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How to contact a liquidator to buy assets
The person who controls the sale of a failed company's assets is the appointed office holder, the liquidator or administrator. Reach the right person, approach them well, and you put yourself at the front of the queue. Here is how.
Last updated 2026-09-03.
When you want to buy assets from a company in an insolvency process, there is only one person to talk to: the appointed office holder. They control the assets, they run the sale, and they decide who buys. The former directors cannot help you, and the company itself no longer sells anything. Getting to the right office holder, and approaching them the right way, is the whole game.
Who the office holder is
The office holder is a licensed insolvency practitioner appointed to the case. In a liquidation they are the liquidator, in an administration the administrator, and in a receivership the receiver. They have a legal duty to realise the assets for creditors, so they are a motivated seller. A serious buyer who understands the process is welcome, because it helps them do their job.
How to find out who they are
The appointment is on the public record. Their name, role and the date they were appointed are recorded, along with an address for the case. The quickest way to find them is to open the company on Insolvency Tracker. The asset assessment on any company in an insolvency process names the appointed office holder to approach, sets out the assets the company is likely to hold and what they could realise, and shows who ranks ahead of you. That gives you the person to contact and the case for your approach in one place.
Find the office holder on any company
Open a company on Insolvency Tracker and the asset assessment names the appointed office holder to contact, with their role and address where recorded.
Companies House does not publish a company's own phone number or email, so there is no direct line to the old business, and there is no need for one. The office holder's case address is the correct route, and they expect to be contacted by interested buyers.
How to approach them well
Office holders field a lot of interest that leads nowhere, so the way you approach matters as much as the fact that you do. Keep it short and credible. Introduce yourself and your business. Say clearly which assets you are interested in, whether that is a specific machine, the stock, the property or the whole business. Show that you are ready and able to complete, because proof of funds and the ability to move quickly is what separates a real buyer from a tyre kicker. Ask the practical questions: what is being sold, is it offered as a whole or in parts, what security is registered against it, and what is the timescale.
Be ready for their terms
When you buy, you buy on the office holder's terms, which almost always sell the assets as seen, with no warranty and no guarantee of title. That is normal, and it is why your own inspection and checks carry the weight. Do not expect the protections you would get buying from a trading business. Read our guide on how to buy assets from a company in liquidation for the full process, and on recovery rates for framing your number before you make contact.
Come to the conversation prepared
The office holder will take you more seriously if you already understand the case. Before you call, read the company's record, know its status and the type of process, and check the registered charges so you know who has a prior claim on the assets. Have your number in mind and your funding lined up. An approach that shows you have done the work gets a better hearing than a cold enquiry.
Get the office holder and the case in one place
Open a company's asset assessment to see who to approach, what the assets could realise, and who ranks ahead of you, then make your approach.
Common questions
How do I find out who the liquidator of a company is?
The appointed office holder is on the public record. Insolvency Tracker names the appointed liquidator or administrator, with their role and address where recorded, in the asset assessment on each company in an insolvency process.
Should I contact the company or the liquidator?
The liquidator. Once a company is in an insolvency process, only the appointed office holder can sell its assets. Contacting the former directors will not get you anywhere.
What should I say when I approach them?
Introduce yourself, say clearly what assets you are interested in, and show you are ready and able to complete. Evidence of funds and the ability to move quickly sets you apart.
Company information, not advice. Always deal with the appointed office holder and take professional advice before making an offer.