Geoff Cayzer on auctions and learning to watch his words.
Famous for his quick wit, the auction stage has always fit Geoff Cayzer comfortably.
Unfortunately, the rise of political correctness has taken some of the fun out of the performance, but the auction arena is still where Geoff is most at home and where he and his team get fantastic results for clients.
“When we auction properties now, we are limited with what we can say,” Geoff explains.
“We used to have enormous fun and joke about things. You worked hard, you had a lot of fun and got great results.
“I did an auction a couple of years ago in a huge wine cellar in Port Melbourne.
“When I was describing the benefits of the property, I said it was ‘wonderful mother-in-law accommodation’.
“A woman yelled out, ‘You can’t say that!’
“Well, I was taken off guard, but said, ‘Are you a mother-in-law?’
“She said ‘No’, so I said, ‘Well, you can’t buy this house’.”
The property was sold successfully that day.
“As auctioneers, it is not what we do on the day, but it is the work that has been done in the 3-4 weeks before,” Geoff says. “Any auctioneer can sell anything if the work has been done.”
That’s where Cayzer Real Estate has the advantage. As true local experts, they know the market, the properties and have the long-standing relationships to match buyers and sellers.
“I’ve been in the same area for more than 30 years, and sometimes I sell the same house,” Geoff says. “But I’ve seen tremendous change.
“In the old days I’d often hear people say, ‘I don’t want to buy a house that isn’t brick’. In those days there was a 40 per cent difference between a brick and weatherboard property.
“But because of the accommodation and the lifestyle of this area, weatherboard properties here are now making $4 million.
“Albert Park and Middle Park are lined with very expensive cars on the streets at night and people have realised that they need to compromise to live in this area.
“They have adjusted to the size of properties that are here.”
Most of the area’s tree-lined streets are filled with heritage-listed homes on small blocks, a far cry from the spacious plots to the east of the city.
“I’ve spent years trying to put 2017 ideas into 1900s houses,” Geoff explains.
So while you might compromise on land size and have heritage restrictions to contend with for any property developments, you’ll enjoy lifestyle benefits that are not found anywhere else in Melbourne. With the beach, city, parks and markets on your doorstep, once you move into the area you will never want to leave.
04 May 2017
This is the first in a series of historic highlights that commences with some significant buildings and will be closely followed by a discussion of Indigenous sites.