Sell heavy equipment for more: How Makana reserved auctions work

Want to sell your heavy equipment without waiting months for a buyer? And what if you could get a better offer after the auction ends?

Makana runs monthly online machinery auctions in Dubai, usually at the beginning of each month. Sellers can choose between reserved and unreserved lots based on their goals. Here's how the process works and how you can use it to sell your machinery.

Makana's reserved machinery auctions give you both opportunities. Buyers compete for your equipment during a set auction period. When bidding closes, you can approve the highest bid or explore another offer.

In one real Makana auction, a seller turned a $120,000 closing bid into a $160,000 sale. That's an extra $40,000, or 33% above the final auction bid.

Get higher returns with Makana reserved auctions in four steps

Makana handles the inspection, photos, marketing, and online bidding. You choose how to sell your machine while Makana helps you reach buyers in the UAE and around the world.

1. Consign your machine and choose your auction format

Contact Makana and share your machine details. Your dedicated account manager helps you choose between two auction options:

• Reserved auction: Buyers compete, and you approve the closing bid before the sale is confirmed.
• Unreserved auction: The highest valid bidder wins when bidding closes.

Choose a reserved auction if you want to benefit from buyer competition and keep the chance to negotiate for a higher price.

2. Makana inspects, photographs, and markets your machine

Once your machine is inspected and listed, Makana prepares it for buyers. This includes:

• 75+ point inspection report with details about the machine's condition.
• 250+ professional photos showing the equipment from different angles.
• Operational videos showing the machine at work.
• 360° views, where available.
• Machine specifications and clear listing details.

Makana then promotes your equipment through its website, monthly auctions, social media, and other channels. Your machine can also attract buyer interest and offers before the auction begins.

3. Buyers register for free and compete for your machine

Buyers register for free, choose their bidding limit, and verify their card with a temporary, refundable $1 charge. No security deposit is required for card verification.

For example, a buyer can activate a $15,000 bidding limit with a $0 wallet balance, without paying that amount upfront.

Makana then manages the bidding process, allowing interested buyers to compete for your equipment online.

4. Approve the closing bid or negotiate a better deal

When a reserved lot closes, its status changes to Pending Approval. The highest bidder becomes the provisional winner. You have 30 minutes to review and approve the closing bid.

• Approve: Makana confirms the sale, and the buyer moves to payment.
• Do not approve: Makana can help you continue negotiating with interested buyers.

A reserved auction gives sellers two opportunities: accept a competitive closing bid or negotiate with interested buyers for a higher price.

90% of Makana auction lots successfully sell

Makana's auction results show how reserved auctions help sellers achieve both faster sales and better prices.

• 70% of lots: Sellers approve the winning bid and complete the sale.
• 20% of lots: Sellers negotiate a higher price through a counteroffer, which the buyer accepts.
• 10% of lots: The sale is not completed.

That means 90% of auction lots result in a successful sale, either through direct approval or further negotiation.

For sellers looking to liquidate machinery without giving up the opportunity for a better return, these results show the value of Makana's auction process.

Keep negotiating with Make an Offer

Makana's Make an Offer feature gives buyers another way to agree on a price for eligible machines. Offers are reviewed within 2 business days. The seller can respond in three ways:

• Accept: Agree to the buyer's offer.
• Reject: Decline the offered amount.
• Counteroffer: Suggest another price and keep negotiating.

For example, a buyer may offer $50,000 for a machine, and the seller can counter with $55,000. The buyer can accept, decline, or send another offer. Negotiations can continue until both sides agree on a price.

The benefit is simple: you can keep talking to interested buyers without waiting for another auction.

For more details about the two auction formats, read Makana's guide to reserved and unreserved machinery auctions.

Reserved auctions also offer more options for buyers

Reserved auctions are not only useful for sellers. For buyers, they offer a chance to compete for inspected machinery from the listed starting bid. They can review the machine, set a budget, and follow the bidding online.

Each reserved lot clearly shows that seller approval is required when the auction closes. If the highest bid is approved, Makana confirms the sale to the winning buyer.

If the sale is not approved, Makana may contact interested bidders with another offer. Buyers can then decide whether they want to continue negotiating. They are not required to accept the new price.

This means a buyer may still have a chance to buy a machine even when the first auction result does not lead to a sale.

Why consign your machinery with Makana in Dubai?

Selling machinery is more than finding someone who wants it. You need to show the machine, reach serious buyers, manage the sale, and receive payment. Makana helps you with the full process.

Reach buyers in the UAE and around the world

Makana promotes machinery through its website, online auctions, social media, and search engines. In its first year, Makana recorded:

• 9.6 million social media views.
• 69,587 visits from organic search.
• Website visitors from 98 countries.
• 100 machines sold to buyers in 9 countries.

These numbers show the reach Makana built during its first year. Read more in Makana's first-year results.

Show buyers more before they bid

Makana's inspection reports, photos, operational videos, and machine details help buyers learn about the equipment before making an offer. This is especially useful for buyers outside the UAE who cannot visit the yard easily. The goal is to give buyers the information they need to bid with more confidence.

Sell on a clear monthly schedule

Makana holds machinery auctions every month, usually at the start of the month. This gives sellers a clear selling period instead of waiting without a planned date. Sellers may also receive buyer interest before the auction opens.

Get paid within 3–5 days after the sale

Once a sale is completed, Makana targets seller payout within 3–5 days. According to Makana, this is 70% faster than other machinery sellers. Faster payment can help contractors and fleet owners replace old machines, buy new equipment, or free up money for the next project.

Consign your equipment for Makana Auction 06

Ready to sell your excavator, wheel loader, bulldozer, truck, or other heavy equipment? Makana Auction 06 runs from November 1–10, 2026, with machinery located in Jebel Ali Free Zone, Dubai.

The auction includes both reserved and unreserved lots. Makana's team can help you choose the format that suits your selling goals.

You can also explore upcoming machinery auctions in Dubai to learn about current and future events. Start selling your machinery with Makana and ask the team about joining the next auction.

FAQs about Makana reserved machinery auctions

How can I sell heavy equipment through a Makana reserved auction?

Start by sharing your machine details with Makana. The team helps with inspection, listing, and auction marketing. Buyers then compete online, and you review the closing bid before the sale is confirmed.

Can I get a higher price after a reserved auction closes?

Yes, it is possible through further negotiation. In one Makana sale, a 2017 long-boom excavator closed at $120,000, and the seller later accepted $160,000. This was 33% above the closing bid.

How long does a seller have to approve a reserved auction bid?

The seller has 30 minutes after the lot closes to approve the highest bid. Makana then notifies the bidder of the result.

Can buyers still make an offer after a reserved lot is not approved?

Yes. Makana may contact interested bidders with another offer. Buyers are free to accept or decline it. Eligible machines may also receive offers through Make an Offer.

Is registration for Makana machinery auctions free?

Yes. Registration is free. With card verification, buyers can activate a bidding limit without paying a security deposit. A temporary $1 verification charge is automatically reversed.

What is the difference between a bidding limit and MaxBid?

A bidding limit controls how much bidding access you have on Makana. MaxBid is the highest amount you are willing to offer for one lot, and the system can bid automatically up to that amount.

How fast does Makana pay machinery sellers?

Makana targets payment within 3–5 days after a completed sale, subject to the applicable transaction and payment terms.