It was the auction that went viral and divided Aussies. Now the property guru behind the footage tells the real story of what happened on the big day [Video]

An auction which sparked controversy when an Asian woman emerged as the winning bidder – leading many to mistakenly believe she was a foreign investor – has  highlighted the fraught state of Australia’s housing market. 

Sydney auctioneer Tom Panos posted footage from an auction for a family home in Georges Hall, in Sydney’s south, last week.

‘Watch how this Asian lady scares all the Lebanese bidders away,’ he said.

Mr Panos added: ‘Never mess with a determined Asian woman.’

However, shortly after Mr Panos shared the video on social media, the Asian woman was attacked by hundreds of online trolls.

‘More foreign investors are buying Australian property to lay vacant so they can expand their portfolios while hardworking Australians struggle to find a rental, let alone buy a house,’ one said.