The benefits of selling at Auction

There are ten significant benefits for choosing Sale by Auction and it is only by understanding these, that agents and sellers can together decide if Auction is right for a specific property.

Speed
There is no faster way of selling. The process can take as little as five weeks from instructing us through to an exchange of contract. You will likely bank the proceeds of your sale within two and a half months from going to the market.

Chance of Success
You are more than twice* as likely to sell your property at Auction than by Private Treaty. TOPS success rate at Auction last year was nearly 90% and most of those that didn’t sell were withdrawn at the sellers’ request. If you need to sell you really should consider the auction route.

No Fall-throughs
Your sale is certain. When the hammer comes down you have exchanged contracts, your buyer is legally committed and can’t change his mind. You will be so much better off than via sale through the normal Private Treaty system where approximately one third of all sales collapse after they have been agreed.

Higher Profile Marketing
Your property will be advertised very intensively in the local press – almost every day prior to the auction date, and also nationally through specialist publications that target investors and professional buyers. Your property will be featured in our London
style Catalogue, which is mailed to over 3,000 interested buyers and extensively on the web. In truth nobody offers more high profile marketing than you receive locally from Auction House.

Open House Viewing Days
We set up special press promoted viewing days for your property. Each is hosted by a member of our Auctions team, who can talk knowledgeably about the potential that your property offers and answer all manner of questions from prospective buyers. It is by
talking with these viewers that we can judge interest and help guide you in setting the Reserve Price.

Competitive Bidding
Our aim is to generate interest from two or more prospective buyers and to encourage them to bid against each other. The process of competitive bidding will help your property to achieve ‘best price’ on the day. Sometimes buyers are so anxious
to acquire a property that they put in a very strong pre-Auction offer – if in our view that figure is unlikely to be reached or surpassed in the Auction Room, we will recommend its
acceptance under Auction rules, and with a condition that contracts are exchanged at least five working days in advance of Auction day.

Best Price
Often properties achieve a sale price at Auction in excess of the Guide Price. Regularly the result is ahead of that which might have been acceptable with a Private Treaty sale, but you can always be sure that it has achieved its Best Price on the day. This is especially important on Probate properties where Executors are required to achieve “Best Price”. When Auction is the chosen sale route then this is guaranteed and also open to public scrutiny.

Continuing Tenancy Income
More and more investment properties are now being sold by Auction without vacant possession being obtained in advance. By continuing the tenancy the vendor will continue to receive rent until completion date, and the purchaser will start receiving
an income from that date onwards. Auction House sells a wide variety of occupied properties – Regulated Tenancies, HMOs, Assured Shortholds and others that are let commercially.

No Re-negotiation
With Private Treaty sales a price agreed often isn’t the price you finally receive. With Auction there is no re-negotiation, no discounting to take account of survey findings or any last minute gazundering. With Auction your buyer will have fully researched
the property’s condition prior to bidding and cannot reduce the sale price after the hammer has fallen.

Time Scale
If you are in a hurry or have a deadline to meet, then Auction could well be right for you. From the outset you will know the date of the Auction and legal completion will usually be set for 28 days thereafter. This time-scale is fixed and legally binding to the two
parties. Financial pressures and the need to relocate or dispose of a property in a specific time frame can be easily accommodated and almost always met with a sale by Auction.