Victorian real estate agents call for crackdown on dodgy bidders

Victoria's real estate agents are calling on the Allan government to register all bidders prior to auction.

The move is hoped to crack down on dummy bidders and people running away after the hammer has fallen.

Over his 15 years in the game, Ray White Group auctioneer Greg Brydon has seen it all - even successful bidders cutting and running after winning an auction.

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"We actually had one of our agents almost jump on the windscreen of the car to stop that buyer getting away," he said.

The problem is all too familiar, where a passersby can dummy bid to drive up the price or the final purchaser or even underbidder can simply decide to walk away.

"We find it crazy that you have to register to purchase a bottle of wine online but to purchase somebody's biggest asset biggest financial investment, there is no ability for you to register," Brydon said.

The Real Estate Institute of Victoria (REIV) is now calling for reform to boost transparency and register bidders prior to auction. 

"It's no more than providing a licence ahead of the auction which is very much in line with a number of open-for-inspection processes," REIV chief executive Kelly Ryan said.

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Only then would each potential buyer be provided with a number and paddle.

Victoria and Western Australia the only states which are yet to put the protocols in place.

"It just avoids unnecessary angst between someone being awarded the property at auction through to then making it a much more seamless process through to signing of the contract," Ryan said.

In a statement, a Victorian government spokesperson said it would continue to work with industry to make the property market fairer, pointing to the now permanent underquoting taskforce.

But there was no mention of reforms for registered bidders.

"We're just asking to be in the same level playing field as anyone who is bidding on the eastern seaboard of Australia," Brydon said.