Solids: a combinatorial auction for real estate

In May 2011, our collaboration with housing corporation Stadgenoot culminated in the first combinatorial auction for housing space in a newly erected multistory building in Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Our primary goal was to allocate space based on the preferences of many potential users. The resulting allocation included space for restaurants, boutiques, a dentist, and residential users. The auction we designed maximized total rent for Stadgenoot while complying with municipal and building regulations. We based our design on laboratory experiments that gave us guidance on choices regarding, for example, pricing, feedback, and activity rules. This paper describes the development and the results of this auction.