How organisations structure, govern, and operate auctions in practice, depending on how sellers, inventory, bidder relationships, and operational responsibility are managed.
A Single Seller auction model is where an organisation runs auctions to sell its own assets, inventory, or surplus stock directly under its own brand and operating rules.
This model is typically used by businesses extending existing sales activity into auctions, allowing them to retain full control over pricing, presentation, and bidder relationships.
A Multi-Seller auction model is where an organisation runs auctions on behalf of multiple sellers, managing consignments, settlement, and buyer relationships.
This model is commonly used by auction houses and operators who act as the central authority, maintaining accountability and governance across all sellers.
A Marketplace auction model is where multiple sellers operate within a shared auction environment governed by a central platform operator.
The platform owner governs the marketplace, while individual sellers manage their own listings and activity within defined rules.
