Meet Sara Schenck Mackarvich | Estate Consultant, Owner and Operator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sara Schenck Mackarvich and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sara, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
The most important factor behind my success has been my ability to solve problems, and creating calmness in chaos. Estate sales are a gamble each week comprised mostly of variables and placebo effects. There are endless facets that must come together to generate a successful sale, and often times that involves critical thinking and creativity.

I joke that I “shove square pegs through round holes” on a daily basis, but I’ve been doing it my entire life, and not many professions Recently one of my clients picked up on a bit of my ADD and dyslexia. Instead of criticizing me for it, he applauded my ability to recognize my strength of problem solving, knowing I had likely done it subconsciously to mold myself to societal standards. Having ADD obviously has its challenges, but in my profession, I’m able to utilize my strengths like jumping from task to task, keeping my attention on solving the problem at hand and thriving in chaos, in a variety of settings.

What should our readers know about your business?
Most of us will one day move or downsize, and unfortunately experience the death of a loved one. That’s when I come in. I provide a tailored, turnkey sustainable service to families, essentially making “moving on” easier by selling everything but the house itself… literally. We sell vehicles, half-used cleaning supplies, clothing, pantry items, Chanel handbags, Pre-Colombian artifacts and entire art collections… there’s not too much we haven’t sold. We didn’t invent the estate sale by any means, but we’ve been in business since 2010, and have conducted well over 500 traditional estate sales and online auctions making us one of the more established companies in the area. Although the Atlanta metro is our hub, we have conducted sales in 5 other states as well.

I am a Benefit Corporation, so I have the fiduciary obligation to work in the best interest of my client. Therefore, I also work strictly on commission. Being purely commission based is risky, considering all the variables involved, but it’s only fair to the client that when the sale does better, we do better.

Our team is large and tenured enough to handle homes over 30k square feet, and small enough to give our full attention to our clients. A longstanding partnership with a faith-based men’s addiction recovery program allows us to provide a full-service solution that gives our client the option of a charitable clean-out at the conclusion of the sale, at no additional cost. This service is ideal for people and agents preparing to put the house on the market before staging services come in, although we can conduct sales at any point during the process.

It’s an exciting, labor intensive grind that can get very emotional. But everything and everyone has a story. We see a lot combing through homes, ensuring personal documents and important items aren’t left behind. We’ve found & returned 20 carat anniversary bands lost in a box for years, love letters to mistresses, vehicles in other states, and even documents that mended a decade-long family feud. Moments like that make it worth every second. I couldn’t ask for a more fulfilling and rewarding career. I love what I do with all of my soul and feel blessed beyond measure to help others for a living.

Whether you’re moving across the world or across the street, managing the estate of a loved one, or going through a divorce… we understand it is a deeply personal process and you don’t have to do it alone. The moment you’re remotely curious about having estate sale is the time to call and schedule a consultation. It’s never too early to begin planning and our services are designed to work in tandem with your real estate process or independently. Before you start taking stuff to goodwill, call us! You never know what something is worth.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Nothing gives me anxiety quicker than paying MSRP, and Atlanta has INCREDIBLE places to shop sustainably! If we aren’t hitting up estate sales, you’ll find us at Labels consignment store and the Northside Dr. Goodwill before circling back to the design galleries on Westside, Interiors Market, Sarah Cyrus Home and Foxglove antiques. I also love taking people to William Word antiques in Buckhead, their family business is incredibly helpful and knowledgeable. I always learn something! Although we save on buying goods second hand, we usually splurge on Eddie & George’s should-be-famous skinny margarita at Taqueria Del Sol with Melissa and a steak at Chops is always a must.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Shoutout to my family, because they showed me the importance of hard work and allowed me to fail, knowing I’d learn to succeed; my husband, Sloan MacKarvich, who supports and loves me through this rollercoaster of life; The entire McNeil family, for always loving and supporting my vision and the ups and downs of this crazy business; the late Clay McNeil for giving me the opportunity to do what I do best; Krisztina Bell & Stephanie Dahlman for so graciously reminding me the importance of putting myself out there earlier this year; Frank Roach because “The Show will ALWAYS go on”; Jared Smith teaching me that to lead, you have to listen; Charlene & Gigi… my work moms; The Blake House for making our process possible; The Schenck School for teaching the next generation of Creative Learners self advocacy; Our loyal customers who come out each and every week to find and buy cool stuff and assist in our goal of sustainability; and lastly, each and every one of our 500+ clients who have trusted our process and allowed us to represent their families, heirlooms and stories.

Website: https://ATLEstateSales.com

Instagram: SaraSellsATL

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552611938277&mibextid=LQQJ4d

Other: https://CertifiedbySara.com