Questions to Ask an Estate Sale Company Before You Hire Them

Hiring an estate sale company means trusting someone with access to a home, personal property, valuables, family belongings, and potentially thousands of dollars in sale proceeds.

That makes the initial interview important.

A professional estate sale company should be able to explain how it works, what it charges, how it protects the estate, and what happens before, during, and after the sale. Homeowners should not feel uncomfortable asking detailed questions before signing an agreement.

Here are some of the most important questions to ask.

1. How long have you been conducting estate sales?

Experience alone does not guarantee quality, but it can tell you a great deal about a company’s familiarity with pricing, customer behavior, advertising, staffing, security, and unusual items.

Ask not only how long the company has existed, but also how much hands-on experience the people actually running your sale have.

2. Can I see examples of your recent estate sales?

Look at the company’s current and previous sale listings.

Pay attention to:

• The quality and quantity of photographs

• How clearly items are described

• Whether sales appear organized and professionally presented

• How far in advance the sale is advertised

• Whether the company regularly conducts sales in your area

A company’s existing work can often tell you more than its sales presentation.

3. Can you provide references?

A reputable company should generally be willing to provide references or point you toward verifiable reviews from previous clients.

When checking references, consider asking former clients whether the company communicated well, handled the home respectfully, paid them when promised, and completed the work that was agreed upon.

4. Are you insured?

Ask what insurance coverage the company carries and what that coverage applies to.

Estate sales involve customers entering a private residence, employees working inside the home, and valuable property being handled. Understanding the company’s insurance protection is part of evaluating risk.

5. What do you charge?

Most estate sale companies work for a percentage of the sale proceeds, although fee structures vary considerably.

Some companies may also charge:

• Minimum fees

• Setup fees

• Advertising expenses

• Labor charges

• Trash removal

• Cleanout expenses

• Credit card processing fees

• Security expenses

Do not focus only on the commission percentage. A lower percentage does not necessarily result in more money for the estate.

The better question is:

What services are included, and what is the likely overall result?

6. Are there any additional fees besides your commission?

Ask this directly.

You should understand all potential charges before signing an agreement.

If additional expenses are possible, ask whether they require your approval first.

7. How do you determine what items are worth?

Estate sale pricing involves more than attaching a number to an object.

Ask how the company researches unfamiliar or potentially valuable items.

Does the company use:

• Completed online sales?

• Auction records?

• Specialist knowledge?

• Appraisers?

• Reference databases?

• Outside experts?

You should also ask what happens when the staff encounters something they cannot confidently identify.

A careful company should be willing to stop and research rather than guess.

8. What happens if you discover something unusually valuable?

This is an important question.

A home may contain jewelry, coins, artwork, collectibles, rare books, vintage clothing, firearms, silver, watches, or other property that deserves additional research.

Ask whether the company will notify you before selling something believed to have significant value.

You may also want to know whether certain items might be better sold through an auction house, specialist dealer, or another market.

9. Who has final authority over pricing?

The written agreement should make this clear.

Homeowners should understand whether they can:

• Approve prices on important items

• Establish minimum prices

• Request that certain belongings not be discounted

• Remove selected items from the sale

These decisions should be discussed before the sale begins.

10. What is your discount policy?

Discounting is a major part of many estate sales.

Ask:

• When discounts begin

• How large the discounts become

• Whether customers can negotiate

• Whether certain items can be excluded from discounts

• Who has authority to approve unusually large reductions

Understanding the discount strategy ahead of time can prevent surprises during the sale.

11. How will you advertise the sale?

Ask where the company promotes its sales and how early advertising normally begins.

Marketing may include:

• Estate sale listing websites

• Company websites

• Email lists

• Social media

• Search engines

• Customer mailing lists

• Local advertising

Also ask when photographs will be posted.

Buyers often decide which sales to attend based almost entirely on photographs and descriptions.

12. How many days will you need to prepare the home?

A thorough estate sale may require time for sorting, staging, research, photography, pricing, and advertising.

Ask how long the company expects the entire process to take from signing the agreement through the final sale day.

A very short preparation period is not automatically wrong, but homeowners should understand what work will realistically be completed.

13. Who will actually work in my home?

The person you meet during the initial consultation may not necessarily be present throughout the sale.

Ask:

• Who supervises the sale?

• How many employees will be working?

