Most families hire an estate sale company once, under time pressure, after a death or a move. A short process makes the choice clearer: talk to more than one company, ask each the same questions, and compare the answers in writing.
Call two or three companies
Ask each to walk through the home. A good company will look at what’s there, tell you honestly whether a sale makes sense, and suggest alternatives if it doesn’t, such as an auction, consignment or a buyout.
Ask the same questions
- How many sales have you run in this area in the past year?
- What’s your commission, and on what total?
- What other fees apply, and is there a minimum?
- Who supervises the sale day, and how do you handle security?
- When will I be paid, and what will the final statement show?
- What happens to unsold items, and who pays for removal?
- May I speak with two families you’ve worked for recently?
Check what they tell you
If a company mentions insurance, bonding or a credential, ask for the paperwork and check it with the issuer. Shopper reviews tell you about sale days. Ask for references from families who hired them.
Visit a sale
If you can, go to one of their public sales. You’ll see how they stage, price and treat shoppers in someone else’s home.
Get it in writing
Before you sign, make sure the agreement lists the commission, every fee, the sale dates, access to the house, payment timing and what happens to leftovers.
The companies on this site work across Central Texas. When you call, please say “Joel from Fairhaven Design sent me.”
Based on EstateSales.NET’s guide to choosing a company, checked November 8, 2026.