Auction House Onboarding

Auctionet’s onboarding process takes an auction house from initial planning to its first sale on the platform. Drawing on experience from onboarding more than 80 auction houses across Europe, we adapt the process to each partner’s business, team and ambitions.

It covers the practical, financial and operational preparations needed to go live, including compliance, systems, staff training, premises, cataloguing, marketing and launch.

A dedicated Partner Success Manager coordinates the process, bringing in specialists from across Auctionet when their expertise is needed.

Understanding the Business and Setting the Direction

Onboarding begins with getting to know the auction house: how it operates today, what matters most to the team and what it wants to achieve.

Together, we create an onboarding plan based on the auction house’s priorities, specialism and ways of working. This establishes what needs to happen before the first sale and who will be involved at each stage.

The auction house remains at the centre of the process, with Auctionet acting as a partner and sounding board throughout.

KYC, AML, DAC7, Settlements and Payouts

Our Finance, Legal and Compliance teams help put the necessary financial and regulatory processes in place before the auction house goes live.

The initial setup includes KYC information and identification documents. Our specialists can also provide guidance on matters including AML, DAC7, Artist’s Resale Right and CITES.

Auctionet’s Finance department also handles the financial administration connected to sales on the platform, including invoicing, settlements, payouts and relevant applications, taking much of this work off the team’s hands.

After launch, our Compliance team continues to provide guidance when questions arise.

Auctionet Admin, Publishing and Practical Workflows

Training helps the team become familiar with Auctionet’s systems and understand how they fit into everyday work.

Through walkthroughs and practical sessions, staff learn how to use Auctionet Admin and manage areas including transport, claims, withdrawals, payments and sold items.

The team also learns how to prepare and publish lots, including categorisation and Auctionet’s publishing requirements. As the first lots are added, our publishers provide guidance and answer questions about the publishing process.

Premises, Photography and Day-to-Day Flow

Auctionet’s Operations Specialists visit the premises and work alongside the team to cover the practical side of working with Auctionet, from photography and storage to collections, transport and dispatch.

Any requirements specific to the auction house, its premises or the types of objects it handles can be addressed before going live.

By the end of this stage, the team understands how objects move through the auction house, from intake and photography to sale and collection.

First Lots, Hammer-Sale Preparation and On-Site Support

As the team begins cataloguing the first lots, the onboarding naturally becomes more hands-on. We stay close and are available for questions around Auctionet Admin, publishing, transport or other parts of the platform as the sale takes shape.

For auction houses holding live sales, we also walk the team through how the process works on Auctionet. On-site assistance can be provided during the first live sales when needed.

By launch, the team has already had the opportunity to use Auctionet’s systems in practice and knows what to expect from the first sales on the platform.

Website, White Label, Marketing and Buyer Reach

Alongside the operational preparation, we prepare the auction house’s presence on Auctionet and, where relevant, its wider digital presence.

This can include a new website, built with specialists experienced in auction house websites, as well as the implementation of the Auctionet White Label.

Auctionet’s Marketing team works directly with partner houses to strengthen their own brands and support growth, from launch activity and paid advertising across relevant platforms to intake strategy and local-market positioning.

Support can also extend to social media, search advertising and editorial coverage through Auctionet Magazine.

Going live completes the formal onboarding process and marks the beginning of the ongoing partnership.

The Partner Success team holds regular conversations with the auction house and can involve specialists from across Auctionet as the business develops. Performance indicators such as sell-through rate, average hammer price, conversion and intake volumes can help identify priorities and opportunities.

With the systems, workflows and practical preparations in place, the team can focus on running and growing the auction house.