Can you imagine buying a house on the net? Now you can!

This Network Ten news report follows an auction that made history – this three-bedroom terrace in Surry Hills, Sydney, was the first house to ever receive bids over the internet. A precursor to the world of online real estate, the report includes footage of late-1990s web pages depicting images of the property and ways to bid, while onsite interviews at the auction reveal the newness of this possibility. The everyday interviewees appear positive that this is the way of the future, though it still feels exciting and unusual – and the word 'gimmick' is thrown around.

Ultimately, there was only one online bidder, though the thousands that logged on reveal the path for contemporary times. Contrary to Tracey Spicer's introduction – 'If the world wide web scares you with its possibilities' – all manner of online transactions now feel mundane. But buying a three-bedroom inner-city terrace in Sydney for $455,000? Three decades later, that’s the biggest shock.