Auctioneer

Going once…. going twice…. sold! Auctions are becoming a popular choice when it comes to buying and selling just about everything from antiques to art and furniture as well as cars, boats houses and more. There is both anticipation and excitement during auctions from the sellers looking to make a few bucks for their treasures as well as buyers looking to get a good bargain. One person is the bridge between the two and that is the auctioneer.

An auctioneer not only “calls” the event driving the bids up for the seller, he/she also puts in time before the auction in tasks such as marketing and advertising the items to the right groups of people in order to draw the best possible crowd who would be interested as well as assisting the seller in the preparation of the items for sale.

Can you make a good living from being an auctioneer? Absolutely! According to cnnmoney.com, an article dated June 3, 2005 by Jeanne Sahadi states in part that six figure incomes for full time auctioneers and those who own their own auction businesses is quite possible. An auctioneer typically makes a decent percentage from the total profit from the auction. Many auctioneers work part time but for those who choose to have this as their only means of making a living this is a very viable and profitable business to be in.

How do you break into this field? Well there are auctioneer schools with courses of study lasting few days to less than a month. Just what do they teach you at schools for auctioneers? Classes include the fine art of the bid calling, or “the chant” as some call it, advertising and marketing, auctioneer commissions and expense rates, how to solicit and book auctions, record keeping, live auction participation and more. Is auctioneer school necessary? Well, that depends on the state you would like to be licensed in. Some require education while others will gladly take apprenticeships in lieu of formal education. In any event in order to be licensed you must pass an auctioneer exam in the state for which you want to be licensed.

There are no shy people in the auctioneering business. You must be confident, speak with clarity since people can’t bid if they can’t understand you, have great rapport with both the buyer and the seller as well as have the ability to engage the bidders. You must be a bit of a salesman, if you will.



For more information on auctioneering I suggest the following:

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Live Auctions

SOLD!: The Professional's Guide to Real Estate Auctions