Alex Cooper Auctioneers
Alex Cooper Auctioneers is a fourth-generation, family-owned Mid-Atlantic auction house providing real estate, fine art, jewelry, antique, and estate appraisal services to investors, estates, and collectors, monetizing via buyer's premiums, seller commissions, and hourly appraisal fees.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1924
- HeadquartersTowson, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Alex Cooper Auctioneers does
Alex Cooper Auctioneers is a fourth-generation, family-owned auction house founded in 1924 in Baltimore, Maryland, operating three integrated divisions: real estate auctions, décor and jewelry auctions, and estate and appraisal services. The company serves sellers and buyers across the Mid-Atlantic region, with auction events covering investment-grade residential and mixed-use real estate, fine art, jewelry, silver, antiques, rugs, coins, and decorative arts. Notable engagements include multi-property portfolio dispositions (e.g., a 196-unit apartment portfolio with Glen Arms Apartments selling for $2,073,750 and Walker House for $2,126,250) and high-end estate collections such as the Estate of Anne Hopkins. Its buyer and seller base spans real estate investors, mixed-use developers, estate executors, fiduciary clients, and luxury jewelry and timepiece collectors.
The business runs a hybrid physical-digital auction infrastructure. The Towson headquarters at 908 York Road includes a 24,000 square foot renovated gallery (completed 2015) hosting live gallery auctions, with additional offices in Washington, DC (decor and jewels) and Cockeysville, MD (Discovery sales). The proprietary bid.alexcooper.com platform, built on Auction Mobility software with native iOS and Android applications, enables real-time and timed online bidding across all categories and attracts approximately 92,100 monthly visits. The firm supplements its proprietary channel with third-party aggregators LiveAuctioneers (4.6 million monthly visits) and Invaluable (3.6 million monthly visits), extending global reach for collectible inventory.
Alex Cooper monetizes primarily through transaction-based fees. A 28% buyer's premium is charged on hammer prices across all sale tiers (Gallery, Alex Cooper Select, Discovery, and In-Home), reduced to 26% when buyers settle via cash, debit, ACH, or wire transfer within five business days. Complementary revenue streams include hourly-billed USPAP-compliant appraisal services, agency seller commissions, and storage fees ($10/day per gallery item after 5 business days; $5/day for Discovery). The company maintains no outside investors or parent company; ownership remains entirely within the Cooper family, with approximately 50 employees supporting day-to-day operations.
Alex Cooper Auctioneers firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Alex Cooper Auctioneers
- Legal name
- Alex Cooper Auctioneers, Inc.
- Website
- https://alexcooper.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1924
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Alex Cooper Auctioneers is a fourth-generation, family-owned Mid-Atlantic auction house providing real estate, fine art, jewelry, antique, and estate appraisal services to investors, estates, and collectors, monetizing via buyer's premiums, seller commissions, and hourly appraisal fees.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Alex Cooper Auctioneers industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Auction House Services
- NAICS
- Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (53121), Offices of Real Estate Appraisers (53132), Art Dealers (459920)
- SIC
- Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Commercial Real Estate Auctions (BPAJAEAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Foreclosure/REO & Distressed Property Auctions (BPAJAEAF), Residential Real Estate Auctions (BPAJAEAA), Auction Houses (Luxury Watches & Jewelry) (CRAKAKAF)
Keywords
Where Alex Cooper Auctioneers is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Towson
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Alex Cooper Auctioneers business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Auction Commissions (Buyer's Premium): Standard 28% buyer's premium added to hammer price; reduced to 26% for cash, debit card, ACH or wire transfer payments. Primary revenue stream across all auction categories.
- Seller Commissions: Agency model acting as agent for sellers; commissions earned on successful sale transactions. Seller fees not explicitly detailed in available sources.
- Estate Appraisal Services: Hourly billed appraisal services for estate purposes, insurance, and equitable distribution. Competitive rates for fees billed hourly for time onsite, research, compilation, and travel expenses.
