Carr Auction & Real Estate

What Carr Auction & Real Estate does

Carr Auction & Real Estate, Inc. is a privately-held, family-owned auction and real estate brokerage founded in 1965 in Larned, Kansas by Larry Carr. The company conducts live real estate auctions (residential, commercial, and agricultural land) and personal property auctions (farm machinery, firearms, coins, antiques, collectibles, and household goods) across at least 11 Kansas counties, and operates a separate sub-brand, F&E Auto Auction, for classic automobiles. Supporting services include professional appraisals for real estate, minerals, farm machinery, firearms, vehicles, antiques, and household contents.

The technology layer is modest: a WordPress-based marketing and listings website (carrauction.com) integrated with the Proxibid online bidding platform for real-time remote participation, supplemented by an iContact-based segmented email newsletter and a property photo cataloging workflow. Infrastructure includes a 40,000 sq ft indoor auction gallery on a two city-block highway location in Larned and a sales branch in Pratt, Kansas. The 8 full-time and 10-15 part-time staff are led by President/Owner Jim Froetschner and Broker Chris Froetschner, with a 7+ agent real estate team that completes 100+ transactions annually.

Revenue is generated through three transaction-fee streams: commissions on personal property and real estate auctions, commissions on residential, commercial, and agricultural real estate sales, and fees for professional appraisals. Go-to-market combines event-driven live auctions, sales-led brokerage, and direct-to-consumer online bidding via Proxibid, supported by multi-channel advertising in High Plains Journal, Fastline catalog, regional newspapers, and direct mail to an established customer database. Ownership transferred from founders Larry and Marlene Carr to Jim and Tammy Froetschner in 2000, and the business continues to operate under Froetschner family leadership.

Name

Carr Auction & Real Estate

Legal name

Carr Auction & Real Estate, Inc.

Website

https://carrauction.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Carr Auction & Real Estate is a Kansas-based, family-owned auction and brokerage firm founded in 1965 that conducts live real estate and personal property auctions, traditional real estate sales, and appraisals for farmers, estate executors, and rural property buyers across multiple Kansas counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Auction and Real Estate Brokerage Services

NAICS

Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (53121), Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (5312)

SIC

Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531), Real Estate (6500)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAJAEAD

Land & Farm/Ranch Real Estate Auctions

Business & Public Services/Real Estate Services (Brokerage, Property Management)/Real Estate Auction Services

SECONDARYBPAJAEAA

Residential Real Estate Auctions

Business & Public Services/Real Estate Services (Brokerage, Property Management)/Real Estate Auction Services

SECONDARYBPAJAEAB

Commercial Real Estate Auctions

Business & Public Services/Real Estate Services (Brokerage, Property Management)/Real Estate Auction Services

SECONDARYFSAEAJAL

Real Estate Auction Services

Financial & Insurance/Financial Advisory, Brokerage & Intermediation/Real Estate Advisory & Brokerage

SECONDARYFSAEAJAG

Real Estate Buyer Representation

Financial & Insurance/Financial Advisory, Brokerage & Intermediation/Real Estate Advisory & Brokerage

Keywords

• Real estate auctions
• Personal property auctions
• Appraisal services
• Farmland sales
• Estate liquidations

Headquarters

HQ city

Larned

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Auction Commissions: Commission-based fees on personal property and real estate auctions. Sellers pay commission on sale proceeds; buyer premiums may apply for online auctions (9% sales tax charged, no buyer's premium for onsite attendees)
2. Real Estate Sales Commissions: Traditional real estate agent commissions on residential, commercial, and land sales. Company completes over 100 real estate transactions per year.
3. Appraisal Fees: Fees for professional appraisals of real estate and personal property including residential, land, minerals (oil and gas), commercial, farm machinery, firearms, coins, antiques, vehicles, and household contents

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Carr Auction & Real Estate conducts live and online auctions for real estate and personal property across Kansas, supported by traditional real estate brokerage and professional appraisal services. The company operates a 40,000 sq ft auction gallery in Larned plus a branch office in Pratt, serving farmers, estate executors, and property owners with farm machinery, firearms, antiques, residential, commercial, and agricultural land transactions. It also operates F&E Auto Auction as a sub-brand for classic automobiles.

