We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Deborah Davis a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Deborah , appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

In 2013 a young family friend and entrepreneur asked me to join his team for his up and coming estate service company . My young mentor taught me much about the business and in 2015 I was recruited by the premier international auction house in Scottsdale.

While it was an exciting adventure to work with a high profile auction house , they filed bankruptcy in 2019 leaving many of my clients without payment or the treasures that they had spent a lifetime accumulating. My heart was broken for my clients and it was then that I decided that I would never allow that to happen again .

The Az Auctionista was created to place client’s treasures with the right outlet to generate the maximum return on their investment. I work with international auction houses and estate sale companies in Arizona and California who I trust with my client’s treasured items. Although I consider myself a broker for these companies , I am present from beginning to end whether it is an auction,hosting an estate sale or appraisal . The auction houses or estate sale companies pay me directly without an additional fee to the client .

Trust and honesty are key factors when buliding relationships with clients. Whether they are professional atheletes with multi million dollar estates or an individual who has inherited their parents estate, I will always make recommendations to maximize the return on their life long investment. If I can not help them , I will find the best solution for their circumstance.

One potential client had lost her husband and requested an estate sale to sell everything so she could travel the world. After meeting with her, and realizing hiring an estate sale company would not make financial sense for either of us, I recommended that she sell her small estate herself. While not everyone is equipped to take this on themselves , this dynamo took the advise and sold everything ! Last note from her came from Hawaii.

Whether my client is a well known professional athlete , CEO of a fortune 500 company or an individual who inherited their family’s estate , they are given the same care from beginning to end. I consider each client family and treat them as I would want my family treated. Many have used my services repeatedly because of the trust that was built.

While many of my referrals come from realtors , financial advisors , estate planners , many are word of mouth. When I am referred , it is my goal to make my referral partners heroes to their clients for solving their particular dilemma. Call me a problem solver !

Deborah , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

When meeting with a client it’s my goal to create the best solution for their needs . If a client has fine art we recommend international auction to create a maximum return on their investment . In addition to fine art , we also auction collector cars ,motorcycles, western art , Native American pottery , jewelry , rugs, firearms , bronze sculptures , watches , Asian art , bronze sculptures , gold and silver coins and rare antiques.

When removing a clients possessions from the property does not make sense , an estate sale is hosted for a two -three day period . Once the sale is complete, we offer the client solutions if there are remaining items that did not sell during the sale. Our extensive list of customers and advertising offer well attended sales for our client’s sales to maximize their profits. We leave our clients homes clear of clutter and ready for sale.
Problem solving sets us apart -If we are not a good fit for a potential client we will offer solutions instead of leaving them wondering what to do next.
My initial services or estate walk through are complimentary to clients. At that point recommendations are made whether the scenario is best fit for auction or an estate sale. There are instances where certain items are removed for international auction with the remainder staged for an estate sale.
In addition to international auction and estate sales , we offer appraisals. Whether the client needs an appraisal for insurance purposes , market value or equitable distribution , we do it all !

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

The conception of The Az Auctionista was that I would never allow another client to be stolen from again. I saw the total devastation of the clients who lost hundreds of thousands of dollars when the auction house I worked with filed for bankruptcy leaving them without the treasures that they had accumulated or the proceeds the items had sold for at auction.

At one point I became an employee/representative of a high end auction house out of state with the agreement that I would work solely for them . Within a year , I realized that I had veered off the path of my own brand and mission to solve client’s problems. I felt my hands were tied and resigned to return to the goal of placing potential clients with the best outlet for the greatest monetary return on their investment.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Prior to launching The Az Auctionista , there was an intentional gathering of potential referral partners on social media . One social media page is mostly realtors , also known as key referral partners for estate sales . Another social media page is financial planners , estate planners , divorce attorneys and CPA’s . Consistant posts and interaction is key and people on social media will remember and refer you to their clients . They will continue to refer you when you build trust !

Contact Info:

• Website: https://theazauctionista.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theazauctionista/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theazauctionista
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborah-davis-94ba0419/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-az-auctionista-scottsdale?osq=The+az+auctionista