With just four sales under her belt, Georgina Hilton, a novice auctioneer at Christie’s in London, was awarded the NAVA Propertymark Novice Auctioneer of the Year award.

Held at the Oxford Belfry, the competition involved a bidding sequence to demonstrate and test the entrant’s skill, knowledge and presence on the platform. Experienced auction and property professionals with pre-arranged bidding briefs were also present.

Georgina Hilton commented: “NAVA Auctioneer of the Year has given me the opportunity to display what I have been working so hard to learn at Christie’s, to a really impressive panel of experts.”

“I’m looking forward to staying in touch with those I have met at the competition and growing the network, the title is a great feather to my bow and I think it will support my development at Christie’s.”

The highly anticipated event featured 10 auctioneers who took part before three competitors were selected for the after-dinner final.

A regular on the national and international charity auction circuit, Hugh Edmeads, judged the competition, along with Noelle McElhatton of Antiques Trade Gazette and David Sanderman, managing director of the Essential Information Group.

Various lots included a timber framed, seafront stilt cottage, a diesel generator, a residential property with structural damage, a Chinese vase and a former public toilet block.

“Auctioneering continues to play a key role in property and chattels transactions,” said Mark Hayward, NAEA Propertymark chief executive. “The novice title is renowned within the industry, partly because the expertise of the judging panel endows it with real credibility.”

He added: “We are delighted that three years in a row the novice title has gone to a woman, proving that auctioneering is not a professional dominated by men.”

Alex Froggatt of Fieldings Auctioneers and Thomas Keane of The Swan at Tetsworth were the runners up for the title.