Product overview

Carr Auction & Real Estate operates as a full-service auction and real estate company serving Kansas since 1965. The core offerings consist of two main service lines: Real Estate Auctions (conducting live auctions for residential, commercial, and agricultural land properties) and Personal Property Auctions (selling farm machinery, firearms, coins, antiques, collectibles, and household items). Supporting these auction services are appraisal services for both real estate and personal property. The company also operates a separate sub-brand, F&E Auto Auction, for classic automobiles. The company completes over 100 real estate transactions annually with licensed professionals who have over 125 combined years of experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• F&E Auto Auction: Classic automobile auction service operated by the company, accessible at feclassiccarauction.com

Products and services

• Real Estate Auctions Live auction services for residential, commercial, and agricultural real estate properties, including farmland, homes, and commercial buildings across Kansas counties. Targets landowners and investors seeking liquidation events.
• Personal Property Auctions Auctions for personal property including farm machinery, firearms, coins, antiques, collectibles, household items, furniture, and appliances. Targets individuals, estates, and collectors.
• Residential Real Estate Sales Listing and selling of residential homes across Kansas with licensed real estate agents; completes over 100 residential and rural property transactions annually.
• Commercial Real Estate Sales Commercial and industrial property sales including retail spaces, warehouses, and business locations across Kansas. Targets business owners and investors.
• Agricultural Land Sales Sales of farmland, cropland, pastureland, and irrigated land across multiple Kansas counties via private listings and auction. Targets farmers, ranchers, and landowners.
• Appraisal Services Comprehensive appraisal services for real estate and personal property including residential, land, minerals (oil and gas), commercial, farm machinery, firearms, coins, antiques, vehicles, and household contents. Targets individuals, attorneys, and estate executors.
• F&E Auto Auction Classic automobile auction services operated as a separate sub-brand of Carr Auction & Real Estate. Targets classic car collectors and enthusiasts.

Quantifiable outcome

• 7,000+ website hits for a single farm machinery auction event
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Kansas Association of REALTORsminorOthersProfessional association membership providing REALTOR credentials and network access for real estate professionals
• National Auctioneers AssociationminorOthersProfessional auctioneer association membership providing industry credentials, standards, and network connections
• Kansas Auctioneers AssociationminorOthersState-level auctioneer association membership for Kansas-based auction professionals
• REALTORminorOthersNational real estate professional association membership providing branding and credentials for licensed real estate agents
• ProxibidcoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline auction bidding platform integration enabling real-time remote participation in Carr Auction events. Bidders can bid prior to or during live auctions through the Proxibid portal.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BigIron Auctions: Online agricultural and heavy equipment auction platform conducting farm machinery, land, and livestock auctions. Direct competitor in farm/land auctions with a national digital audience, contrasting Carr's regional in-person model.
• Whitetail Properties Real Estate: Specialist brokerage focused on hunting, farm, ranch, and rural recreational land across the Midwest and beyond. Comparable target customer (rural landowners), product (farm/land transactions), and Kansas/Midwest geography.
• Sullivan Auctioneers: Midwest-based full-service auction house conducting farm equipment, land, and personal property auctions with online bidding. Closely comparable to Carr in service mix, geography (Iowa/Illinois/Missouri), and traditional auction + online hybrid model.
• United Country Real Estate: National franchise network specializing in rural, farm, ranch, and country properties with auction services. Comparable in rural real estate brokerage and auction offering, though with a franchise versus independent operating model.
• DreamDirt Auction Services: Iowa-based auction company specializing in farmland, farm machinery, and estate liquidations with online bidding. Comparable Midwest auctioneer serving rural agricultural clients with hybrid live/online formats.

Broad incumbents

• LandWatch: National online marketplace for rural land, farms, ranches, and hunting properties. Comparable listing and lead-generation channel for farm/land transactions, though operating as a digital listing platform rather than a brokerage/auctioneer.
• Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers: Global, publicly-traded auctioneer of heavy equipment, trucks, and agricultural machinery with a dominant online platform. Overlaps with Carr in farm equipment auctions but operates at vastly larger scale and global reach.

Emerging players

• Machinery Pete: Aggregator and pricing reference for farm equipment listings and auctions across the U.S. Comparable in farm machinery category, with a digital/data angle that could draw bidders and consignors away from regional auctioneers.
• TractorHouse: Online marketplace for new and used farm equipment, including auction listings. Adjacent competitor for farm machinery consignments and a channel where Carr's sellers may cross-list inventory.

Regional players

• Schmalzried Auction Service: Regional Midwest auction firm conducting farm machinery, estate, and personal property auctions. Comparable operating model and customer base to Carr but primarily serves different counties/states.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CarrAuction

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Carr Auction & Real Estate