Why does a low starting bid maximize my final sale price?

Last updated on July 17, 2026

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The Starting Bid is the number allocated to each Parcel being tendered by CLHbid.com. It represents the lowest value that bids can commence at for that Parcel. The first bid for that specific Parcel will be the Starting Bid number. No bids can be placed below the Starting Bid number for that Parcel. If the Starting Bid is not obtained, the Parcel does not sell.

Starting Bid values are set below what the Parcel is expected to sell for on sale day. At CLHbid.com, we like to say if you are afraid of finding out what your land is worth, we are the wrong platform for you; however, if you want to sell in the next year and get maximum value using world-class marketing and price discovery, we are 100% the right platform. With CLHbid.com, the Owner agrees to allow the market to determine the price on sale day. We know that works best for an Owner in the end.

By allowing bidders to establish the value independently of the Owner, bidders become 100% confident in the process, knowing for certainty the value is there when outbid by another party. When outbid, they don't know who has outbid them, just that they have been outbid, and if they don't bid back, the land will likely not be coming up for sale again for generations. Instilling confidence in bidders in the value (which a list price does not) is key to maximizing value for your land. Bidders know if they are high, they will just be one click beyond what someone else was willing to pay.

We know from selling hundreds of farms and ranches over the past decade that a soft start is never a drag on the final price. We have sold land where the final price is as much as three times the Starting Bid number. We find a softer start means more parties are interested right off the bat, and they tend to get financing all hoping for a deal. A softer start also rules out collusion, resulting in the scenario of every man for himself on sale day.

Given the ‘en bloc’ bidding option offered at CLHbid.com, the Starting Bid is also the value to be used for that Parcel in the unlikely event a specific Parcel doesn't receive a bid in the first round.