Rostrum representation from fleets is becoming ever more important to achieving good results at motor auctions, says Glass's.
With stock now available on the market in larger numbers, having a decision maker on the spot helps to keep the auction moving and prices strong, said Rupert Pontin, director of valuations.
He explained: "Fleets that are selling a large amount of stock or run dedicated sales are facing a used car market where traders are now seeing an increased choice after several years of shortages.
"This means that in order to keep an auction ‘buzzing' it has become very important to have someone on the rostrum who can help to keep the sale moving by quickly signaling their acceptance or rejection of bids to the auctioneer.
"This person can have their spreadsheet open and take a good overview of the total sale, taking a hit on a few cars when they have done well on others in order to achieve their overall objective. Certainly, our car editors now view their presence as almost essential."
Pontin added that traders also appreciated rostrum presence because they could find out first hand details about the history of a car or even negotiate post-sale deals on unsold stock.
"As more and more sales go online, there is a tendency for fewer fleets to attend sales but being there in person has a definite and positive effect,” he said. "Buying and selling at an auction is very much a human interaction and having a human on the ground is something that makes the whole process work more effectively for everyone."
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