Estate Sale Management Service
Organize and conduct estate sales for families liquidating property
Overview
Estate sale companies charge 30-45% commission on total sales.
Running 8-20 estate sales monthly generates $150,000-$800,000 annually with 70-85% margins after labor and marketing.
In 2025, Baby Boomers downsizing and estate liquidations create strong demand.
Services include property assessment and pricing, item staging and organization, advertising and marketing, managing sale days (typically 2-3 days), handling transactions, and cleanup.
Successful estate sale managers research pricing thoroughly, stage homes attractively, market to serious buyers and dealers, manage crowds efficiently, maintain honest reputation, and work sensitively with grieving families.
Most sales generate $5,000-$50,000 in revenue (estate sale company keeps 30-45%).
Can work solo or with crew for larger estates.
Marketing through estate sale listing sites (EstateSales.net), local advertising, email lists, and dealer networks.
Required Skills
- Pricing & Valuation
- Organization & Staging
- Marketing
- Crowd Management
- Customer Service
- Negotiation
Pros and Cons
Pros
- High commission rates (30-45%)
- Growing market as Boomers age
- Multiple sales per month possible
- Low overhead business
- Interesting work with varied items
Cons
- Emotionally demanding with grieving families
- Physical demanding setup and cleanup
- Weekend work managing sales
- Unpredictable sale revenue
- Liability for property and items
How to Get Started
- Learn pricing and valuation of household items
- Understand estate sale process and best practices
- Get business insurance and licensing
- Set commission structure (30-45%)
- Market through estate sale listing sites
- Build network of buyers and dealers
- Develop efficient systems for staging and sales
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