"To a lot of people, starting a new real estate business at thistime seems exceedingly risky, but my entire career has been gearedto providing solutions to challenging markets. There's no bettertime to offer fast solutions in the capital markets," Dilibertosays. "Auction and advisory experience along with an ability toraise financing for our clients is essential in solving theproblems many owners face today, some of whom have never livedthrough a difficult real estate market."

Diliberto says the auction market has changed over the years.Twenty years ago an auction was considered a last-ditch effort tosell a distressed property. But as the economy has ebbed andflowed, the auction process has become more mainstream and notalways about distress. During the last ten years, Diliberto says hehas seen more corporate and private owners selling high-profile andtrophy assets at auction.

As a prime example, he cites the auction of Intel's 428,000-SF,68-acre manufacturing plant in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He also citesa National Auctioneers Association report that stated in 2008auction sales in the US reached $268.4 billion. Of that, 21.8% orroughly $58.2 billion was real estate related.