Ewan Morton, winner of 24 agency REINSW Awards for Excellence, says the only way you can call yourself a professional is if you answer the obligation to submit yourself to assessment by your peers.
So based on that, Clarence White is the ultimate professional.
A three-time individual winner of the REINSW Award for Excellence in Auctioneering, White sees the program as a yearly opportunity for self-improvement.
“Our award category [Auctioneer] is unique in that it is judged on a live auction competition rather than a written submission.
“For me, auction competitions represent an opportunity to place myself in an environment of challenge – to have my skills tested at the highest level. Training under duress pushes me to innovate, to get better, be sharper, more eloquent and to continually elevate the quality of my call.
“The desire to compete well makes me train regularly and training keeps me at the top of my game.”
Always a thrill
You’d think winning so many times in the same category would give you a case of the “been there, won that’s”, but White says it’s not just about winning.
“It’s all about the perpetual strive to get better and better,” he says. “I have a competitive nature and I love being involved in the competition whether I’m winning or not. But winning is always a thrill.”
When asked why other agents should enter the REINSW Awards for Excellence, White says it adds to the credibility of your service offering.
“Winning an Awards for Excellence three times has provided a valuable means by which to highlight the quality of my service offering when speaking to prospective clients,” he says.
“It underscores the calibre of call they can expect from me if they engage me and I think it gives a potential client confidence.”
White says the feedback he has received is that his accolades provide his clients with a competitive advantage in listing situations.
“To be able to talk about the credentials their auctioneer brings to the table further solidifies the vendor’s confidence in choosing my client as their agent,” he says. “Plus… You can never have too many awards!”