Auctioneers

Auctioneers often travel to an assignment, where they may encounter a wide range of working conditions. Auctions are held year-round. They take place in cities and small towns and occur in all types of weather. Auctioneers may work inside in a large hall or outside during a state fair. The type of goods being sold may also dictate their working conditions. For instance, farm equipment is commonly sold outdoors on the site of the owner's farm, while fine art is sold in a climate-controlled hall or large room.

The length of an auction varies by the type of item being sold, the event format, and other factors. The National Auction Association says that in a traditional live auction setting, excluding real estate, auctioneers "typically take 20 seconds to 2 minutes to sell lots. Items might be sold more quickly if: the bidders are professional buyers, the relative value of the items is well known and established, or the items are inexpensive." It also says that real estate auctions can last anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour, but several hours to complete if multiple parcels or tracts of land are offered individually and in combination. Benefit auctions or auctions that are part of a fundraising gala event often take longer because they are presented as a form of entertainment for the attendees and because bidders might be unaccustomed to auctions and the bidding process.

Auctioneers may also work online and sell goods through auction websites rather than in a traditional large hall or outside work environment.

Auctioneers who work in off-line work environments often are provided with a podium and a microphone, which are especially important at large auctions, which can draw more than 2,000 people. This allows the auctioneer to keep the crowd's attention when the noise and activity level become distracting or stressful.