After a friend and antique dealer asked Frank Trunzo to stand in for his regular auctioneer, he was hooked.
“I had people coming up to me and saying I had a natural ability to auction. Before I knew it, I was an apprentice and then a licensed auctioneer,” Trunzo recalled.
Since then, Trunzo has conducted over 4,000 auctions worldwide and has auctioned a host of items—up to luxury properties listed at over $150M. On several occasions, he has sold more than 1,000 items in a single day—a grand slam for auctioneers. While each type of auction has its own style, the biggest difference he sees when auctioning luxury properties is the size of the buyer pool.
“Every time the decimal point moves to the right, the audience is reduced,” he explained.
Trunzo has served as Head Auctioneer for Concierge Auctions since the company’s founding in 2008. He notes that there have been many changes since those early days.
“A lot of auction houses didn’t want to get involved with the internet, but some of us got on board and integrated it,” he said.
Regardless of what is being auctioned and whether the sale is being conducted in person, online, or a combination of the two, Trunzo says that he strives to provide the clearest and most fair auction process for all involved.
“Clarity. Clarity. Clarity,” he said, “Some auctioneers want to be fast, but I need to call solid bids that people understand and keep people engaged. I strive to get and keep people in their comfort zone.”
This focus on bidder engagement and seller satisfaction has earned him several national and international auctioneer awards—including an “All-Around World Champion” win in 2000.
In addition to his many titles, he counts helping to sell more than $2B in luxury properties with Concierge Auctions as one of his greatest accomplishments.
“I’ve been in this business for a long time, and in my mind, for trophy properties, Concierge Auctions is heads above,” said Trunzo. “That’s what they’re laser-focused on. That’s why they’re the best at what they do and why they’ve become the leader.”