I knew before I started the Crutchfield Estate Distribution Auction that I wanted to begin with the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer. Our country is in dire straits, and I believe we all need to be seeking common ground and God’s blessings for all in every effort.
I introduced the Crutchfield family we were working for to the audience. They have been supporters of the Sebring community for many years. The auction’s success was personal for us, as we have great respect for the family, and we wanted the community to have that same sense. Our Higgenbotham Auction crew had a single purpose, and it was to provide the family with the retirement of their dreams!
The Crutchfield Auction of 1,483-plus acres of grove was offered in 75 tracts that included development land in Highlands County and a majority of them being offered as absolute properties.
The auction was properly advertised, with multiple avenues of advertising utilized. This was a complicated sale, so details were of the utmost importance. We began with the direct mailing of hard copy brochures using our in-house mailing list created over 62 years of marketing by the auction method of sales.
We tailored the marketing with direct mail, social media, newsprint, radio advertising, and my favorite — personal visits and direct phone calls to known investors/buyers many of whom have become buyers/friends over the years. Finally, we sent a text reminder of the actual sale time and location.
The buyers on our mailing list responded from all over America, we had both online and in-person bidders amounting to more than 200 registered involved buyers.
When the dust settled, more than $22 million in property was sold in less than four hours at the lovely historic Circle Theatre. (Kudos to Harry and his Theatre staff!)
The accelerated auction method of marketing facilitated 75 properties changing hands efficiently at fair market value. The buyers came from as far as Wisconsin, Missouri, Georgia, California, New York, and all over Florida to attend one of the largest auctions conducted in Florida in the past 20 years.
This sale proved again something that I have known for more than 62 years: If you advertise the property will be sold at absolute auction, the buyers will respond. Those of us in the auction industry understand this is not a secret, but rather a secret weapon to maximize the profit return for our clients. We were so blessed that the community of buyers understood the property values and bid accordingly!
Our next sale is a fun Fall Firearms & Ammunition sale on September 24 at our ranch at 2200 Ewell Road in Lakeland. See you at the auction!
This column is sponsored by Higgenbotham Auctioneers International, Ltd., and the opinions expressed herein may not reflect those of CFAN or of its advertisers.
BIO: Marty Higgenbotham, founder and president of Higgenbotham Auctioneers International, Ltd., has conducted approximately 12,000 auctions, selling everything from cemetery lots to shopping centers. He graduated from Reisch Auction College in 1959. Since then, he has sold in 49 states and five foreign countries. Clients include Wal-Mart, AutoZone, HUD, and the states of Kansas, Missouri, Texas, and Florida.
