Watts Auctions Realty Appraisals

What Watts Auctions Realty Appraisals does

Watts Auctions Realty Appraisals Inc. is a Central Virginia-based full-service auction, real estate, and appraisal firm founded in 2008 and headquartered in Rustburg, Virginia, with a secondary office in Gretna. The company conducts live and timed online auctions for real estate, equipment, vehicles, timber rights, estates, and personal property, alongside traditional residential, commercial, land, and multifamily real estate brokerage. It also offers professional appraisal services for estates, antiques, and construction, and operates a related property management subsidiary, Watts Property Management.

The technology stack centers on the BidWrangler-powered online bidding platform, accessible via desktop and dedicated iOS and Android mobile applications that enable real-time auction participation. Distribution is augmented by third-party marketplaces AuctionTime and AuctionZip, plus email and SMS alerts via Constant Contact, traditional media (newspaper, radio, television, direct mail), and an active Facebook presence. The company is licensed, insured, and bonded across Virginia and West Virginia, and holds memberships in the National, Virginia, and West Virginia Auctioneers Associations.

Revenue is generated primarily through transaction-based commissions: buyer's premiums of 5% on real estate auctions and 10-13% on personal property auctions, plus seller commissions on real estate transactions and professional fees on appraisals. The customer base spans individual consumers, government agencies, municipalities, dealers, corporations, and nonprofit organizations. The firm is privately held and founder-owned by Charlie Watts, a CAI-certified Broker, Auctioneer, and Real Estate Agent with 25 years of industry experience who sits on the Campbell County Board of Supervisors.

Name

Watts Auctions Realty Appraisals

Legal name

Watts Auction Realty Appraisals Inc.

Website

https://wattsara.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Watts Auctions Realty Appraisals is a Central Virginia-based, founder-owned firm offering live and online auctions, real estate brokerage, appraisals, and timber sales across the Mid-Atlantic, serving individuals, government agencies, dealers, and nonprofits through a BidWrangler-powered bidding platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Auction and real estate services

NAICS

Offices of Real Estate Appraisers (53132), Real Estate Property Managers (53131)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Land & Farm/Ranch Real Estate Auctions (BPAJAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Residential Real Estate Auctions (BPAJAEAA), Bankruptcy, Probate & Estate Property Auctions (BPAJAEAG), Real Estate Valuation & Appraisal (BPAHANAC)

Keywords

• Auction services
• Real estate brokerage
• Property appraisals
• Timber sales marketing
• Online auctions

Headquarters

HQ city

Rustburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Auction Services: Commissions from conducting auctions, including buyer's premiums (typically 10-13%) and seller commissions on personal property and real estate auctions
2. Real Estate Sales: Commissions from residential, commercial, and land real estate sales and auctions
3. Appraisal Services: Professional appraisals for estates, equipment, liquidations, antiques, and construction
4. Timber Sales: Timber sales and marketing services including direct and sealed bid sales for timber resources

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Watts Auctions Realty Appraisals is a full-service auction and real estate company that conducts live and timed online auctions for real estate, equipment, vehicles, and personal property, and also handles residential, commercial, land, timber, and multifamily real estate sales. It additionally provides professional appraisal services for estates, equipment, liquidations, antiques, and construction, along with timber sales/marketing and (via related entity Watts Property Management) property management services in Central Virginia and surrounding states.

Product overview

Watts Auctions Realty Appraisals Inc. is a full-service auction and real estate company offering a unified platform combining auction services, real estate sales, and property appraisals. The core offering includes the Watts Auctions Platform for live and online auctions across multiple categories (real estate, equipment, vehicles, personal property), supported by Real Estate Listings for residential, commercial, land, and multifamily properties. Additional services include Charity Auctions for fundraising events, Consignment Auctions for individual sellers, Appraisal Services, Timber Sales and Marketing, Watts Property Management, and Government Services. The company also provides mobile applications for iOS and Android. The business has operated since 2008 and serves Central Virginia and surrounding states.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Watts Property Management: Property management services operated by the company, with separate website wattspropertymanagement.com

