An estate liquidator takes responsibility for the contents of a home and converts them into money, donations, or disposal. In practice that means sorting and cataloguing what is there, researching what has resale value, pricing it, running the sale — on-site, by auction, or online — and then clearing whatever is left so the house can be listed or handed over. Some firms handle the whole chain; others specialise in one part of it, such as appraisal or auction. The listings in this directory say which.

Most estate sale and liquidation firms work on commission — a percentage of what the contents sell for — rather than an hourly rate, which aligns their incentive with yours. Some charge a minimum fee if the total sale is small, and clearing or disposal of unsold items is often quoted separately because it is a cost rather than a revenue. Appraisals are more commonly billed as a flat fee or hourly. Rates vary widely by firm and by what is in the house, so get two or three written quotes and make sure each one states what happens to unsold goods.