Introducing Private Auctions: Invite-Only Bidding for Brokers
· MSP Disposal Team · 7 min read
Not every deal belongs on the open floor. Private Auctions let approved brokers run invite-only sales, keep sensitive inventory off the public list, and bring their own trusted buyers to the table. Here's how it works and why it matters.
Some Deals Are Meant to Stay Private
Public auctions are great for creating competition and moving inventory fast. But they aren't the right fit for every deal. Sometimes a broker is working sensitive inventory, honoring an exclusivity agreement, or simply wants to run a sale in front of a hand-picked group of trusted buyers instead of the entire marketplace.
That's exactly what Private Auctions are built for. It's a new capability that lets approved brokers run invite-only auctions that stay completely off the public radar — visible only to the people they choose.
How It Works
Private Auctions introduce a simple, permission-based model layered on top of the auctions you already know.
1. Licensed Brokers Become Creators
A Super Admin designates which brokers are licensed to create private auctions. Once a broker is enabled as a licensee, they can flag any auction they create as private with a single toggle. No extra setup, no separate workflow — the same auction screen, with a new switch.
2. Bidders Are Tied to the Creator, Not the Auction
Instead of managing an access list for every single auction, access is granted at the broker level. A creator maintains one list of approved bidders, and those bidders can participate across all of that creator's private auctions. Add a buyer once, and they're set for every private sale that broker runs.
3. Private Means Private
A private auction is invisible to anyone who isn't the creator, an admin, or an approved bidder. It won't appear in public auction lists or search. If an unauthorized user lands on the link directly, they're met with a clear "you don't have access" message rather than a dead end — and pointed toward support if they think that's a mistake.
When a broker attaches a lot to a private auction, that lot automatically becomes private too — and private lots are hidden everywhere. They don't show up in search, on the homepage, in the public lots list, in recommendations, or in category counts. The only people who can see a private lot are the creator and their approved bidders. Private lot update emails follow the same rule, reaching approved bidders only, never the full user base.
Bring Your Own Buyers — Even If They're Not on the Platform Yet
One of the most useful parts of Private Auctions is that a broker isn't limited to buyers who already have accounts. Creators can invite bidders directly by email.
- If the invited buyer already has an account, they're added to the approved list instantly.
- If they're new, they receive a branded invitation email with a secure signup link that expires in 7 days.
- Once they complete signup, they're automatically linked to the broker who invited them and promoted to a broker account — no manual reconciliation needed.
This means a broker can bring their existing relationships onto the platform and into a live deal in minutes.
Keeping Everyone in the Loop
Communication around private auctions is handled automatically, and only approved bidders receive it. Depending on what happens with the auction, the right email goes out to the right people:
- Scheduled — When a private auction is created with a future date, approved bidders get a heads-up with the scheduled date.
- Auction is live — When the broker makes the auction live, bidders are notified immediately that bidding is open.
- Date changed — If the auction date moves, everyone on the list is kept informed so no one misses the sale.
Each email carries the same branded look and feel as the rest of the platform, complete with lot previews so bidders know exactly what's coming up.
Built for the Way Brokers Actually Work
Private Auctions were designed around real broker workflows:
- Licensees manage their own world. A licensed broker can create private auctions, see and edit their own auctions, view their own completed sales in the Past Auctions tab, and select only the lots assigned to them.
- Clear visual cues. Auction lists mark private auctions with badges, and distinguish your own private auctions from those belonging to other creators.
- Easy filtering. A dedicated filter lets you focus on private auctions when you need to.
- Fine-grained access. Only licensee brokers get expanded permissions — the rest of the platform's access rules stay exactly as they were.
Who Should Use Private Auctions?
Private Auctions are a strong fit for brokers who:
- Handle sensitive or high-value inventory that shouldn't be publicly listed
- Have exclusivity or confidentiality obligations with sellers
- Maintain their own network of trusted buyers
- Want to test pricing with a select group before a wider release
Getting Started
If you're a broker interested in running private auctions, reach out to have your account enabled as a licensee. Once you're set up, creating a private auction is as simple as flipping a toggle, building your bidder list, and inviting your buyers. The platform handles the rest — the privacy, the notifications, and the access control — so you can focus on closing the deal.
Private Auctions bring the discretion of an off-market sale together with the efficiency of a modern auction platform. For brokers who value control over who's in the room, it's a powerful new way to do business.