Attorneys, fiduciaries, senior care professionals, and realtors send clients to Burgess because the introduction reflects well on them — documented process, full transparency, and a team that treats the client the way the referring professional would want them treated.
If you work with families during probate, divorce, a senior transition, or the sale of a property, you've likely had the moment where a client asks: "What do we do with everything in the house?" Whoever you hand that question to reflects on you. Burgess exists to be the answer you never have to think twice about.
We aren't trying to become your biggest referral source through volume. We're trying to become the one you trust completely, because every time you send someone our way, it goes well — for them and for you.
You need documented, defensible valuations and a process that won't create complications for your client or your case. Our CAGA-credentialed appraisals and full post-sale accounting give you exactly that.
You're often the one actually managing the transaction, not just advising on it. You need clear communication, complete records, and a partner who treats your obligations to beneficiaries as seriously as you do.
You're managing a move-in date, not a house. You need a number you can hand a family with total confidence and never think about again — knowing they'll be treated with patience and respect.
A house full of belongings is harder to list, show, and stage. We clear and sell the contents — sometimes alongside the real estate itself in partnership with J. Snider Real Estate — so your listing is ready faster.
You're often the first person a grieving family trusts after a loss. We're a quiet, no-pressure resource you can mention if the question of "what happens to the house" comes up — never a hard sell, just a name worth knowing.
Widow transitions, inherited assets, and trust distributions all eventually involve personal property and sometimes real estate. Your clients trust your judgment deeply — we make sure that trust is well placed when the conversation turns to liquidating an estate.
Court-ready appraisal documentation for probate, fiduciary, divorce, and estate matters — prepared by Zack Burgess, a Certified Appraisers Guild of America (CAGA) credentialed appraiser — plus a full accounting of every lot sold after every auction.
Real estate, firearms, coins, jewelry, vehicles, and household contents — coordinated under one team instead of five separate vendors your client has to manage themselves.
We respond within one business day and keep you informed at whatever level fits your role — whether that's a brief update or full visibility into the process.
Jewelry, coins, firearms, and collectibles are evaluated individually before anything is sold — protecting your client's outcome and your own reputation for the referral.
A traditional listing would likely have started around $249,000, with negotiation, inspection contingencies, a seller's commission, and months of holding costs and property taxes along the way. Auction delivered a $240,000 hammer price on a 30-day timeframe — eliminating roughly a year of holding costs with no negotiation or commission eroding the result.
A fire-damaged property, a substantial FFL-compliant firearms collection, and decades of accumulated tools and inventory — resolved through a structured four-phase plan over sixteen months rather than forced into one rushed event.
An executor based in Michigan expected the real estate to bring around $100,000. A two-phase plan — personal property first, then real estate — produced a $113,000 result, coordinated entirely remotely.
Full detail on these and other engagements is available on our estate sales and downsizing page.
We believe in giving honest guidance, even when it doesn't lead to an auction. Some situations are better served by a cleanout, donation, or junk-haul solution. Estates consisting primarily of low-demand household furnishings — floral sofas, china cabinets, older desks, file cabinets — may have limited resale value in today's market, and we'll tell your client that plainly rather than forcing the situation into an auction it doesn't suit.
Protecting your client's actual outcome matters more to us than the sale itself. If an auction isn't the right tool for a particular estate, we'll say so.
For professionals whose licensing or ethics rules prohibit referral compensation — including many attorneys, fiduciaries, and care professionals — we never expect or require any arrangement. Our preference is simple: earn your trust by taking exceptional care of the people you refer.
If compensation is appropriate and permitted within your profession, we're happy to discuss it transparently. But the relationship itself, not what we pay for it, is what we're actually after.
By phone or through our contact form. We always ask how someone heard about us, so we know the introduction came from you and can let you know it arrived.
No waiting, no chasing. Your client gets a real conversation quickly, which reflects well on the introduction you made.
Identification before liquidation, full transparency, and the same documented standard described throughout our site — whether it's a single jewelry box or a complex multi-phase estate.
A brief update if that's all your role requires, or full visibility if you're the one managing the matter directly.
For professionals whose licensing or ethics rules prohibit referral compensation — including many attorneys, fiduciaries, and care professionals — we never expect or require any arrangement. Our preference is simple: earn your trust by taking exceptional care of the people you refer. If compensation is appropriate and permitted within your profession, we're happy to discuss it transparently.
We respond within one business day, and we always ask how the person heard about us so we can let you know your client reached out. From there, we walk the client through the same careful process described throughout our site — identification before liquidation, full transparency, and clear communication. We'll keep you informed at whatever level makes sense for your role in the matter.
Yes. Zack Burgess holds the Certified Appraisers Guild of America (CAGA) credential, and Burgess provides certified personal property appraisals accepted in probate court and legal proceedings. We also provide complete accountings after every auction, documenting every lot sold and the proceeds realized.
That's common and entirely fine. We're happy to have an initial conversation, answer questions, or simply be a resource your client can call when they are ready — even if that's months away. There's no pressure and no obligation attached to an introduction.
We primarily serve Central Indiana and surrounding areas, but we regularly coordinate with out-of-state executors, family members, and fiduciaries managing Indiana property or estates from anywhere in the country.
Call Zack directly at 765-445-7814, or have your client mention your name when they reach out so we know the introduction came from you. We're also glad to have a direct conversation first if you'd like to understand our process before referring anyone.
Yes. Some estates are better served by a cleanout, donation, or junk-haul solution rather than an auction, particularly when the contents consist mostly of low-demand household furnishings. We'll say so plainly rather than forcing a situation into an auction it doesn't suit — protecting your client's outcome matters more to us than the sale itself.
Whether you're ready to make an introduction or just want to understand our process first, we're glad to talk.
No pressure. No obligation. We respond within one business day.
Zack Burgess — Available to Talk
(765) 445-7814Burgess Auctions LLC | Knightstown & Carthage, Indiana | burgessauctions.com
