|
Tl;dr |
If you’ve ever attended a property auction in Victoria, Australia, you’ve likely seen Geraint Gardner in action. As the founder of Melbourne Auctions, Geraint isn’t just any auctioneer. He’s a master of creating a buzz, engaging bidders, and driving up those winning bids like he’s hosting the next great TV auction showdown.
But behind the scenes, running a high-energy auction business isn’t just about wielding a gavel with flair—it’s about managing an incredibly tight schedule and keeping everything on track.
Geraint’s journey from a self-starting auctioneer to one of Victoria’s most sought-after professionals has been fueled by relentless effort and a knack for networking. But managing a schedule packed with multiple auctions isn’t easy. Geraint relies on YouCanBookMe to make it all work.
"I started calling auctions for myself… for my own properties that I was selling,” he says. “I became an auctioneer on my own and then got training on the back of that. So I started from scratch, selling my own clients’ properties and being the auctioneer.”
From there, he knew he needed to scale. “I started to promote my auctions and the way I did things online. I used targeting systems… did a lot of videos around auctions and decided, well, let's make a page around Melbourne Auctions and start to post on that.”
The strategy paid off, drawing in other agents who were curious about Geraint’s style. “Eventually, I started to network with other agencies,” he explains. “They said, ‘Hey, would you be interested in calling a couple of auctions for us?’ I said, ‘Yep... Let's do one together. If you feel that it’s going to be a relationship… and you like my technique, then we can continue on.’”
Fast forward to today, and Geraint’s calendar is more jam-packed than ever. Every week, he juggles multiple auctions across Victoria, with little room for error.
That’s where YouCanBookMe's real estate scheduling app comes in: by keeping his bookings and schedule organized, he can focus on delivering the high-energy, high-impact auctions he’s known for. “It’s really just that network of bouncing off each other… and reputation,” Geraint adds, explaining how his business continues to grow through word of mouth and solid relationships.
Geraint’s passion for auctioneering isn’t just about getting the highest bid—it’s about crafting an unforgettable experience that keeps the crowd engaged and the bids rolling in.
“The purpose of an auctioneer is to control the auction, manage the bidding, and stipulate the figures. As an auctioneer, I need to get to the vendor's price—the owner's target price—as quickly as we can…I try to get the emotions of the crowd to back that up by bidding. If I can get enough people bidding, engaged, and comfortable, then you'll find that price is no longer the thing stopping people; it's about the emotion and how much they've really got to spend.”
Geraint knows how to shift the mindset of the room—from “What’s the minimum I’ll pay?” to “What’s the maximum I’m willing to spend?” That’s how he creates the magic that makes every auction memorable. “We’re creating competition,” he adds with a grin.
With YouCanBookMe taking care of the logistics, Geraint can fully immerse himself in creating those high-energy moments, driving up bids, and ensuring every auction is a success.
Imagine being on a real-life “Million Dollar Listing” marathon every Saturday, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, with six auctions in six hours. Each auction can last anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes, depending on how heated the bidding gets. “On average, an auction runs about 15 minutes, but when emotions run high, it can push to 45 minutes,” Geraint explains.
Keeping up with this whirlwind schedule means there’s no room for mistakes or missed appointments. That’s why Geraint relies on YouCanBookMe to keep things running smoothly.
“For me, YouCanBookMe structures the whole day without me having to do a thing once it's set up. It gives the agent clarity that while they're sitting with an owner, they can book an auctioneer on the spot rather than saying they don't know if they can get one yet. They can now sit with an owner, bring up the auctioneer's booking schedule, and book on the spot.”
With YouCanBookMe managing his calendar, Geraint can focus on what he loves: transforming every auction into an unforgettable event, creating competition, and driving those prices higher than the Melbourne skyline.
Geraint’s passion for auctioneering goes beyond hammering down the highest bid—it’s about the people. “I’m in the people business,” he says. “You’ll meet clients who are crying in your arms, others where family members are crying on their behalf. When you deliver an amazing result, you get to see the impact right in front of you.”
He recently had a client who told him, “You’ve changed my life! My wife can now retire based on the extra $80,000 you got on the property today.” It’s stories like these that drive Geraint to keep doing what he does best. “Not every day do people get to sell homes. Seeing the direct impact of what we do—that’s what keeps me going,” he adds.
Whether he’s hosting a charity auction for the local fire brigade or a high-stakes property sale, Geraint brings passion, energy, and empathy to every event. With YouCanBookMe handling the nitty-gritty of scheduling, he has more freedom to focus on what really matters: making a difference in people’s lives.
For Geraint, YouCanBookMe isn’t just a scheduling app—it’s a lifeline for keeping his business on track
“... I'm just over three years now using YouCanBookMe…” says Geraint. “In the real estate industry, you don't want [any] number of people calling you to try and book you in for a product. Especially for me, auctioning, I need a link that I can send to an agent and say, ‘Here's my diary. You can book any available time slot. If there's no slot, it means it's not available.’”
Geraint appreciates how the tool frees him up from the constant back-and-forth of confirming appointments and managing changes. “It’s brilliant for people like me who need to keep their lives under control,” he adds.
When asked what keeps him up at night, Geraint just laughed. He explains, “You know, I used to worry; I don’t worry at night anymore. I’ve got a policy: I don’t respond to emails after 9:00 pm. I don’t check my emails after that period, and unless it’s an emergency, people know not to call me.”
Early in his career, Geraint learned the hard way that setting expectations is crucial. “Real estate’s a really bad one because we do get text messages, we do get email inquiries, and we do get them at eleven and twelve at night,” he says. “People [think] the agent on the other end doesn’t get those inquiries, but we actually do. It goes automatically straight to us.”
With the help of YouCanBookMe, Geraint established better systems to keep his professional and personal life in harmony. “Now that I've got really good systems, I have everything in a diary. There is no reason for me to be up at night because I know exactly what I'm doing every day,” he shares. “[My wife and I] even sync our diaries. When it comes to child management, we are all synced in one, so we know who's picking up who and who's dropping off who. The diaries are a godsend for us.”
By using YouCanBookMe to manage his schedule, Geraint has been able to set clear boundaries, reduce stress, and ensure that his business doesn’t spill over into his personal time. “With your product, it all syncs; it just all comes together,” he adds. “I don’t worry anymore.”
With some great experience running Melbourne Auctions and owning his own real estate company, Geraint has learned a lot about what it takes to be a successful founder. His top piece of advice? Leverage technology to streamline your operations.
“Use tools like YouCanBookMe that make your life easier,” he advises. “Your diary is your best friend. Keep everything in one place—from business meetings to personal appointments. It gives you control over your life.”
Geraint also stresses the importance of sticking to your values. “Values are everything,” he emphasizes. “They’re the backbone of your business. If you stay true to what you believe in, you’ll attract the right clients and build a strong brand.”
Geraint Gardner’s story proves that when passion meets the right tools, the sky’s the limit. With YouCanBookMe helping him stay organized and focused, Geraint can do what he does best: turn auctions into unforgettable events, build lasting relationships, and create life-changing outcomes for his clients.
Whether you’re dreaming of being the next star on an auction TV show or simply looking to manage your time better, Geraint’s experience shows that with the right mindset and the right tools, anything is possible.