Higgenbotham Auctioneers International
Higgenbotham Auctioneers International, founded in 1959 in Lakeland, FL, is a privately held full-service auction firm conducting real estate and personal property auctions across all 50 U.S. states for government, corporate, financial, and individual clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1959
- HeadquartersFlorida, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Higgenbotham Auctioneers International does
Higgenbotham Auctioneers International, Ltd, Inc. is a privately held, full-service auction company founded in 1959 by Martin ("Marty") E. Higgenbotham and headquartered at 2200 Ewell Rd in Lakeland, Florida, with an additional Lakeland office at 1629 Shepherd Rd. The firm conducts auctions of commercial and residential real estate—including homes, condominiums, industrial properties, retail buildings, development sites, land, ranches and farms—alongside personal property auctions covering firearms, antiques, equipment, vehicles, aircraft, coins, and business liquidations, and operates a complementary sub-brand, Higgenbotham Real Estate, for traditional brokerage, 1031 exchanges, and self-directed IRA transactions. The seller base spans private estate owners, landowners, government agencies, financial institutions, and corporate clients, with documented mandates from Missouri Department of Transportation, State of Kansas Department of Administration, Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority, State of Oregon, Jackson County (MO), International Paper, and Crutchfield Groves.
The firm's technology infrastructure centers on an auction event management platform with internet bidding, simulcast capability combining live and online formats, iOS and Android mobile applications, a category-keyword SMS notification system (Firearms, PersonalProperty, Residential, Commercial, Estate, Land at 800-817-3658), and an email newsletter. Distribution runs through live on-site auctions, online-only events, simulcast events, phone bidding, and a Broker Participation Program that engages licensed real estate agents as channel partners. Information coordinators assemble pre-event transactional marketing reports tracking buyer contact activity and advertising performance.
Revenue is generated on a transaction basis: seller's commission established as a percentage of gross sale price per listing agreement, a 10% buyer's premium added to the winning bid in most auctions, charged marketing services for some engagements, and broker commissions paid out of gross transaction value upon closing. The company is family-controlled with no external investors and reports 11–50 employees, positioning itself within the input data as 'one of the largest auction firms in America' with thousands of auctions conducted over 67 years of continuous operation.
Higgenbotham Auctioneers International firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Higgenbotham Auctioneers International
- Legal name
- Higgenbotham Auctioneers International Ltd, Inc
- Website
- https://higgenbotham.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1959
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Higgenbotham Auctioneers International, founded in 1959 in Lakeland, FL, is a privately held full-service auction firm conducting real estate and personal property auctions across all 50 U.S. states for government, corporate, financial, and individual clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Higgenbotham Auctioneers International industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Auction Services
- NAICS
- Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (53121)
- SIC
- Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Residential Real Estate Auctions (BPAJAEAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Land & Farm/Ranch Real Estate Auctions (BPAJAEAD), Bankruptcy, Probate & Estate Property Auctions (BPAJAEAG), Industrial Real Estate Auctions (BPAJAEAC), Luxury & High-Value Property Auctions (BPAJAEAE), Foreclosure/REO & Distressed Property Auctions (BPAJAEAF), Development Site & Entitlement/Planned Community Auctions (BPAJAEAI)
Keywords
Where Higgenbotham Auctioneers International is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Florida
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Higgenbotham Auctioneers International business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Auction Commissions (Seller-Side): Auctioneer's commission fee paid by the seller, established as a percentage of the gross selling price per the listing agreement. Sellers may receive NO Seller Commissions in certain promotional events.
- Buyer's Premium: Percentage added to the winning bid price to determine total purchase price. In most auctions, a 10% buyer's premium is added to the hammer price.
- Marketing Services: Marketing expenses may be charged to sellers for advertising campaigns designed to attract qualified buyers and maximize property exposure.
