After meeting Phil at the Australasian competition in 2011, I sought his help in preparing for the 2012 competitions and my auctions in general. With Phil’s coaching and assistance I won the REIWA auctioneer of the year and made the finals of the Australasian 2012.
Rob Mason
2012, 2013 & 2014 WA Auctioneer Champion & Dual Australasian FinalistI and The Auction Company wouldn’t be here without your involvement over the past 3+ years. You are like Yoda is to Luke, you have always pushed me and lent a helpful hand whenever required.
Your experience over 30 years is unrivalled and the more we have worked together the more I have seen your knowledge imparted onto me. All auctioneers should benefit from that.
Regularity of training has been integral to professional development and it’s interesting as training does not always mean rehearsing as an auctioneer. I would say that our training has come in the form of learning more about the english language, things like grammar and pronunciation. It has come in the form of reviewing auction situations and brainstorming various ways we would have handled it differently. It has come in the form of introducing me to a voice trainer, to improve how I use my voice. and these are just some of the things you have guided me on.
Without you highlighting the importance of each of these key ingredients I may not have gone on the journey to learn more to improve my all round auctioneer performance, which has directly improved me as a person.
Overall, you are a true and honest individual. I trust you and I am grateful to call you my friend. I would have no hesitation in recommending you to anyone, as you live and breathe auction and genuinely care about everyone’s well being and progress.
Thank you for everything you have done and consider this a very small representation of the appreciation I have for you and the help you provide.
Paul Tzamalis, Director
Paul Tzamalis
Director, The Auction Company Pty LtdAbout Phil
Phil de Fégely has auctioned and sold all sorts of things, in all sorts of places. In a career spanning nearly 30 years, he is highly regarded and sort after as an auctioneer, speaker and coach. His experience has taken him to many parts of the globe and this has enabled him to assist his large client base to further improve their pursuits and outcomes!
Bio of Phil de Fégely
Phil de Fégely has sold and auctioned all sorts of things, in all sorts of places, from cattle to cars, furniture to fish, horses to houses, memorabilia and much, much more. Since 1983 he has traveled widely throughout Australia and New Zealand selling and conducting auctions; he even worked alongside the elite US auctioneers at GM headquarters in Detroit.
From his days at school it seemed Phil was destined for a life on the land. This became a reality returning to the bush to spend time on the family farm in western Victoria and a number of months on the Barkly Tablelands in the Northern Territory. Unfortunately the drought of 1982 saw him leave the tractor and wool shed behind. For a year he helped rebuild fences and gardens on Mt Macedon and its surrounds after the devastating fires of Ash Wednesday. This was followed by a brief stint in Sydney and then on to Melbourne to start a new career.
Phil commenced work with a company wholesaling and retailing seafood and game products sourced from local and international growers. Their clients were many and varied including well known restaurants of the time. He also spent several days a week attending the Footscray Fish Market and that is where his interest in auctions was spawned.
In 1985 he accepted a position with Fowles Purdy Pty Ltd (which became Fowles Auction Group then ManheimFowles and now known as Manheim) in their fledgling vehicle division. At that time, there were only 4 people permanently employed in the vehicle division of the company. Phil experienced huge growth during his time at the company and became an associate director. In 1998, at his departure the company had grown to over 500 employees but he felt he needed a further challenge. He accepted a position with leading Melbourne Real Estate Agency, Marshall White and Company and remained with them in a full time capacity until the end of 2003. A fully licenced estate agent, ( and licenced auctioneer in NSW) he still contracts to the company in a coaching and auctioneering capacity. From 2012 to 2015 Phil conducted auctions for McGrath Estate Agents in the ACT. Now Phil is called upon to call residential, commercial and industrial and rural real estate auctions throughout the state.
Phil’s training career commenced in 1990 with the establishment of a national auction school for the Fowles Auction Group. He continued running that school until his departure and still acts as a consultant to the company on a regular basis. During his time at Fowles he was approached by Matt Nichols, Nichols Crowder and a former REIV board member, for one on one coaching to give him a different perspective of auction. They worked at refining Matt’s skills in a Brighton park and continued to do so once Phil entered the industry. In 2003, he completed his Certificate IV in Work place Training and Assessment and commenced working on a part time basis with the Learning and Development departments with the Real Estate Institute of Victoria (REIV) and subsequently with the Real Estate Institute of Tasmania (REIT). This involved facilitating subjects such as; Sales, Ethics, Risk, Documentation, Auction and Customer Service. This was the basis from which he has formulated his very own successful Auction Assist Program for both companies and individuals alike.
Phil regularly facilitates group training within real estate companies. He is called upon to assist with auctioneer accreditation and running forums, seminars and specialist “one on one” session to raise the delivery standard.
For 6 years Phil was auctioneer coach for McGrath Estate Agents who have offices in NSW, QLD, ACT and Victoria.
Phil was a twice finalist in the Victorian Auctioneers Final. Since then he has worked with a number of people who have gone on to win the Australasian Senior, Vic , NSW & WA Senior and Vic Novice Real Estate Auctioneer Championships.He also assisted livestock auction champions who competed at international auctioneer’s competitions in Calgary, Canada.
In 2004, Phil and his wife Jane formed de Fégely Pty Ltd which provides, an auctioneer on request, consultation and coaching business supporting; not for profit organisations, real estate agencies and corporations. The company’s client base has grown throughout Australia and the US.
In 2007, Phil become a director of MGI Melbourne Corporate Advisory which has included the establishment of Property Trusts that have purchased properties in the USA. Phil resigned as a director when the firm merged with big 4 company, PWC.
In 2010, Phil became a Director of the Mazda Foundation, an philanthropic organisation, which he has had an association with for over twenty years in an advisory and auctioneering capacity. A former board member, he is was involved with fundraising and played a role in allocating the funds raised for distribution to the much deserved, needy organisations. After nearly 8 years of service Phil resigned as a director but still supports the foundation in other capacities.
Find out what the team at de Fégely can do for you.