Whipple Auction & Realty

What Whipple Auction & Realty does

Whipple Auction & Realty is a third-generation family-owned auction and real estate firm headquartered in Canton, Ohio, founded in 1975 and operating primarily in Northeast Ohio. The company offers two core real estate service lines — "Sell by Auction" (properties sold to the highest bidder through live, simulcast, or online-only events) and "Sell by Listing" (traditional real estate brokerage) — alongside ancillary services including estate auctions, antiques and collectibles auctions, and storage unit lien auctions conducted on behalf of self-storage operators. Supporting infrastructure includes the Lakeshore Auction Center (a physical live-auction venue) and a dedicated online bidding platform at bid.whippleauction.com that supports online-only and online+live simulcast formats.

The company monetizes primarily through transaction-based fees: a 10% buyer's premium on real estate auctions (with 20% down payment on auction day and balance at closing), standard real estate commissions on traditional listings, and for storage unit auctions a flat $35 per-unit fee plus a 15% buyer's premium with a $100 cash cleaning deposit. Go-to-market is sales-led and event-driven, combining direct client engagement for property sellers with online and live auction events for buyers. The company employs 11–50 staff, including multiple members of the Marino family across operations and leadership. Customer base is heavily SMB/individual — homeowners, estate executors, collectors, and storage-unit bidders — with no disclosed enterprise accounts or institutional customers. No proprietary technology stack, AI/ML capabilities, API platform, or external funding has been disclosed. Marketing is multi-channel (website, blog, email newsletter, social media across six platforms, plus print) and the company actively maintains a careers page suggesting modest ongoing hiring.

Name

Whipple Auction & Realty

Legal name

Whipple Auction & Realty

Website

https://whippleauction.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Third-generation family-owned auction and real estate firm in Canton, Ohio (founded 1975) offering traditional listings and auction-based sales of homes, farms, estates, collectibles, and storage units to SMB clients across Northeast Ohio.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Real Estate Auction Services

NAICS

Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (5312)

SIC

Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)

akta.pro primary industry

Residential Real Estate Auctions (BPAJAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Bankruptcy, Probate & Estate Property Auctions (BPAJAEAG), Land & Farm/Ranch Real Estate Auctions (BPAJAEAD)

Keywords

• Real estate auctions
• Auction house services
• Estate liquidations
• Traditional real estate listings
• Online auction bidding

Headquarters

HQ city

Canton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Auction Commissions (Buyer's Premium): The company charges a 10% buyer's premium on real estate auctions, added to the highest bid to establish purchase price. For storage unit auctions, a flat $35 fee per unit plus 15% buyer's premium applies.
2. Real Estate Commissions: Traditional real estate listing and selling services with standard real estate commission structure for properties sold via traditional listing method.
3. Storage Unit Auction Services: Conducts storage unit lien sales on behalf of storage facilities, charging buyer's premiums and flat fees. Property sold to settle unpaid storage fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Whipple Auction & Realty is a full-service auction and real estate firm that sells residential homes, commercial properties, vacant land, estates, antiques, and collectibles through both competitive auctions (live on-site, simulcast, and online-only) and traditional real estate listings. Auction sales close to the highest bidder via the company's own online bidding platform and on-site events; traditional listings follow standard brokerage methods. The firm guides clients from listing through closing with professional auctioneers and realtors, primarily serving Northeast Ohio.

Product overview

Whipple Auction & Realty operates as a full-service auction and real estate firm offering both traditional real estate listings and auction-based property sales. The core offering consists of Sell by Auction and Sell by Listing services, supported by an Online Bidding Platform (bid.whippleauction.com) that enables both online-only and simulcast auctions. Additional services include the Lakeshore Auction Center for live events, Storage Unit Auctions, Estate Auctions, and Personal Property Auctions for antiques and collectibles. The company is a third-generation family business founded in 1975, serving the Northeast Ohio region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sell by Auction Auction-based real estate sales service where properties are sold to the highest bidder through competitive bidding events (live on-site, simulcast online+live, or online-only). Includes a 10% buyer's premium added to the highest bid, with 20% down payment on auction day and balance at closing.
• Sell by Listing Traditional real estate listing service connecting residential and commercial property sellers with buyers through standard market approaches, supported by comprehensive marketing plans and standard real-estate commission structure.
• Online Bidding Platform Dedicated web-based system hosted at bid.whippleauction.com that enables remote bidder registration and online bidding for Whipple auctions, supporting both online-only and simulcast (online + live) auction formats.
• Lakeshore Auction Center Physical auction venue operated by Whipple for conducting live on-site auction events for real estate, estates, and personal property in Northeast Ohio.
• Storage Unit Auctions Online and on-site auctions for abandoned self-storage unit contents conducted on behalf of storage facility clients (e.g., A J Mini Storage) under lien-sale process. Charges a $35 flat fee per unit plus 15% buyer's premium, with a $100 cash cleaning deposit required at pickup.
• Estate Auctions Specialized auction service for estate liquidation, including the sale of residential properties together with household contents and personal property in a coordinated transaction.
• Personal Property Auctions Online-only auctions for antiques, collectibles, vintage toys, video games, and other specialty personal property items offered to individual collectors and resellers in Northeast Ohio.

Quantifiable outcome

• Clients report achieving more than double expected value on estate auctions

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• A J Mini StorageminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWhipple Auction conducts storage unit lien auctions on behalf of A J Mini Storage in Canal Fulton, OH. The auction company manages the sale of abandoned storage units, collecting buyer's premiums and fees while the storage facility handles cleanup deposits.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Kiko Auctioneers: Ohio-based auction firm conducting real estate, estate, and personal property auctions across northern Ohio. Closely comparable in service mix (real estate + estate + collectibles auctions) and regional Ohio footprint.
• Concierge Auctions: National luxury and high-value real estate auction house. Comparable in core real estate auction model but operates at higher price points and national scale, with online bidding as the primary channel.
• Hann Auctioneers / Hann Realty: Ohio-based auction and realty firm offering real estate auctions, estate auctions, and personal property auctions. Highly comparable dual realty+auction model serving a regional Ohio market.
• Dannemiller Realty & Auction: Ohio-based auction and realty firm providing real estate auctions, estate liquidations, and personal property auctions. Closely comparable in service offerings and Ohio regional focus.

Broad incumbents

• Auction.com: Largest online real estate auction marketplace in the U.S., handling residential and distressed property sales. Comparable on the auction mechanism for real estate, but operates nationally at significantly larger scale as an online platform.
• J.P. King Auction Company: Established national auction firm specializing in luxury and unique real estate auctions. Comparable real estate auction model with national reach, but larger scale and more focused on high-value properties.
• United Country Real Estate: National franchise network offering real estate auctions, traditional listings, and specialty property sales. Comparable realty-plus-auction model, with national franchise distribution rather than a single regional operator.
• Zillow Premier Agent / Zillow Offers (historical): Major online residential real estate marketplace connecting sellers and buyers. Tangentially comparable as a competing channel for sellers in Northeast Ohio evaluating traditional listings vs. auction methods.

Emerging players

• Platinum Luxury Auctions: Auction house focused on luxury real estate sales through accelerated marketing and live events. Comparable real estate auction model but focused on the luxury segment rather than the regional mid-market.
• Bid4Assets: Online auction platform for government and tax-sale real estate auctions. Comparable online auction channel for real estate but focused on distressed/government assets rather than regional residential.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/whippleauction
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/WhippleAuctionRealtyIncCanton/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/Whipple.Auction.Realty
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/whipple-auction-&-realty-inc-
• Instagraminstagram.com/whippleauction

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Whipple Auction & Realty