Questions to ask about an auctioneer's selling agreement

Which assets does the instruction cover, and how are later additions or withdrawals handled? Who identifies the items, drafts descriptions, checks the evidence and obtains your approval? What sale method and location are proposed?

Use the provider interview scorecard before the agreement stage if those answers are still vague. A written contract cannot correct a scope that the parties never properly discussed.

Fees and expenses

Ask which seller charges apply, how they are calculated, when they become payable and what happens if a lot does not sell. Identify separately quoted preparation, marketing, site or other work. Ask how additional spending is authorised.

Price instructions

Ask how estimates, reserves and private offers are recorded. Identify who may change an instruction and whether there are deadlines for doing so. Do not rely on a casual telephone remark as the only record of a material decision.

Seller information

Ask what evidence and declarations you must provide, who checks catalogue wording and how corrections reach buyers. Explain known ownership, condition and access questions before signing.

Withdrawal and other approaches

Ask what happens if you need to retain an asset or receive a direct offer during the instruction. The withdrawal guide helps frame that enquiry. Do not assume that an early stage means there are no commitments or charges.

Payment and release

Ask how buyer payment is handled, what triggers release and when seller settlement becomes due under the terms. The payment guide separates the milestones.

Unsold or uncollected items

Ask which decisions remain yours, what costs may arise and how the arrangement fits the final site deadline.

For each unclear point, record the clause reference, your question, the written response and any agreed amendment. Mark the point closed only when the answer concerns the actual proposed transaction.

A useful log entry is specific: does this quoted charge include the listed photography work at both sites? An entry saying fees okay is difficult to interpret later.

Use the quote comparison worksheet to check that included services, exclusions and cost assumptions match what was discussed. If the scope changed, make sure the current document reflects it.

When appointing UK Auction Group, provide the authorised contact and ask for unresolved points to be clarified before the sale proceeds. The aim is a workable written arrangement, with the important decisions easy to find when somebody needs an answer quickly.

Explore the auctions and private sales guides.