• Are workers employees or temporary labor?

• Who handles the money?

• Who is responsible for valuable items?

Knowing who will have access to the property is reasonable.

14. How do you protect against theft?

Estate sales can bring many people into a home.

Ask about the company’s procedures for protecting jewelry, small collectibles, restricted areas, cash, and other valuables.

Security methods may include:

• Controlled entry

• Display cases

• Staff stationed in important rooms

• Restricted areas

• Bag policies

• Checkout procedures

• Security personnel

The appropriate system depends on the property and the type of inventory.

15. How do you handle the money from the sale?

Homeowners should know how transactions are recorded and how proceeds are accounted for.

Ask:

• Who collects payments?

• What forms of payment are accepted?

• How are sales recorded?

• Will you receive a written accounting?

• How are expenses deducted?

The company should be able to explain its process clearly.

16. When will I receive my money?

Payment schedules vary.

Some companies settle with the client shortly after the sale, while others may require additional time to reconcile transactions, expenses, credit card payments, or final accounting.

The payment timeline should be stated in the contract.

17. What happens to items that do not sell?

Do not wait until the final afternoon of the sale to ask this question.

Possible options may include:

• Donation

• Cleanout

• Auction

• Consignment

• Buyout

• Removal by the family

• Disposal

Ask whether these services are included or involve additional charges.

18. Do you provide cleanout services?

Some companies offer complete post-sale cleanout while others conduct the sale only.

If the home must be emptied before being sold, transferred, or returned to a landlord, understand exactly what the company agrees to do after the sale.

Ask what condition the home will be left in when the company's work is complete.

19. Can family members remove items after the agreement is signed?

This is extremely important to discuss beforehand.

Estate sale companies often base their decision to accept a sale on the amount and quality of property they see during the initial walkthrough.

If significant items are later removed, the economics of the sale can change dramatically.

If family members are still deciding what they want to keep, resolve as much of that as possible before signing the contract.

20. What happens if we change our minds and cancel the sale?

Read the cancellation section of the agreement carefully.

Ask whether there are:

• Cancellation fees

• Hourly labor charges

• Advertising expenses

• Research charges

• Minimum fees

A company may already have invested significant labor before the sale begins, so cancellation terms should be understood in advance.

21. Do you or your employees buy items from the estate?

There is not necessarily anything improper about an estate sale company purchasing property, but homeowners should understand the company's policy.

If the company or its employees are permitted to buy items, ask how pricing and approval are handled to avoid conflicts of interest.

Transparency matters.

22. Do you purchase gold, jewelry, coins, or other valuables directly?

If the company also buys property from clients, ask how it separates its role as a buyer from its responsibility when conducting the estate sale.

A homeowner should understand when the company is acting as a sales agent and when it is acting as a purchaser.

Those are two very different relationships.

23. What happens if something is damaged or goes missing?

Ask how the company handles claims involving damaged property, missing items, or disagreements over inventory.

This is also another reason to understand the company's insurance coverage and documentation procedures.

24. Will everything we discussed be written into the contract?

Verbal promises can be forgotten or misunderstood.

Important terms should be written down, including:

• Commission

• Additional fees

• Sale dates

• Discount policy

• Advertising

• Payment schedule

• Cleanout responsibilities

• Unsold merchandise

• Cancellation terms

• Valuable items

• Items excluded from the sale

If something matters to you, make sure it appears in the agreement.

25. What do you need from us before you begin?

A good estate sale company should give you clear instructions.

In many cases, homeowners should avoid throwing things away or donating property before the company has had an opportunity to inspect the home.

Items that appear ordinary can sometimes have value, while papers, drawers, boxes, closets, garages, and attics may contain objects the family did not realize were important.

The company should explain what you should remove personally and what should remain for evaluation.

You Are Interviewing the Company, Too

A consultation is not simply an opportunity for an estate sale company to decide whether it wants your sale.

It is also your opportunity to decide whether you are comfortable placing the property in that company's hands.

Pay attention not only to the answers you receive, but to how the company responds to reasonable questions.

Clear answers, written expectations, transparent fees, thoughtful pricing practices, and respect for the homeowner's property are all important indicators.

You do not necessarily need to choose the company with the lowest commission, the largest advertising claims, or the most impressive sales pitch.

Choose the company whose process you understand and whose responsibilities are clearly defined before the work begins.