Smart Business Northeast Ohio magazine recently interviewed Dick Kiko, CEO of KIKO Realtors, Auctioneers and Advisors about the importance of auctions as a powerful tool for businesses to liquidate commercial assets in today’s market.

“At a time when there’s a great deal of uncertainty in the market, many businesses need cash. In order to do that, they need to connect the right assets to the right buyers. Auctions are and have been a valuable tool to accomplish that task,” Dick explains.

Read on to learn more about selling commercial real estate and assets at auction.

Why should sellers consider using an auction to generate liquidity?

Anything can be sold at auction – land; residential, commercial, and industrial property; heavy equipment; vehicles; etc. Before the Internet, auctions were largely local and regional events, drawing only on-site participants to an auction. Luckily, over the past several years, and more so during the pandemic, auctions have incorporated a virtual component for internet bidding while also accommodating on-site bidders.

Now, auctioneers are selling properties to bidders across the globe via online auctions. That means sellers are able to get their assets in front of a lot of interested buyers, which creates competition and ultimately drives up the sale price.

What’s the risk that an asset is sold at less than market value at auction?

While an appraisal is an estimate of the price an asset could potentially command in the open market, what someone is willing and able to pay is an asset’s true market value.

An auction attracts interested bidders and they compete for each item, setting the market through the competitive bidding process. So, for an asset to be sold for less than market value at auction, it would have to be a poorly marketed and attended auction – one that failed to attract the right buyers for the items being sold.

A good auction firm makes sure the right market is represented at the time of the event, so interested buyers compete, thus driving value for the seller. If you don’t believe this to be true, then you really don’t want to sell your asset for market value; you want to sell it for what you hope to get – the appraised value. The truth is, more auction sale prices exceed sellers’ expectations and appraised value than don’t.

What does the auction process look like in practice?

The assumption is that auctioneers are just fast-talking bid callers, but that’s only one aspect of it. Auctioneers work with sellers as advisors to identify their goals, determine which assets have the best change of selling and how to best present them to drive interest, and handle the auction logistics. It’s a very well-thought-out process.

An auction firm needs to have a thorough understanding of the real estate property or items being sold so they can expose them to interested buyers, much like any company works to attract buyers to their goods and services.

The key to a successful auction is marketing to create visibility in the marketplace. Marketing strategies – including signage, print media, direct mail, email blasts, social and digital media, internet ads – are deployed to attract the right bidders. It’s important to work with an experienced auction firm with a track record of success. Otherwise, there is a real risk of not achieving maximum value through a sale.

Many people think auctions are only for bankruptcy or foreclosure. Nothing is further from the truth. Auctions help businesses and individuals expedite a sale, generate liquidity, and create competition, which leads to higher prices for sellers. But it’s important to work with an experienced auction firm, one with a track record of success. Otherwise, there is a real risk of not achieving maximum value through a sale.

Call 800-533-5456 for advice on selling commercial buildings, land or equipment.