About Auctioneers After 5
Pat Rasmus
Trae Dudley
Trae Dudley
Patrick is a third-generation auctioneer and Chief Operating Officer of Rasmus Auctions. Patrick brings a sharp edge to tradition. From revolutionizing liquidation with online-only auctions to scaling marketplace tech like BidCloud, he's obsessed with innovation that keeps auctions fast, fun, and buyer-friendly. On Auctioneers After 5, Patrick pulls back the curtain on what’s working (and what’s not) in the auction world—from bourbon-fueled brainstorms to no-BS conversations about leadership, marketing, and the future of the industry.
Trae Dudley
Trae Dudley
Trae Dudley
Trae Dudley is the Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Dudley Resources. A second-generation licensed auctioneer with nearly a decade of experience, Trae has helped lead the company’s growth throughout Virginia and is now opening a new office in Indiana. He loves sharing his knowledge with anyone willing to listen, which has led him to speak at CAI as well as at the National Auction Association's Conference and Show. He holds both the Certified Auctioneers Institute (CAI) and Accredited Auctioneer Real Estate (AARE) designations. Known for his innovative approach and commitment to professional standards, Trae is passionate about helping clients achieve the best results in every auction.
Chris Schwartz
Chris Schwartz
Chris Schwartz
Chris stumbled into the auction world in 2009 after spotting a full-page ad for K-BID Online Auctions in a local newspaper. What started as curiosity quickly turned into a career. From his early days in the accounting department to developing K-BID’s marketing strategy and onboarding over 500 independent auction companies, Chris has been hands-on in nearly every part of the business. Today, he runs one of the largest online auction platforms in the Midwest. As a first-generation auctioneer with real-world marketplace experience, Chris brings a unique, grounded perspective to Auctioneers After 5, where lessons from the trenches meet honest conversations about growth, tech, and the future of the industry.
Erik Rasmus
Chris Schwartz
Chris Schwartz
In 1991, Erik was in the newspaper for being the youngest baby ever to attend a live auction. As of May 2014, he graduated from East Carolina University with a BS in Business Administration with a concentration in marketing. Erik enjoys playing the hand pan and loves when it rains. On the weekends you’ll either see him enjoying craft beers or sipping on mead.
Podcast Sponsors
Sponsored by Webtron
We're proud to have Webtron as an official sponsor of Auctioneers After 5. Their white-label online auction software is trusted by auctioneers worldwide—and for good reason. With a focus on simplicity for bidders and powerful tools for auctioneers, Webtron delivers a modern, secure, and feature-rich platform that runs directly from your website.
Since 2007, they’ve been pushing the boundaries of what online auctions can be—leveraging AI, bidder verification, and seamless interfaces to enhance the auction experience for everyone involved.
Thanks to Webtron for supporting honest conversations and innovation in the auction industry.
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