Managing Auction User Access Across a Corporate Real Estate Network
How Can Real Estate Groups Manage Auction Technology Permissions Across Offices?
A clear approach to user access, shared accounts, auction-day roles and regular permission reviews across a real estate network.
Key Takeaways
- Assign access by job responsibility rather than seniority or convenience.
- Separate the ability to view reports from the ability to change live auction records.
- Review shared users and temporary auction operators after events and staff changes.
- Confirm which settings remain under the control of each linked office.
Why Do Permissions Matter More in a Multi-Office Group?
A single office may know everyone who uses its auction system. A corporate network can involve office administrators, shared auctioneers, central event teams, temporary scribers and head-office staff. Without clear access rules, it becomes difficult to know who should change a listing or respond when something goes wrong.
The practical risk is not limited to unauthorised access. Staff can also be given too much responsibility by accident. A reporting user may unintentionally change a live listing. An auction operator may be unable to access the correct session because their role was never checked.
The aim is to make legitimate work straightforward while keeping sensitive actions with authorised people. Permission planning should happen before an event, not during the first bid.
| Role or function | Typical operational need | Access question to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Office administrator | Manage appropriate office users and settings. | Can this person manage only the intended office? |
| Selling agent | Manage assigned listings and buyer follow-up. | Which properties and bidder records can they access? |
| Auctioneer or scribe | Carry out authorised auction-day actions. | Is the correct event or scribing role assigned? |
| Corporate reviewer | See agreed network reports and exceptions. | Is editing access actually necessary? |
Who Should Control Office Settings?
The answer depends on the account structure. A corporate relationship does not always mean head office can change every office’s settings. Auctions Live explains that some non-financial offices connected to a corporate or auction house arrangement retain control of their own system settings through authorised office users.
This is important when an office belongs to more than one business arrangement or when a group wants consistent bidder registration settings. The group can define the standard and ask offices to apply it, but it should first confirm who is authorised to make the change.
Write the responsibility into the onboarding checklist. If an office needs a shared user, a new account or a change in corporate linkage, use the supported request process rather than assuming access can be granted informally.
How Can a Group Set Up and Maintain User Permissions?
A practical access process should cover people joining, changing roles and leaving the business.
List the roles
Identify who needs to manage office settings, listings, bidder approvals, presentations, scribing and group reports.
Create a permission matrix
For each role, state which office or event it applies to and whether the person needs view, edit or operational access.
Check account relationships
Confirm office ownership, corporate links, shared users and the specific permissions supported by the platform.
Test before the event
Have the auctioneer, scribe and relevant agents open the correct auction workspace in advance. Resolve missing access before auction day.
Review changes promptly
Update access when someone moves offices, changes responsibilities or leaves. Reassess temporary assignments after shared events.
Audit the exceptions
Periodically review who has broader access than usual and why. Remove access that is no longer needed.
How Should Shared Auctioneers and Scribes Be Handled?
An auctioneer may work with several offices, and a central event team may operate a Multi-Lot / In-Room Auction containing properties from different agencies. The team needs the correct access for the event, but that should not automatically give every operator permission to change unrelated listings.
Before the event, confirm the assigned auctioneer, scribing operator and backup arrangements. Test that the relevant users can open the correct Control Panel and perform the authorised tasks. If the person is only needed for presentation purposes, a display profile may not require the same login access as an operating user.
Auctions Live has introduced role-based scribing access and delegated assignments for supported Multi-Lot workflows, with assignment records in the relevant auction logs. The available options depend on the user’s role and account configuration.
Never rely on shared passwords as a substitute for assigning the correct user role. Individual access makes responsibilities easier to manage and review.
What Should a Permission Review Look For?
An access review does not need to be complicated. Ask each office to confirm its current administrators, active selling agents and any users shared with other accounts. Ask the central auction team to review operators who no longer need access to particular events.
Look especially at people who changed offices, external contractors whose work has ended, duplicate accounts and users with broader access than their job requires. Review who can see bidder documents as well as who can change auction settings.
Australian and New Zealand privacy guidance both emphasise appropriate safeguards for personal information. Limiting access to people who need it is one practical part of that work, although permissions alone do not establish compliance or replace staff training.
What Happens When Someone Needs Access Urgently?
Last-minute access requests are common before an auction. The group should have a clear escalation path, but urgency should not remove the need to confirm who is requesting access and why.
Use an authorised office administrator or the supported service process to arrange the change. Confirm the correct property, office and user role, then test the access. If temporary access is provided, record when it should be reviewed or removed.
After the event, ask why the request was late. Was the operator assigned too close to auction time? Did the office onboarding miss a user? Fixing the cause is more useful than repeatedly treating access problems as emergencies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should every head-office user be an administrator?
No. Many head-office tasks require reporting or review access rather than the ability to change office settings or live auction information.
Can an auctioneer profile exist without a login?
Yes, depending on the intended use. A display or presentation profile may not need the same user account as an auctioneer who must log in and operate the system.
Who should remove access when an employee leaves?
The group should assign this responsibility clearly to an authorised administrator or account owner and make it part of the staff exit process.
Can a scribe work across linked offices?
Supported role-based and delegated access may allow this in eligible workflows. Confirm the assignment and account permissions before the event.
How often should permissions be checked?
Review them when roles change, after temporary assignments and on a regular schedule suited to the size and activity of the network.
How Can Auctions Live Support Role-Based Auction Access?
Auctions Live offers user roles, office account arrangements and selected delegated auction functions that can support a structured access model.
Give operators the access they need for the right event
Office users can be assigned appropriate roles, and supported Multi-Lot workflows include role-based scribing access and delegated assignments. Corporate and non-financial account relationships also affect who can manage settings and view information. Groups should confirm the available permissions for their own structure and maintain an internal review process.
Read about role-based scribing accessRelated Auctions Live Knowledge Hub Guides
These guides provide further detail on the relevant account settings, workflows and reporting features.
Important information: This article provides general operational guidance for real estate professionals. Confirm your own account configuration and relevant local auction requirements before applying the process. System features and permissions may vary by subscription, role and account structure. Reviewed November 2026.
Posted 3rd November, 2026