Broward County tax lien sales investing guide. 18% per annum interest, 24-month redemption. Auction details and due diligence checklist.
Broward County, FL sells tax lien certificates via RealAuction, with bidders bidding the interest rate down from an 18% per annum maximum. The owner may redeem at any time until a tax deed is issued, paying the certificate face amount plus accrued interest (minimum 5% on redemption); the certificate holder may apply for a tax deed two years after the certificate was issued (Fla. Stat. § 197.472 / § 197.502). Auctions run on an annual cadence.
OTC liens (18%, year-round via LienHub), foreclosures (RealAuction daily), tax deed sales, LAT properties available. Annual tax cert auction June.
Aggregated from live Broward County listings on LienScout Pro. Snapshot refreshes weekly.
Tax-sale data on this page is sourced from and reconciled against Broward County Records, Taxes & Treasury publications for Broward County, Florida.
Each statement below is tied to the source it came from and the date that source was last read. Statutory rules are verified against Florida law; auction logistics are verified against the county office that runs the sale.
| Fact | What applies | Source | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sale type | Tax lien certificate, convertible to a tax deed sale Certificates are sold first; after two years the holder may force a tax deed auction. | Fla. Stat. § 197.432 / § 197.502 State statute | September 4, 2026 |
| Investor return | Bid-down interest, 18% per annum maximum, with a 5% mandatory minimum on redemption Bidders bid the rate down from 18%. Except on zero-percent bids, redemption pays at least a flat 5% of the certificate face amount. | Fla. Stat. § 197.172 / § 197.472(2) State statute | September 4, 2026 |
| Redemption | Open-ended — the owner may redeem at any time until a tax deed is issued | Fla. Stat. § 197.472 State statute | September 4, 2026 |
| Extended redemption | Certificate holder may apply for a tax deed two years after April 1 of the year the certificate was issued This is the deed-application window, not a redemption deadline. | Fla. Stat. § 197.502(1) State statute | September 4, 2026 |
| Auction authority | Broward County Records, Taxes & Treasury / Clerk of Courts Official page could not be read automatically on the verification date; value carried from the last manual review. | Broward County Records, Taxes & Treasury / Clerk of Courts County office | September 4, 2026 unconfirmed |
| Where it happens | Online — broward.realtaxdeed.com (RealAuction) Official page could not be read automatically on the verification date; value carried from the last manual review. | Broward County Records, Taxes & Treasury / Clerk of Courts Auction platform | September 4, 2026 unconfirmed |
| Sale cadence | Annual certificate sale on or before June 1; tax deed auctions run continuously | Fla. Stat. § 197.402 State statute | September 4, 2026 |
Tax-sale rules last verified September 4, 2026. Rule verification is separate from auction data freshness — always confirm bidding terms with the county before the sale.
Broward County's tax certificate auction runs annually in early June through RealAuction, covering roughly 50,000+ delinquent parcels across Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Pompano Beach, and the rest of southeast Florida's densest county. Bid-down is aggressive on desirable Broward liens — the effective yield on prime parcels routinely compresses well below the statutory 18% cap. What separates Broward from most Florida counties is the depth of its year-round OTC channel: county-held certificates are available through LienHub at 18% with no competitive bidding, which is where most serious lien portfolios do the majority of their Broward deployment.
Beyond the certificate auction, Broward runs a daily foreclosure sale and a separate tax deed sale calendar through RealAuction, plus a Lands Available for Taxes (LAT) list of parcels that failed to sell at tax deed and can be purchased directly from the county. Each of those is a distinct channel with different due-diligence requirements — do not underwrite a foreclosure sale parcel using the same lien-bid model you use for the June auction.
Florida runs two distinct auctions in Broward County. Annual tax certificate sales (May–June) sell liens online via RealAuction — bidders bid the interest rate down from 18% in 0.25% increments, and the lowest rate wins with a minimum 5% penalty on redemption. Tax deed sales run year-round on RealAuction (or the county Clerk's portal for a handful of counties) after a certificate holder files a Tax Deed Application; the opening bid equals total taxes, fees, and half the assessed value on homestead parcels. Deed bidders wire a deposit plus a non-refundable fee, bid premium-only, and must fund the balance same-day or forfeit. Sub-1% winning rates are common on the certificate side for high-value homestead parcels; the deed side sees stronger institutional competition.
Pull the Broward County Property Appraiser record first — it gives you owner of record, land + building value, homestead flag, legal description, and the year of the last transfer. Then run the Clerk of Court's Official Records search for the last deed, active mortgages, judgments, and any code-enforcement liens (Florida code liens survive tax deed sale). Cross-reference the parcel against the Tax Collector's certificate ledger to see who else holds paper on it. Finish with the county GIS for zoning + flood zone and Google Street View for a visual on the improvement. Two Florida-specific gotchas: (1) always check homestead status before bidding a certificate — half-assessed-value opening bids destroy deed-side returns, and (2) municipal code liens do not extinguish at deed sale.
On the certificate side, once you win in Broward County, the county emails your certificate within 48 hours. The property owner has 2 years to redeem at your winning rate plus the 5% minimum penalty; after 2 years you may file a Tax Deed Application, which forces the property to public auction and pays you back principal + accrued interest at your rate. On the deed side, the Clerk issues the recorded deed within 30 days of the sale. Title is generally clean but not insurable without a quiet-title action or a title-insurance workaround (Florida title insurers typically require 4 years of undisturbed possession before insuring a tax-deed title). Excess proceeds above the opening bid are held for the former owner and junior lienholders to claim.
Broward County runs one of Florida's largest tax certificate sales — an online bid-down-interest auction on LienExpress (RealAuction) that closes each year in late May / early June. Institutional bidders dominate premium residential inventory: winning rates on Fort Lauderdale, Weston, and Coral Springs certificates are routinely bid down to the 0.25% statutory floor (with the guaranteed 5% mandatory minimum on redemption). Realistic yields sit in outlying zip codes (Pompano, Lauderdale Lakes, West Broward), small commercial parcels, and post-sale struck-to-county certificates. Certificates carry a 2-year redemption before you can apply for a tax deed.
Tax lien auctions in Broward County, Florida, involve the sale of tax liens on delinquent properties. Investors bid on the interest rate, starting at 18% per annum, with the lowest bidder winning the lien. The property owner then has a 24-month redemption period to pay the overdue taxes plus interest and penalties. If the property is redeemed, the lienholder receives their investment back with the accrued interest. If not redeemed, the lienholder may have the option to foreclose on the property to obtain title.
The expected return on tax lien investments in Broward County, Florida, is the interest rate set by the investor during the auction, which is capped at 18% per annum. This rate is earned when the property owner redeems the tax lien within the 24-month period. If the property is not redeemed, the investor may pursue foreclosure, which involves additional costs and time.
While tax lien investing can be profitable, risks include the property owner redeeming the lien late or not at all, potentially leading to a lengthy foreclosure process. There's also the risk of unrecoverable costs if the foreclosure is unsuccessful, and the property might have underlying title issues or be subject to other liens. The 24-month redemption period also means your capital is tied up for that duration.
To get started with tax lien investing in Broward County, Florida, you would typically register with the county's tax collector's office or their designated auction platform. Research upcoming tax lien sales and understand the auction rules. It's advisable to educate yourself on the process, potential risks, and legal requirements before participating. Ensure you have the capital available to purchase the liens.