Going, going, gone: Kiwi auctioneer becomes first female Australasian champ
Thursday, 28 May 2026
When South Otago real estate agent Sharni Bichan first saw an auctioneering competition she couldn’t understand why anyone would want to do it.
And yet just three years on she has made history as the first woman to win a title at the Australasian Auctioneering Championships.
Bichan, who is from Refined Real Estate and based in Milton, claimed the Australasian Novice Auctioneering Competition title at the championships in Melbourne last week.
It has left her proud, and awash with many emotions, but she said that to be the first woman to win an AUSTROS title - and “make some history” - made it even more meaningful.
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“Auctioneering is such a unique skill and profession and the standard across Australasia is exceptionally high. But I hope my win encourages more women to back themselves in this industry.”
While the auctioneering world has traditionally been male-dominated, Bichan said more women were coming through and sticking with it.
“It’s great if they keep going because everyone - men and women - are really supportive. Even though we are competing against each other we actually still help each other out.”
Bichan had been in real estate for four years when she saw the “big guns” in action at a premium level match at a Harcourts conference, and thought it looked scary, but the novice level match looked like fun.
“In an industry where it can be pretty stressful anything that you can find some joy in is good, and I loved the theatrical side of it, so my move into auctioneering began from there.”
Before being allowed to call a real auction, she had to take part in competitions, and in her first one she was so nervous her vision blurred and she questioned why she was doing it.
“But then the adrenaline set in, and I thought ‘I want to do more of this’. Being able to level up each time and learn new skills is fulfilling.
“Everyone has a different style, but I think that to be a good auctioneer, you need to keep calm under pressure, and I like to add a bit of humour because auctions can be stressful for sellers and buyers.”
Auctions might seem intimidating, but as a method of sale they were more transparent than other methods and allowed buyers to make price decisions in real time, she said.
These days she calls real estate auctions in the market she works in, and earlier this year she won the rising star division of the national auctioneering championships.
She followed that up with the Australasian championships, which are hosted by the Real Estate Institutes of New Zealand and Australia, and considered the region’s premier auctioneering competition.
Bichan said she had a huge amount of respect for every competitor who stepped onto the stage at the championships.
“The hours of training, preparation and the courage it takes to perform in front of your peers and be judged is something I admire, and we all walk off as better auctioneers because of the experience.”
Following her win she aimed to do more property auctions, and to use her skills to give back to the community in charity auctions. She has already started training for next year's competition.
Real Estate Institute chief executive Lizzy Ryley said it was superb to see Bichan become the first woman to ever win an AUSTROS title.
It was an incredible milestone to achieve, and a huge moment for New Zealand auctioneering, she said.
“The significance is that it reflects the strength of auctioneering talent coming through New Zealand, and Sharni’s win makes her a role model for others coming through, and shows what can be achieved.”
It also helped highlight the use of auctions in real estate transactions, she added.
In April, there were 880 auction sales around New Zealand, and that was 14.1% of all sales, according to the institute’s latest data. At the same time last year, auction sales made up 13.7% of all sales.