“There is an understanding that everyone viewing the house and attending the auction is serious about buying. We don’t put our vendors through the agony of bringing a crowd to stand on the footpath outside their home only to have no one bid for it.”

Melbourne loves its boutique real estate agencies, and one of the most prestigious has moved towards prive real estate. Abercromby’s has made a deliberate move towards a more private approach over the past year, putting a large percentage of its premium homes and estates in areas such Toorak, South Yarra and the Mornington Peninsula through discreetly managed campaigns which culminate in a private auction.