Inman

Tech entrepreneur uses app to auction luxurious Austin estate

What’s the fun in selling a home the traditional way anymore? Through Concierge Auctions’ Instant Gavel app, home sellers can opt to put their home in an auction instantly and virtually for a set period of time, which is just what tech entrepreneur Martin Neath did when he decided to to sell his multi-million dollar Austin estate.

For a 30-hour period from July 27 to July 28, 3509 Lost Creek Blvd. was up for bid in the app. Previously listed for $5.995 million, the property has since gone under contract and a sale for an undisclosed is pending through Concierge Auctions. The auction is in cooperation with Christopher E. Watters of Watters International Realty.

“Thus far in 2016, more than 80 percent of our auctions have been conducted through our Instant Gavel app — up from less than 10 percent just a year ago, when most of our sales included a live, on-site auctioneer,” Concierge Auctions chairman Chad Roffers said in a statement.

“The app has proven effective at engaging buyers from around the world and enabling full anonymity,” Roffers continues. “Bidders also enjoy the transparency of being able to watch the competition real-time and participating in a comfortable, less time-constrained atmosphere.”

The home is nearly as tech savvy as Neath, who has served on the board of directors of over a half-dozen tech companies since 2001. The smart home features state-of-the-art lighting and temperature controls that can be managed from an iPad or iPhone.

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Boasting beautiful views of greenery, the Tuscan villa has an infinity pool, large patio and in-ground hot tub on a whopping 14,000 square feet of home and 3.18 acres of land.

Email Kimberly Manning