A clearer reserve-price handover keeps the campaign on track

A sales campaign can look ready while one important detail is still sitting in somebody’s inbox. The seller has replied, the agent has spoken to the marketing team, and the auction date is in the diary. What helps everyone is a shared record of what was approved, what buyers can see and when it became public.

Victoria’s reserve-price changes give agency leaders a timely reason to check that handover. A short, well-owned process can give staff more confidence when a campaign moves quickly or a colleague is away.

Check the dates on current campaigns

Consumer Affairs Victoria says reserve-price disclosure applies to residential auctions and fixed-date sales held from 16 October 2026. The reserve must be public for at least seven days. Its example is clear: a sale on 16 October needed disclosure by 9 October. A change in either direction restarts that seven-day period.

For this week’s campaigns, check the actual publication record before confirming the existing date. If the required period has not been met, the auction or fixed-date sale cannot proceed on that timetable. Escalate promptly and use the current CAV guidance to work through the next steps with the seller.

The scope matters. CAV distinguishes these sales from commercial property and private sales without a fixed date. This article focuses on the reserve-price handover, rather than every part of the wider reforms.

Make the seller’s instruction easy to find

CAV requires a written request with the agent’s recommended reserve, reasons and response guidance. The seller can accept or specify a different amount with signed confirmation, or ask for another recommendation.

Give the campaign one clear place for the request, the response and the current approved amount. A colleague covering the file should be able to identify the latest instruction without reconstructing a phone conversation or searching several message threads.

It also helps to name the person who follows up an outstanding response and the person who decides what happens if the timing becomes tight. That removes an avoidable decision from the busiest part of someone’s day.

Close the loop on advertising

The reserve must appear as a single dollar amount in advertising and the Property Price Statement. CAV says online advertising must be updated within one business day of receiving it; all marketing materials need to reflect the reserve.

Use a small campaign checklist covering the agency website, property portals, the Property Price Statement and other active marketing. Record who made each update, then have a colleague check the buyer-facing result. A request sent to a portal or supplier is a useful step; the live listing is what the next person needs to verify.

Keep dated screenshots or other reliable publication evidence with the campaign record. If a listing is corrected later, retain enough context to show what changed and when. Agree how the team will handle an update that has not appeared where expected.

Give changes a fresh handover

When a seller changes the reserve, bring the sales lead, marketing support and anyone coordinating the auction into the same update. Record the revised instruction, publication checks and reviewed sale date together.

Agency leaders can make this easier by giving the team a named backup, access to the current campaign record and room to raise uncertainty early. A ten-minute review of the next few campaigns can surface a missing response or an unconfirmed advertising change while there is still time to deal with it.

Clear ownership, visible next steps and reliable handovers are principles we value at Delegate. The useful outcome is practical: staff can pick up a campaign confidently, and sellers receive consistent information about what happens next.

General operational information for Victorian agencies, not legal advice. Check the current Consumer Affairs Victoria guidance for the circumstances of each sale. Sources checked 12 October 2026, Brisbane time.