Live Auction Software for Auction Houses

A clerk console for the room, real-time online bidding for everyone else, phone and absentee bids executed in the same call.
Circuit Auction's live auction software runs the sale on your own website and invoices the buyers the moment the hammer falls.

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Every Bidder in One Live Sale

A live auction has four kinds of bidder: the room, the phones, the absentee book and the internet. Live auction software earns its place when all four compete on equal terms, in the same second, with the clerk seeing one clear picture. That is what Circuit's clerk console is built for, and because the bidding page is on your own website, the internet bidders are your clients, not a marketplace's.

Room, Phone, Absentee & Online in Sync

The clerk records room and phone bids, the platform executes absentee bids, and online bids arrive in real time. One console, one price, no bidder left behind.

Your Website, Your Bidders

Online bidders register and bid on your domain. No marketplace commission on the hammer, no third-party branding on the bidding page, and the bidder list belongs to you.

Hammer to Invoice in Seconds

Each hammer price is recorded against the buyer as it happens. Invoices with premium, tax and shipping are ready when the sale ends, not the next morning.

Built for Collectibles Sales

Fast lot pace, bidding limits per client, phone bidder cards for important collectors and increments that follow your auction house's own table.

Live Auction Software Features

What the clerk, the auctioneer and the online bidder each see

Clerk Console

Current lot, asking price, next increment, pending absentee bids and incoming online bids on one screen. Record a room or phone bid with a keystroke, pass or withdraw a lot, and reopen a lot if the auctioneer needs to.

Real-Time Online Bidding

Online bidders see the lot, the price and the auctioneer's stream on your website and bid with one click from desktop or phone. Their bid reaches the clerk in the same instant, with the bidder's limit and history alongside it.

Absentee Bid Execution

Maximum bids left before the sale are executed by the platform during the call, one increment at a time up to the limit. Mail, email and phone bids are imported into the same book.

Phone Bidder Cards

Digital cards for each phone bidder with client details, requested lots and limits. Staff on the phones see which lines are connected and active, and phone bids are recorded against the right client.

Registration, Approval & Limits

Approve online bidders before the sale, assign paddle numbers and set limits per client. The clerk sees the limit when an online bid needs a decision. Registrations feed the auction house CRM automatically.

Invoicing & Settlement Built In

Hammer prices flow to buyer invoices in the buyer's currency, card payments are collected, shipping is arranged and consignor statements are generated from the same results. Underbidders are recorded for follow-up.

How a Live Sale Runs on Circuit

1. Before the Sale

The catalog is published on your website with AI-assisted descriptions and estimates. Bidders register and are approved with limits. Absentee bids and phone bid requests are collected. Category alerts tell collectors about lots in their field.

2. Sale Day

The auctioneer calls the sale. The clerk records room and phone bids in the console while online bids arrive in real time and absentee bids are executed automatically. Online bidders follow the stream and the ticker on your site.

3. The Hammer

Each result is recorded against the buyer, with the underbidder noted. Passed and withdrawn lots are marked. The sale total, buyer list and consignor results are complete when the last lot closes.

4. After the Sale

Invoices go out, payments are taken, shipping labels are produced and consignors get statements. Every bidder's activity is on their CRM record, ready for the next catalog.

Live Bidding on Your Site vs. a Marketplace

Many auction houses run their live sale through a marketplace's bidding console. It brings bidders, and it takes a share of every hammer along with the bidder's account. Here is what changes when the live sale runs on your own platform.

No Commission on the Hammer

Circuit is a subscription. There is no percentage taken on online bids, so a strong sale does not cost you more.

The Bidder Belongs to You

Registration, bidding history and contact details sit in your CRM. When the sale ends, the relationship continues on your terms, not on a marketplace's mailing list.

Marketplaces Still Available

You can still list on marketplaces for reach. Bidders arriving from them register on your site, and the sale itself runs in one console with one set of results.

Timed Sales on the Same Platform

Run timed auctions between live events for the lots that do not need an auctioneer. One bidder account, one catalog workflow, one back office.

Live Auction Software FAQ

What is live auction software?

Live auction software runs a sale called by an auctioneer in real time, with online bidders participating alongside the room and phone bidders. A clerk console records each bid, the current lot and price are pushed to every online bidder instantly, absentee bids are executed automatically, and the hammer result flows straight into invoicing.

How do online bidders take part in a live sale?

Bidders register on your website, are approved, and join the sale from any device when it starts. They see the current lot, the asking price and the bid history, and bid with one click. The clerk sees the online bid in the console in the same instant and the auctioneer calls it like a room bid.

Does Circuit handle absentee bids in a live auction?

Yes. Absentee and maximum bids left before the sale are executed by the platform during the live call, one increment at a time against the room, phone and online bidders, up to the bidder's limit. Bids received by mail, email or phone are imported and executed the same way.

Can I run phone bidders through the system?

Yes. Each phone bidder gets a digital card with their client details, the lots they asked for and their limits. Staff on the phones see which lines are connected and active, and the clerk records phone bids against the right client.

Is video or audio streaming included?

Circuit streams the auctioneer to online bidders so they can follow the call as well as the bid ticker. Speak to us about your room setup and we will confirm the streaming configuration for your sale.

Does the live auction run on my own website?

Yes. The bidding page lives on your domain under your brand, through the WordPress auction plugin or a custom site. Bidder accounts, bidding history and results stay with your auction house rather than a marketplace.

Ready to Run Your Live Sale on Your Own Website?

Book a demo and we will run a mock live sale with you clerking, online bids arriving and absentee bids executing, then show the invoices it produces.

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