Kate Lumby takes out her second Auctioneer of the Year award

KATE Lumby remembers how her father sparked her dream of working in real estate as an auctioneer.

“When I was a little girl, I remember watching Dad start an auction,” Ms Lumby said.

“He began digging into the ground, picked up some of it, and said ‘what will you bid for this piece of earth?’ It has stuck with me, because it is important you understand the people and the property.”

Ms Lumby watched the auction on a rural acreage when she was seven-years-old, and began her real estate career five years later as a receptionist at Lumby Real Estate in Kellyville.

Ms Lumby and her husband Will Hampson took over the family business and renamed it Lumby Hampson. They have kept the Lumby family’s tradition of specialising in acreage properties.

She is now regarded as the nation’s best auctioneer after being named – for the second consecutive year - Auctioneer of the Year at the Australian Real Estate Awards.

“I feel really proud,” Ms Lumby said. “It has been a long road. Last year I also won the Australian Real Estate Business Excellence Award, which was a personal highlight.”

[Dad] began digging into the ground, picked up some of it and said ‘what will you bid for this piece of earth?’ It has stuck with me, because it is important you understand the people and the property.
- Kate Lumby

Although she has won the award for the past two years, Ms Lumby has been a finalist for the Auctioneer of the Year award for the past five years.

When asked what were her keys to success, Ms Lumby said: “I think, for me, it is dedication, going the extra mile and caring for clients, but it is also understanding the auction process.

“I got involved in real estate at a really young age, and have developed a strong understanding of auctioneering and selling acreage properties,” she said. “Auctioneering is more than just being good at public speaking. It is about understanding the buyer and encouraging them on the day [of the auction].

“The best feeling is when you have a happy seller and a happy buyer.”

Ms Lumby’s husband was also a finalist for the Auctioneer of the Year award.

“We are very competitive in every thing we do, and give our best,” she said. “It is fun for us. I know that we are the best choice for people.”

Lumby Hampson do auctions for acreages in The Hills and in other parts of Sydney. The business, now based in Dural, has served the region since 1968.