Local Estate Sale Companies

• Traditional estate sale companies conduct onsite liquidations where customers can walk through a house and buy items.
• Estate auction houses bring entire estates (or specific pieces from an estate) to an off-site location to auction them off. Some auction houses specialize in high-end liquidations, featuring items like high-end fine art and luxury furniture. Mid-range liquidations frequently include cars, guns, and more.
• Estate auctioneers may also liquidate estates onsite at the home. They are similar to the traditional estate sale in their offerings, but the merchandise is auctioned off rather than priced individually.
• Hybrid estate sale companies conduct both auctions (usually online) and estate sales depending on the type of estate, what’s included in the estate, and the client’s specific needs.
• Estate sale companies with an auction house partner will conduct traditional estate sales, but use an auction house for certain big-ticket items like priceless pieces of art and high-end furniture.

Estate sale companies will try to sell as many of your items as they can for the best price possible. Traditional estate sales usually last one to three days, and prices are determined by the estate sale company. Most estate sales are often discounted as the sale progresses. At an estate auction, which typically only lasts one day, the prices are determined by the buyers through the bidding process. Regardless of format, what happens when you hire an estate sale is pretty much the same across the board. The process is typically divided into three parts, including the pre-sale, sale-day, and post-sale tasks.

Pre-Sale Tasks

During the pre-sale, the estate liquidator carefully sorts the furnishings and household items to appraise everything that is for sale. In some cases, items may be antiques or family heirlooms that require a trained professional to ensure that they are appraised and priced correctly. When pricing estate sale items, the estate liquidator often performs photo and lens searches on Google, as well as researching eBay online auction “sold” listings. The estate liquidator may also contact local specialized appraisers or auction houses about fine art and rare items. Professional estate liquidators like the Estate Pros give each item a price tag. Estate sales are often called “tag sales” or “moving sales” for this reason.

Pre-sale duties of the estate liquidator also include organizing, setting up and staging the estate sale items for the sale. The estate liquidator attractively displays the home’s entire contents before opening the doors to potential shoppers.

As part of their estate sale services, the estate liquidator advertises the sale to promote a good attendance. The estate sale company will list the sale on major estate sale industry websites, their social channels, send email notifications to their subscribers, and in some circumstances, place newspaper classified ads. They will also set up prominent street signs throughout the area to attract adventurous shoppers.

Sale-Day Tasks

On sale days, the estate sale liquidator monitors all aspects of the event. This will include handling sales transactions, customer service duties, managing traffic throughout the premises, and overseeing an onsite staff that includes sales associates and perhaps security personnel. The estate sale liquidation staff answers shoppers’ questions about sale items and assists in making the actual sales. When customers are ready to pay for their items, staff members will direct them to the cashier to handle payment. The cashier records each transaction, handles cash, processes credit cards, digital payments, as well as answering any last-minute purchase questions.

Pre-sale duties of the estate liquidator also include organizing, setting up and staging the estate sale items for the sale. The estate liquidator attractively displays the home’s entire contents before opening the doors to potential shoppers.

As part of their estate sale services, the estate liquidator advertises the sale to promote a good attendance. The estate sale company will list the sale on major estate sale industry websites, their social channels, send email notifications to their subscribers, and in some circumstances, place newspaper classified ads. They will also set up prominent street signs throughout the area to attract adventurous shoppers.

Post-Sale Tasks

It’s hard to sell each and every item during an estate sale. As part of an estate liquidator’s duties, most will assist in disposing of the remaining items. After the estate sale is closed, the homeowner usually decides what to keep, dispose of, or donate to charity. The estate sale company will usually coordinate this process. When handling large, paid-for “sold” items, the estate liquidator may allow for next-day pickup. Staff members may also ship paid-for items to other locations. From here, the estate sale liquidators or a hired cleaning service will clean the home and make sure it’s prepared for transition to the new owner. The agreed-upon estate sale service fee or commission percentage in the estate sale contract will be deducted from the proceeds to pay the estate sale company. The remaining funds are given to the homeowner, accompanied by a transaction report detailing all of the sold inventory. That’s it. You’re done!

Pre-sale duties of the estate liquidator also include organizing, setting up and staging the estate sale items for the sale. The estate liquidator attractively displays the home’s entire contents before opening the doors to potential shoppers.

As part of their estate sale services, the estate liquidator advertises the sale to promote a good attendance. The estate sale company will list the sale on major estate sale industry websites, their social channels, send email notifications to their subscribers, and in some circumstances, place newspaper classified ads. They will also set up prominent street signs throughout the area to attract adventurous shoppers.