Abstract: The invention relates to a system 10 for conducting a sales mechanism over the internet in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The system 10 comprises a sales platform 18 for vendors of items such as a real estate property, sales facilitators 16 to administer the sales mechanism, and buyers (also referred to as bidders 14) to interact for selling and buying the items offered for sale. The description to follow will refer to a particular application of the sales mechanism for offering for sale a real estate property; however, the sales mechanism may be utilised for offering for sale any tangible or intangible item that is able to be sold.