

  13. A scripted bidding plan will be in place and only bidders appointed by REINZ will be bidding. Only one of these bidders may have the property “knocked down” to them. Where the vendor bid is exercised it must be disclosed as such in accordance with the Act.

  14. Time penalties will apply to competitors in the Auctioneering Championship. Competitors will be advised that they need to complete their auction within the allocated time as prescribed by the Chief Judge. Judges will apply the agreed time penalty if it exceeds the allocated time as prescribed by the Chief Judge. There may be a time warning given. For time keeping purposes in the Heats, the start of the auction will be when the competitor commences speaking and the auction will conclude on the fall of the hammer or passing in of the property and will not include closing remarks.

  15. Competitors will be in lockdown from the commencement of their heat or final and must not communicate with anyone outside of the lockdown environment by any means. This includes mobile phone, SMS, email or any other method of communication. After their auction call, a competitor may join the audience and watch subsequent competitors.

  16. Competitors are required to conduct themselves in a professional manner commensurate with accepted standards.

  17. It is the responsibility of the competitor to ensure they have been informed of the reserve price by the REINZ Chief Judge before commencement of their auction call.

  18. Each competitor will be required to conduct the auction as if they were live in the field in the suburb nominated in the property information pack.

  19. Competitors are advised that the opening bid may be initiated by the floor, but competitors can’t assume that this will be readily provided as 15 points are allocated to obtaining the first bid.

  20. The auction will be judged by an independent panel selected by REINZ. A Chief Judge will be nominated to oversee the judging process.

  21. The judging panel’s decision and count are final. All score sheets remain confidential to REINZ and will not be disclosed to competitors.

  22. A formal announcement of the finalists and winners of both divisions, and the presentation of the award trophies, will be made on Tuesday 8th April at the conclusion of the competition.

  23. The auction heats and finals are open to the public. Competitors’ friends and supporters are welcome to watch the competition. Attendees must not distract any competitors and must remain silent during the auctions. Mobile phones or any other technological devices must be either switched off or on silent during the competition. Attendees may exit the room in between auction calls but must remain seated during the auctions. Any attendees who make indications to the advantage or disadvantage of a competitor may result in a penalty or awarding of additional points to that competitor. This decision will be at the discretion of the Chief Judge.

  24. The competition will be livestreamed through Auctions Live. Links will be available closer to the competition dates.

Please download the signable PDF HERE to confirm your participation in the competition and return to events@reinz.co.nz