Hawke's Bay auctioneer wins 'rising star' accolade

Tina Chamberlain from Black & White Real Estate, Hawke's Bay was the winner of the Colin Brown Memorial Cup in the "Rising Star" competition. Photo / Supplied

Going, going, gone!

Tina Chamberlain's successful bid for the Colin Brown Memorial Cup, which recognises those with a promising future in New Zealand auctioneering, has made her the first woman to take home the trophy since the competition began.

Having completed her auctioneering training six years ago, Chamberlain, of Black & White Real Estate in Hawke's Bay, quickly learned it was a male-dominated part of the industry.

"To win this division and to be the first female in New Zealand to ever win the cup is an amazing feeling," she said.

"At the same time, it's rewarding and an acknowledgment of my passion and desire to turn the real estate doubters into true believers.

"Girls can do anything, especially when you are committed."

Chamberlain said she refused to accept that women at the lectern is "anything more than a temporary quirk", having previously been told it was unlikely a woman would win a competition like this one.

Competing against a record number of 24 other auctioneers for the cup, she said it was "just as rewarding as the win" to see she was one of six women competitors.

"Our style is different from the men, we have a more inclusive call, loaded with empathy and the right level of drama, whereas the men have the dominance and 'let's do this my way' kind of call.

"Each gender learns from the other but the most important thing to remember as an auctioneer is to be authentic and true to your own style, be you."

Learning to think on your feet and accept criticism were also important parts of the job, she said.

She said the auctioneering fraternity was hugely supportive, allowing her to train and shadow some of the country's best auctioneers.

"I wouldn't be here today with this win, without that support.

"It's an amazing feeling!"

Bindi Norwell, chief executive of the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand which oversees the competition, said this year there was an extremely strong field of competitors.

"Every year we are impressed by the skill and determination put on show over the two days of competition.

"Looking at the Rising Star and Schools competitions, there is once again some great talent coming through the ranks and it looks like we will continue to have a strong field of competitors moving forward."