- Broker Participation Commission: Commission shared with licensed real estate brokers who properly register clients for auctions, paid upon successful closing.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Buyer's Premium - 10% of hammer price |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Real Estate Auction Deposit - $10,000 |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Broker Participation Commission - Varies by auction |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels7 records
Higgenbotham Auctioneers International product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Higgenbotham Auctioneers International is a full-service auction company that markets and sells real estate (commercial, residential, vacant land, ranches), personal property (antiques, collectibles, jewelry, firearms), estates, and business assets on behalf of sellers. It executes auctions through three formats — live on-site, online, and simulcast — and provides ancillary services such as estate buyouts, appraisals, charity auctions, and broker participation commissions to cooperating real-estate agents.
Product overview
Higgenbotham Auctioneers International operates as a full-service auction company with a multi-product portfolio centered on the auction method of sale. The core offering comprises Real Estate Auctions (commercial, residential, industrial, land, ranches/farms) and Personal Property Auctions (firearms, antiques, vehicles, business liquidations), supplemented by Online Auctions for remote participation and Charity Auctions for fundraising events. The company also operates Higgenbotham Real Estate as a subsidiary for traditional sales, offering complementary services such as 1031 exchanges and IRA self-directed purchases. Property types span High Rise Office Towers, Big Box Retail, Walmart Supercenter Outlets, waterfront tracts, condominiums, executive homes, warehouses, schools, museums, lodges, estates, coins/currency, aircraft, and vehicles.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Higgenbotham Real Estate: A complete real estate solutions company assisting clients with traditional business and real estate sales, including commercial and investment property evaluation, 1031 exchanges, and self-directed IRA transactions.
Products and services
- Real Estate Auctions Auction services for commercial, residential, vacant land, and ranch property executed as live on-site, online, or simulcast auctions. Sold through Higgenbotham Real Estate (the in-house brokerage) for sellers including government agencies, financial institutions, estates, and individual owners.
- Personal Property Auctions Auction of individual personal-property items — antiques, collectibles, jewelry, and contents — for estates, individuals, and businesses.
- Firearms Auctions Auction of firearms conducted under the firm's Federal Firearms License, with in-house transfer handling as part of both online and live firearms auctions.
- Estate Buyouts and Estate Liquidation Services Liquidation of estate contents through either an outright buyout or scheduled auction, designed for executors, heirs, and probate attorneys needing to convert estate assets to cash.
- Business Liquidations End-to-end liquidation of operating-business assets — equipment, fixtures, vehicles, inventory, and owned real estate — for owners exiting or restructuring a business.
- Charity / Benefit Auctions Fundraising auction service for nonprofit organizations, providing a licensed auctioneer, on-site event support, online or simulcast bidding, and post-event settlement.
- Online & Simulcast Auctions Bidding channel offered across the firm's asset classes, enabling registered bidders to participate in real-time via the company's online platform and mobile apps, either as standalone online auctions or as simulcasts of live events.
- Multi-Property Auctions Single-event auction that bundles multiple properties — typically from government inventory, lender portfolios, or large estates — to maximize bidder turnout and competitive pricing across the pool.
- Higgenbotham Real Estate (In-House Brokerage) Real-estate brokerage operated in-house by the auction company, allowing sellers to bundle traditional representation and auction disposition through a single firm and eliminating the need to engage separate brokers.
Quantifiable outcome
- Missouri DOT sale achieved $3.2 million, exceeding broker's opinion of value by over 14%
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Higgenbotham Auctioneers International
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles7 records
Higgenbotham Auctioneers International technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Higgenbotham Auctioneers International partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Kaufman Realty & AuctionsminorCo-marketing partnership on multi-property auction events. Kaufman Realty & Auctions is listed as 'In Cooperation with' on certain auction events, working jointly to promote and conduct auctions.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Higgenbotham Auctioneers International competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Heritage Auctions: Large US auction house with growing real estate and estate-liquidation offerings alongside collectibles, firearms, and luxury items. Comparable in firearms and personal property auction verticals where Higgenbotham is also active.
