Want to look for tax liens and tax deeds without spending hours digging through county websites?
You’re in the right place.
Real estate auction platforms have become absolute game-changers for tax lien and tax deed investors who want to find high-yield opportunities that most people never even know exist. The best tax sale properties aren’t on Zillow…
They’re on specialized auction sites where you can grab tax liens with double-digit returns and tax deed properties at pennies on the dollar.
I’m breaking down the 10 best platforms that serious tax lien investors and real estate buyers are actually using right now. I evaluated these based on access to government tax sales, inventory of tax liens and deeds, ease of use, fee transparency, geographic coverage, and track record with government partnerships. Whether you’re brand new to tax lien investing or you’ve been doing this for years, these platforms will open up opportunities you can’t find anywhere else.
The 10 Best Real Estate Auction Platforms
1. Auction.com
Auction.com is the big player in this space. Established in 2007, it’s facilitated over 510,000 property sales worth more than $62 billion across all 50 states.
What makes them stand out is their massive inventory: 13,000+ off-market properties at any given time. While they’re known for foreclosures and REO properties, they also feature tax deed properties and distressed assets perfect for tax sale investors looking to acquire property.
The catch? Winning bidders pay a 5% buyer’s premium, need proof of funds before bidding, and have just 6 hours to sign the purchase agreement and wire the earnest money deposit after winning.
Best for: Tax deed investors and traditional real estate investors looking for high inventory volume and nationwide reach.
You can learn more by visiting its site: auction.com
2. Hubzu
Hubzu is part of Altisource and has been in the online auction game for years. With over 1.9 million registered users and around 3,000 active properties, it offers a solid mix of short sales, bank-owned properties, and foreclosures that appeal to both tax deed investors and traditional buyers.
Its auto-bid tool is killer — set your maximum bid and let the system automatically outbid other participants until you hit your limit. Super helpful if you’re bidding on multiple tax deed properties at once.
Hubzu charges a $2,500 buyer’s premium (sometimes as low as $2,000 on certain properties).
Best for: Tax deed investors and real estate investors who want a user-friendly platform with automated bidding features.
You can learn more by visiting its site: hubzu.com
3. Ten-X
If you’re moving into commercial real estate or higher-value residential properties, Ten-X is where you want to be. Backed by CoStar, it focuses on institutional-grade properties but also includes single-family homes, multi-unit rentals, and distressed real estate.
What sets it apart is the due diligence materials: title reports, inspection summaries, and financials for each listing. It hosts both live bidding events and timed auctions, and if a property doesn’t meet reserve, Ten-X will often facilitate post-auction negotiations.
This isn’t a beginner platform… expect serious deposit requirements and strong competition.
Best for: Serious investors targeting higher-value residential or commercial properties.
You can learn more by visiting its site: ten-x.com
4. Bid4Assets
If you’re serious about tax lien and tax deed investing, Bid4Assets is essential. This is THE platform for legitimate government auctions. It specializes in tax sales for federal and local government agencies, including the U.S. Department of the Treasury, U.S. Marshals, and over 100 counties across the U.S.
That means direct access to tax liens, tax deeds, and government-owned properties at seriously affordable prices. It also offers bid-and-assume auctions where you bid on the down payment and pay the principal in monthly installments, plus sealed bid auctions without minimum bids.
The platform has been around since 1999 and is part of Liquidity Services, Inc. If tax liens and tax deeds are your focus, this should be at the top of your list.
Best for: Tax lien and tax deed investors, plus investors with limited capital looking for creative financing options and government-owned properties.
You can learn more by visiting its site: bid4assets.com
5. Foreclosure.com
Foreclosure.com is data heaven for tax lien and tax deed investors. Unlike auction-only sites, it pulls listings from everywhere — pre-foreclosures, auction properties, bank-owned homes, tax lien sales, tax deed sales, and short sales. Hundreds of thousands of listings.
