My good friend (who is a real estate agent) refuses to sell properties at auction.

I've seen a few places go up for auction and the owners have been pressured on the day to take less than what they have wanted, or the place gets passed in because the money is too low, it is then more money for them as it has to be re-advertised for sale, as opposed to the advertising done for auction.

From watching the market, it is a buyers market which is never a good time to put a property to auction, if it was a sellers market then I'd consider it.