- Storage Fees: Gallery sales storage fee of $10/day per item after 5 business days; Discovery sales storage fee of $5/day per item. Additional charges for items held beyond 30 days.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Gallery Sales - Standard Buyer's Premium |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Alex Cooper Select - Premium Service |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Discovery Sales - Entry-Level Auctions |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Alex Cooper In-Home - Off-Site Auctions |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Alex Cooper Auctioneers product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Alex Cooper Auctioneers operates a traditional Mid-Atlantic auction house conducting live gallery and online auctions across three core areas: real estate (multi-family residential, mixed-use, commercial, and foreclosure properties), décor and jewelry (fine art, antiques, silver, coins, decorative arts, rugs, fine jewelry and luxury watches), and estate appraisal and trust services (USPAP-compliant appraisals, estate settlement, and personal property valuation). The company also provides online and mobile bidding through its proprietary platform bid.alexcooper.com with mobile apps, alongside third-party aggregator listings.
Product overview
Alex Cooper Auctioneers operates as a traditional auction house with three interconnected divisions: Real Estate Auctions (commercial and residential property sales), Décor & Jewelry Auctions (fine art, antiques, jewelry, and collectibles), and Estate & Appraisal Services (trust and estate settlement, personal property valuation). The company leverages both live gallery auctions and online bidding platforms to serve buyers and sellers throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. The product ecosystem centers on auction-based disposition of assets across real estate and personal property categories.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Real Estate Auctions
Quantifiable outcome
- Comparable renovated properties achieving rents at least 10-20% higher than unrenovated units, creating value-add opportunity for real estate investors
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Alex Cooper Auctioneers
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Alex Cooper Auctioneers technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Alex Cooper Auctioneers partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Harbor Stone AdvisorscoreLong-standing strategic partnership for real estate auction services. Harbor Stone serves as exclusive co-advisor with Alex Cooper for investment property auctions in the Mid-Atlantic region. Collaborative relationships on value-add apartment properties, mixed-use developments, and portfolio dispositions. Properties include The Embassy (37 units), Lane Apartments (96 units), Preston Street Lofts, and others in Baltimore market.
Scale indicators4 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Alex Cooper Auctioneers competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Alex Cooper Auctioneers social profiles
Digital presenceAlex Cooper Auctioneers financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Alex Cooper Auctioneers leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Alex Cooper Auctioneers funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Alex Cooper Auctioneers M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Alex Cooper Auctioneers
What does Alex Cooper Auctioneers do?
Alex Cooper Auctioneers operates a traditional Mid-Atlantic auction house conducting live gallery and online auctions across three core areas: real estate (multi-family residential, mixed-use, commercial, and foreclosure properties), décor and jewelry (fine art, antiques, silver, coins, decorative arts, rugs, fine jewelry and luxury watches), and estate appraisal and trust services (USPAP-compliant appraisals, estate settlement, and personal property valuation). The company also provides online and mobile bidding through its proprietary platform bid.alexcooper.com with mobile apps, alongside third-party aggregator listings.
Is Alex Cooper Auctioneers a public or private company?
Alex Cooper Auctioneers is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Alex Cooper Auctioneers founded?
Alex Cooper Auctioneers was founded in 1924. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Alex Cooper Auctioneers based?
Alex Cooper Auctioneers is headquartered in Towson, United States, in the North America region.
How does Alex Cooper Auctioneers make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Auction Commissions (Buyer's Premium) is the primary driver. The others are seller Commissions, estate Appraisal Services and storage Fees.
Does Alex Cooper Auctioneers have an API?
No public API is recorded for Alex Cooper Auctioneers.
What industry is Alex Cooper Auctioneers in?
Alex Cooper Auctioneers's product category is Auction House Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAJAEAB, Commercial Real Estate Auctions, with a secondary code of BPAJAEAF, Foreclosure/REO & Distressed Property Auctions. Its NAICS code is 53121 and its SIC code is 6531.