8 Reasons Online Estate Auctions Are Smarter Than In-Home Sales: Online vs In-Home Sale

The pandemic changed many things, including how people shop estate sales. Crowded in-home sales no longer feel safe, and more buyers are turning to online auctions instead. We now see more demand for auctions than traditional sales, with clients asking which option is best. From our extensive experience with both, we believe online auctions are the future—and that future has already begun. Let's look at online vs In-Home estate sale. The images shown are from an actual estate auction with sold prices (June 2022). *From our own platform Denver Online Auctions

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Transparency: With online auctions, you can watch your items sell live, tracking bids and final prices in real time. No more guessing what your sale was worth.

No Crowds in Your Home: A traditional 2–3 day estate sale can bring 300–400 people into your home—walking on your carpet, touching everything, and sometimes letting children damage items by accident. If your house is under contract, this foot traffic can be especially problematic.

No Haggling or Discount Days: In-home sales typically span three days: day one at full price, day two with discounts, and day three at 50% off to clear inventory. But haggling starts on day one, regardless. Auctions eliminate negotiating and discount days entirely.

No Theft: Theft has become an increasing issue with in-home sales. Because addresses must be posted online to attract buyers, thieves often strike the night before a sale or between sale days after scoping out the home. Even during sales, with hundreds of people moving through, small items are easily pocketed despite staff supervision. Online auctions remove this risk.

Much Larger Audience: Small, valuable items like jewelry, watches, militaria, designer purses, sterling silver, or signed sports memorabilia can be seen by thousands of buyers nationwide, with shipping options available. Bad weather or scheduling conflicts are no longer an obstacle.

Access in Gated Communities: Many gated communities prohibit in-home estate sales. Online auctions bypass this restriction, giving homeowners the ability to sell their valuables where they otherwise could not.

No Underpricing Pressure: At in-home sales, items are often priced low from the start, knowing that unsold pieces will eventually be marked down to half price. Auctions eliminate this built-in incentive to underprice.

Exciting and Fun: Again and again, buyers tell us how much fun they had bidding—many admit they “spent more than they planned, but were determined to win!” That excitement is something traditional sales simply cannot match.