The first time I heard the phrase “Think outside the box” was in a real estate seminar when I first relocated to Florida. At the time, I thought it was a clever phrase encouraging sales people to try unique methods of marketing. Now, however, in spite of it becoming overused and trite, the spirit of the message is still valuable when selling property.

Even though the real estate market has improved all over the country, there are still ways to think outside the box, especially if your property is unique, only appealing to a slim range of buyers. Unusual locations or architecture always have a limited number of buyers, but properties that are considered luxury properties could also have challenges finding a buyer. This is where an old method that has been updated in our electronic age comes in, the auction.

Auctions aren’t what they use to be, representing primarily distressed and foreclosed properties. There are still certainly plenty of those, but high end sellers and buyers are looking at auction websites specific to this marketplace. According to an executive at auction.com, which handles both foreclosures and private properties, there has been a 120 percent increase in properties sold by auction compared with five years ago.

Surfing the websites of some of the luxury auction companies like Concierge Auctions, J.P. King and Grand Estates is an adventure into a real estate world most of use rarely get to see. These companies and others like them are auctioning properties in some of the most expensive regions of the country like Carmel, Calif., Boca Raton, Fla., Aspen, Colo., Amelia Island, Fla., Naples, Fla. and the Hawaiian Islands.

The auction business for large luxury homes is booming, giving the auction companies a great deal of discretion in which properties they will accept into their program. For example Concierge Auctions accepts only one out of every 25 applications from sellers. Grand Estates approve about 10 percent of its applicants and is primarily looking for impressive homes and location. Once the property is accepted, the auction companies market the property for 30 to 90 days, as well as contacting their data base of potential buyers. Because the auction companies filter out only the best, sellers are drawn to the auction process as a way to cut through a lot of the time consuming aspect of house hunting and maybe get a great price.

Properties placed up for auction are generally sold as is, and information can vary based on what the seller and the company provides prior to the auction. Bidders must register, and significant deposits are required via certified check. You do not have to attend an auction in person, rather you can send an agent, telephone the bid in or go on line. Full payment is usually due within 30 days.

It’s also important to understand the two different types of auctions. An absolute auction means the property will sell to the highest bidder, period. The day of an absolute auction someone will leave with a property.

A reserve auction means a potential buyer must match or surpass a minimum price determined by the seller prior to the auction. If the seller does not want to disclose the reserve in advance, he may do so and retain the right of approval of all bids. In the case of a reserve auction, the seller has control, and there is no guarantee that the property will sell the day of the auction.

Auction houses are certainly thinking outside the box and are collecting 5 to 10 percent of the sale price for their efforts. If you’re marketing a difficult property or if you’re a buyer who is comfortable taking a risk, take a look at some of the auction companies’ websites. It’s not for the average real estate buyer, but it’s definitely an out-of-the-box concept.