You can search by ZIP code, city, or county, and filter by estimated value, equity, or days on the site. The platform aggregates tax lien and tax deed auctions from multiple counties, saving you from visiting dozens of individual county websites.
The catch? You need a paid subscription to access full property data.
Best for: Data-driven tax lien and tax deed investors who want comprehensive research tools and a wide range of distressed property types.
You can learn more by visiting its site: foreclosure.com
6. Concierge Auctions
If luxury real estate is your thing, Concierge Auctions specializes in properties worth $2 million to $40 million. It works directly with individual homeowners, not banks or lenders.
Acquired by Sotheby’s International Realty in 2021, it’s done over $780 million in luxury transactions. The film tours give you an immersive property experience, and it operates across 27 U.S. states and 5 countries.
The downside? Buyer premiums and closing costs can hit 20% of the final purchase price.
Best for: Investors specializing in high-end luxury properties.
You can learn more by visiting its site: conciergeauctions.com
7. RealtyBid
RealtyBid has partnerships with over 100 banks and mortgage lenders, giving the co. early access to foreclosed and bank-owned properties. Its portfolio includes REO properties, commercial assets, and developer properties.
Its Bid Assist tool automates bidding: Set your max bid, and the system bumps up your offer based on competing bids until it hits your limit.
The downside is fewer listings than bigger platforms, plus a long post-auction bidding period means you could lose out even after winning initially.
Best for: Investors who want access to bank-owned properties with automated bidding features.
You can learn more by visiting its site: realtybid.com
8. ServiceLinkAuction.com
ServiceLinkAuction.com is owned by Fidelity National Financial and powered by Hudson & Marshall. It offers both pre-auction and real-time auctions for foreclosures, short sales, and newly foreclosed homes.
In pre-auctions, you submit a sealed offer. Real-time auctions are transparent with public bid information, and sellers often negotiate post-auction if reserve isn’t met.
Sellers get 3-day auction cycles for urgency. Some properties have no buyer’s premium.
Best for: Tax deed and real estate investors who appreciate flexibility between sealed bids and live auctions.
You can learn more by visiting its site: servicelinkauction.com
9. Williams & Williams
Williams & Williams is a global auction company based in Washington, DC. It auctions everything from government-owned and bank-owned properties to residential, commercial, luxury, and trustee sales.
Its Buyer’s Choice auctions group similar properties together — the highest bidder gets first pick and can purchase multiple properties at their bid price. It holds simultaneous live and online auctions for maximum competition.
Buyers pay both a technology fee and a service fee.
Best for: Investors looking for a wide variety of property types with global reach.
You can learn more by visiting its site: williamsauction.com
10. Xome
Xome launched in 2015 and lists auctioned properties on sites like the MLS to generate more buyer interest. It also bids up the listing price on the seller’s behalf.
Its CWCOT program (Second Chance Foreclosure) lets you purchase HUD-backed, cash-only foreclosure properties off the market. It also offers Xome Value, an investor-grade property valuation tool.
The downside? Very seller-friendly. Buyers pay a 5% premium plus a 1% service fee, plus Xome holds $1,000 on your credit card for each auction. Bids aren’t binding.
Best for: Traditional real estate investors comfortable with higher fees in exchange for broader market exposure.
You can learn more by visiting its site: xome.com
Final Thoughts
Real estate auction platforms have opened up a whole new world of investment opportunities for tax lien and tax deed investors. Whether you’re looking for government tax sales, tax liens with high interest returns, tax deed properties at deep discounts, or traditional distressed real estate, these platforms can help you find high-yield opportunities that would be impossible to access any other way.
If you’re just getting started, consider checking out the best tax lien investing course or reading some of the top tax lien investing books to build your knowledge foundation. You might also want to explore other investment strategies like the BRRRR method to diversify your real estate portfolio.
Pick the platform that makes the most sense for your investing goals, do your homework on fees and redemption periods, and get ready to find your next great deal.