Products and services

• Watts Auctions Platform Full-service auction platform offering live and timed online auctions for real estate, equipment, vehicles, and personal property across Central Virginia and surrounding states; accessed via the company website and mobile apps.
• Real Estate Listings (Residential, Commercial, Land and Timber, Multifamily) Residential, commercial, land and timber, and multifamily real estate listing and sales services operating throughout Central Virginia, including sold listings tracking.
• Timber Sales and Marketing Timber sales services including direct and sealed bid sales, managed by a full-time timber professional to maximize returns for timber resources across Central Virginia.

Quantifiable outcome

• Raised over $97,000 at a single charity event

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BidWranglercoreTechnology or IntegrationPlatform powering the company's online auction bidding system. BidWrangler provides the technology infrastructure for online auctions, bidder registration, and real-time bidding functionality.
• AuctionTimecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuctionTime.com is a marketplace where Watts Auctions lists their weekly auctions, providing additional distribution and buyer reach.
• AuctionZipminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuction directory where upcoming auctions are listed to reach additional buyer audiences.
• National Auctioneers Association (NAA)coreOthersProfessional association membership providing credibility, networking, and industry standards alignment.
• Virginia Auctioneers Association (VAA)coreOthersState professional association membership for Virginia auctioneers with awards and recognition programs.
• West Virginia Auctioneers Association (WVAA)minorOthersRegional professional association membership covering West Virginia operations.
• Certified Auctioneers Institute (CAI)coreOthersProfessional certification body for auctioneers. Owner Charlie Watts is CAI certified.
• Watts Property ManagementcoreOthersRelated company under the Watts brand providing property management services, managed by Crystal Smith.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Auction.com: Large national online real estate auction marketplace for foreclosure, bank-owned, and residential/commercial investment properties. Represents the scaled digital incumbent competing for the same online real estate auction demand.
• Xome: National real estate auction platform offering online and live auctions for residential, foreclosure, and bank-owned inventory. Comparable transaction-based auction model but operating at much greater scale and geographic breadth.
• Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (RB Global): Global leader in equipment, fleet, and asset auctions with online marketplace IronPlanet. Overlaps directly with Watts ARA's equipment and fleet liquidation auction services, but at vastly larger scale and with proprietary technology.

Emerging players

• Heritage Auctions: Large collectibles, estate, and antique auction house with an online bidding platform and mobile apps. Overlaps with Watts ARA's estate, antique, and collectible personal property auction services.

Direct peers

• Tranzon Asset Advisors: Network of regional real estate auction companies handling residential, land, farm, foreclosure, and bankruptcy asset dispositions. Closely comparable mid-sized competitor combining real estate auctions with asset-specific services in a regional model.
• J.P. King Auction Company: Specialized real estate auction firm conducting live and online auctions of residential, commercial, land, and farm properties across the U.S. Comparable to Watts ARA in both real estate auction focus and use of multi-channel marketing to reach regional bidder pools.
• United Country Real Estate: National franchise network specializing in country, rural, farm, ranch, and timber real estate sales and auctions. Directly comparable land and farm specialty that competes for the same rural Virginia seller base.
• Williams Auction Group: Real estate auction firm handling absolute and reserve auctions for residential, commercial, land, and ranch properties. Similar full-service real estate auction value proposition with online and live bidding capabilities.

Regional players

• McLemore Auction Company: Mid-Atlantic-focused auctioneer handling real estate, estate, and personal property auctions across Virginia and surrounding states. Closest regional peer to Watts ARA in both geography and service mix.

Others

• Coldwell Banker Commercial / SVN / NAI Global (local affiliates): National commercial real estate brokerages with regional Virginia affiliates handling commercial and land sales. Adjacent competitors for commercial listing and brokerage mandates that Watts ARA also pursues.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cwattsrealestate
• Xx.com/charlieawatts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/watts-auction-realty-appraisals-inc-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Watts Auctions Realty Appraisals