Four ways to effectively sell ag equipment in 2026

As a farming business owner, you’ll find yourself in situations where you need to sell one or multiple assets. You could be even pondering a big move like retirement and a full dispersal.

The trick to making great selling decisions is to look at three key factors: effort, timing and returns. Thankfully, nowadays, there are plenty of options available to help you sell agriculture equipment. And each has its pros and cons.

Perhaps Ritchie Bros. was best known for its exciting events, including on-the-farm auctions, but did you know we actually help our customers (tens of thousands every year!) sell in different ways? The good news is that there is an optimal selling solution for each situation.

Sell your ag equipment at an auction

Do you want to have certainty that your equipment will be sold at a particular time? Then selling at an auction might be the best option for you. We specialize in on-the-farm auctions that cater specifically to the ag industry. These unreserved (or no reserve) auctions attract a lot of bidders that compete against each other for each item. Your items always sell to the highest bidders.

This way of selling and buying has become quite popular in the ag industry over recent years, with hundreds of thousands of people placing bids and purchasing equipment every year.

+ Your farm equipment is guaranteed to sell on auction day. You get paid within 21 days.

+ Buyers that can easily join from any country, province using any device

+ Your equipment is sold from a secured Ritchie Bros. yard or straight from your premise

– You have no control over price: the selling price is determined only by competing bidders

– You pay a commission fee which is higher than a classified ad fee

Sell your farm equipment with assistance (and a minimum price)

If you want more control over price and timing of sale, but don’t have the resources to market you farm equipment you may want to outsource the sale to a team of professionals. At Ritchie Bros., we offer a 24/7 online marketplace. You can set a minimum price and choose if you want to sell equipment from your own location or one of our secured yards. This way you don’t have to be involved in the selling process other than to accept offers you are comfortable with. A buyer outreach team will market your assets, find the buyers and facilitate negotiations.

Selling on our marketplace means we take care of the inspection, listing, buyer inquiries, negotiations, paperwork and payment. Our team is on top of it, and we use highly advanced advertising programs that target qualified buyers from across the country. 

+ Minimal effort for you. Our experts guide you and negotiate on your behalf.

+ You can set a minimum price and control the price

+ Professional advertising and international buyers

– It can take some time to close the deal (depending on the item)

– You pay a commission fee which is higher than a classified ad fee

Sell your farm equipment directly to Ritchie Bros.

Did you know that Ritchie Bros. or buy equipment directly from you? For specific equipment types and situations, we offer the possibility of a direct purchase agreement. This is how it works:    

• Fixed, guaranteed offer directly from Ritchie Bros. — a clear number, not a range.
• Fastest path to close of any Ritchie Bros. selling option.
• Zero market exposure. Ownership and resale responsibility shift to Ritchie Bros, who handle alllogistics, paperwork, and transfer.

Sell farm equipment in auction with a guaranteed minimum

With RB Guarantee, you get price certainty and market-driven upside. We guarantee a specified base cash value, then share a percentage of any additional sales proceeds.

• Guaranteed minimum payout — your minimum is set before your equipment goes to market.
• Market-driven upside — if the sale exceeds your guarantee, you share in the additional proceeds.
• Flexible timing control — choose from 400+ sales each year to align with your timeline.
• Backed by Ritchie Bros.’ global buyer reach and proven execution across 190+ countries.

Take the next step

Now that you’ve seen the possible selling options with us, which one appeals most to you? Don’t worry – you don’t have to decide now. Our representatives would like to listen to your situation, learn about your business and provide tailored advice. The next step? Contact us for a no-obligation chat.

See also

Real Results: Government Agencies Sell Surplus With Ritchie Bros.