By auction house

The major international houses offer global visibility, polished catalogues, networks of experts and international buyers. They are generally chosen for major works, but charge higher fees and require large volumes.

Medium-sized and regional houses offer a more personal relationship, lower fees and a fine knowledge of their local market. Specialised houses, finally, focus on one segment (tribal art, photography, furniture) and build a reputation for excellence there.

An approved house undertakes to verify the provenance of works, to consult the BIOP database, to publish its terms of sale and to declare its results to the Observatory. It may display the OIMAP label and benefits from an accelerated sale approval procedure.

In 2024, 91% of lots sold for more than €100,000 were sold by approved houses. Approval has become a criterion of trust for foreign buyers.

The fees charged by houses have evolved in recent years. Buyer's commissions have fallen on average from 24% to 21% for ordinary lots, under pressure from platform competition. Seller's fees, which are negotiable, range from 0 to 12%.

For major lots, houses often offer price guarantees to the seller, in return for a share of the overage. These guarantees are growing and changing the economics of major sales.