Local auction company moves with the times

Lynn Rees Lambert Local News - Tuesday, May 22, 2007 - Kingston This Week

It’s quite a leap from auctioneering steers to steering people through the maze of tasks when settling an estate or downsizing but a local mainstay in the business is changing with the times. It’s taken 50 years, and it’s world’s away from their beginnings, but Gordon’s Auctions has announced a new brand and a new focus. They’ve made the transition from livestock sales to real estate and now to estate settling. Their new name is Gordon’s Estate Services, which means they not only sell homes, but handle all details of the move or estate settlement.

The local company, headed by Barry and Alicia Gordon, marked its 50th anniversary May 15 at its Princess Street location. Mayor Harvey Rosen was at the celebration and said it was exciting to see an established company changing with the times. “Companies like Gordons are an excellent example of how to stay relevant and competitive in the marketplace,” said the mayor.

The Gordon’s have been changing with the times for 50 years. “We saw a need and so we’ve changed our focus,” explains Barry, who followed the auctioneering trade after his father, Fred, who ran a sales barn on Hwy. 15 for many years. “I’ve been an auctioneer for 30 years and a realtor for 28,” he explained at the celebration.

His wife, Alicia, also had — and still has — what it takes to be an auctioneer. She’s been “going once, going twice” for 25 years and has also been a realtor for 10 years. The secret to keeping up with the times is in recognizing trends and adapting to them.

“Twenty years ago,” says Barry, “we noticed a growing trend in real estate auctions, so we altered our focus and developed a reputation as one of Canada’s premier real estate auction companies.” More recently, a new trend has grabbed the their attention. As the baby boom generation ages, they’ve seen a surge in the number of families who are downsizing their homes, settling estates or making other major life transitions in real estate. Once again, the business adapted to meet the changing needs of clients.

“Our goal has always been to fill a void in the real estate marketplace for sellers with unique needs, and/or unique properties that require a different approach and a broader scope of service, ” says Alicia. “This new service transcends the traditional real estate process by including a host of services that people need when downsizing or settling an estate.” And settling an estate can be complicated for out-of-town executors. “They face monumental tasks that go beyond selling real estate and they’re overwhelmed,” says Barry. And that means headaches — or not. The business offers services that includes cleaning, sorting, appraising, packing moving and managing the sale of assets.

For those who are simply buying and selling, Gordon’s Estate Services will handle red tape such as home inspections and zoning issues. “Our clients love our service because they get to stay in control of the process,” explains Barry, “and we handle all the work.”