How does an Estate Sale Work?

These people take a percentage of the total earnings of the estate sale as payment, typically between 25 and 35 percent. The agents put a lot of work into the sale, assessing the value of items, organizing them for display and making sure everything runs smoothly when potential buyers arrive. They’re generally also responsible for clearing out the house at the end of the sale and leaving everything clean and tidy.

Ask lots of questions, such as what they estimate you’ll make from the sale, and what their policy is on any items left over at the end. If you have any valuable or rare items to sell, make sure the company has people with the right expertise to get you a fair price. Don’t trust a company that doesn’t answer all your questions directly, and instead refers you to the contract or their brochures.

If you leave the sale and return later, you have to go to the back of the line. During the sale, you can pick up small items you wish to purchase and take them to the checkout, and ask to have larger items marked as sold. Starting at a specified time, they hand out numbers to people as they arrive. It’s possible to bargain or to make a bid if you don’t want to pay the price on the tag. Some estate sale companies use a number system. Once you receive a number, you don’t have to wait in line, and can return when the sale opens.

If you have expensive or specialized items in your sale, an agent’s expertise can be invaluable for determining an appropriate price. The managers will also take care of publicizing the sale — advertising in newspapers and online, and putting up signs in the neighborhood. You can trust that the sale managers will try hard to sell your items, because the more money you make, the more money they make. Good estate sale agents have connections or brokerage sources, who are experts in selling fine art, collectables, jewelry and other valuables.