- Bonhams: Global auction house with a developed luxury and estate property auction practice. Tangentially comparable in luxury and estate auction services, though core focus is fine art and collectibles rather than real estate disposition.
- Bid4Assets: Online government and tax-default real estate auction platform serving federal, state, and county sellers. Comparable in the government/REO auction segment and as a tech-enabled alternative channel to live auction methods.
Broad incumbents
- Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (RB Global): Global auction leader focused on industrial equipment, trucks, and farm machinery, with growing real estate adjacent activity. Comparable as a broad incumbent auctioneer, though core product mix is industrial rather than real estate.
- United Country Real Estate: Large franchise-style real estate network with a significant auction-focused division (United Country Auction Services). Comparable in auction services for land, ranches, and estates, but offers a much wider traditional brokerage portfolio.
Direct peers
- J.P. King Auction Company: Long-standing US real estate auction firm (founded 1915) conducting residential, commercial, and land auctions nationwide. Highly comparable in business model, customer base, and auction method of sale to Higgenbotham.
- Tranzon: Network of regional real estate auction companies offering residential, land, and commercial auctions. Directly comparable in operating model, target sellers (estates, financial institutions, government), and auction method.
- Concierge Auctions: Large luxury and high-value real estate auction marketplace, particularly active in residential and commercial luxury assets. Comparable as a direct competitor in the high-end auction segment where Higgenbotham also operates.
- Ten-X (Auction.com): Online real estate auction marketplace offering residential, commercial, and foreclosure/REO auctions at scale via digital platform. Direct peer in the real estate auction vertical with greater technology scale and broader seller aggregation.
- Williams & Williams (W&W Auctions): Real estate auction firm specializing in foreclosure/REO, land, and residential auctions with live and online bidding. Comparable in product mix (especially distressed and government dispositions) and GTM model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Higgenbotham Auctioneers International social profiles
Digital presenceHiggenbotham Auctioneers International financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Higgenbotham Auctioneers International leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Higgenbotham Auctioneers International funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Higgenbotham Auctioneers International 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 Higgenbotham Auctioneers International
What does Higgenbotham Auctioneers International do?
Higgenbotham Auctioneers International is a full-service auction company that markets and sells real estate (commercial, residential, vacant land, ranches), personal property (antiques, collectibles, jewelry, firearms), estates, and business assets on behalf of sellers. It executes auctions through three formats — live on-site, online, and simulcast — and provides ancillary services such as estate buyouts, appraisals, charity auctions, and broker participation commissions to cooperating real-estate agents.
Is Higgenbotham Auctioneers International a public or private company?
Higgenbotham Auctioneers International is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Higgenbotham Auctioneers International founded?
Higgenbotham Auctioneers International was founded in 1959. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Higgenbotham Auctioneers International based?
Higgenbotham Auctioneers International is headquartered in Florida, United States, in the North America region.
How does Higgenbotham Auctioneers International make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Auction Commissions (Seller-Side) is the primary driver. The others are buyer's Premium, marketing Services and broker Participation Commission.
Who are Higgenbotham Auctioneers International's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Heritage Auctions, Bonhams and Bid4Assets. Broad incumbents are Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (RB Global) and United Country Real Estate. Direct peers are J.P. King Auction Company, Tranzon, Concierge Auctions, Ten-X (Auction.com) and Williams & Williams (W&W Auctions).
Does Higgenbotham Auctioneers International have an API?
No public API is recorded for Higgenbotham Auctioneers International.
What industry is Higgenbotham Auctioneers International in?
Higgenbotham Auctioneers International's product category is Auction Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAJAEAA, Residential Real Estate Auctions, with a secondary code of BPAJAEAD, Land & Farm/Ranch Real Estate Auctions. Its NAICS code is 53121 and its SIC code is 6531.