Buyer’s agents and investors are looking into a growing trend of reverse online real estate auctions.

It’s not as confusing as it sounds. In a typical reverse auction, sellers compete for buyers, bringing them the lowest price for the home…

Countdown To Buy works in a similar way. They recently launched an automated real estate matching platform, which can support foreclosures, short sales and traditional property transactions. They also entered into an agreement with a major servicer of residential mortgages and will be offering some properties in Connecticut, New Jersey and New York.

Through the platform, offers are submitted confidentially, and the system compares them to the daily price. The offer is automatically accepted when it matches or exceeds that price.

We’ve been monitoring the role of technology in the REO world. Online auctions to some are a streamlined approach to a lot properties sold in a short amount of time. To others, its erasing the face-to-face art of negotiation.

“You-go-high-I-go-low” loses its mystique when it’s left up to computer programs – costing crafty agents an edge over their competition.

In the end, the market, as it always does, should find a balance between mass, automated transactions and finely tuned negotiations.

Write to Jon Prior.