Sealed Bid

A Sealed Bid sale on SBOit collects confidential offers from qualified buyers over a fixed window. No one sees anyone else’s bid. When the window closes, you review the offers and decide which to accept.

When a Sealed Bid Is the Right Choice

Sealed bids shine when privacy, professionalism, and a single best offer matter more than the spectacle of a live auction. Common uses include:

• High-value commercial assets and specialty equipment
• Real estate and land parcels
• Fleet sales and multi-item lots
• Estate and probate dispositions where confidentiality is important
• Sensitive or competitive situations where open bidding could hurt the final number

How It Works

1. Submit your item. Choose “Sealed Bid” as your preferred format on the Sell page.
2. Get verified. An independent SBOit agent inspects and documents the item in person (verification fees start at $50).
3. Set the bid window. You choose how long bids are accepted — usually a few days to a few weeks — and an optional minimum bid.
4. Buyers submit confidential offers. Each qualified buyer submits one sealed offer. Bids are encrypted and hidden from other bidders and from the public.
5. Review and award. When the window closes, you see all offers side by side and pick the winner. You’re not obligated to accept any bid below your minimum.
6. Close the sale. The accepted buyer is committed to the purchase and funds clear through the platform.

Why Sellers Choose Sealed Bids

• Best-and-final offers. Buyers can’t inch up a penny at a time — they have one chance to put their strongest number on the table.
• Privacy. No public bid history. Competitors, neighbors, and future buyers don’t see what changed hands or for how much.
• Fits multi-item lots. Perfect for selling a fleet, an estate, or a batch of equipment in a single transaction.
• You stay in control. You decide which offer to accept — or none at all — when bids are unsealed.

What It Costs

• Agent verification starting at $50 per item, paid up front. Volume discounts on multi-item locations.
• 4–6% commission on the accepted bid, scaled by number of items submitted — larger submissions earn a lower rate.
• No commission if no acceptable bid comes in.