OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — The Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office has been given the green light to host online auctions for foreclosed homes.

Internet auctions were introduced in 2023, but the agency hit an unexpected wall.

Aaron Brilbeck with the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office told News 4, “It was challenged in court and the Supreme Court ruled that we were right to be able to do it. The challenge came from one of these groups that likes to buy up a lot of these houses and make their profit that way.”

New legislation was approved by Governor Kevin Stitt in 2025, allowing the agency to get the ball back rolling with stronger guidelines in place.

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“It was never illegal what we were doing. It just cleaned up the language and made it a bit more crystal clear in terms of the the sheriff’s office,” Brilbeck said.

The agency believes more access will increase competition, as the internet auctions expand the bidding process nationwide.

However, Democratic Senate Minority Leader Julia Kirt expressed concerns about affordable housing options becoming scarce if big companies start dipping into Oklahoma real estate.

“We’re seeing corporate landlords buy up properties and then flip them and raise the prices a lot. It really hurts Oklahomans when prices go up faster than wages. And it also affects rent because when you can’t afford a place to buy, you certainly are having to rent. And more and more, these investors with big portfolios, national money is being taken out,” Sen. Kirt said.

Kirt also mentioned the increase in competition and how individual buyers will have to be prepared with all cash offers to compete with other entities interested in the foreclosed homes.

Brilbeck said the agency won’t be making any additional money outside of what they currently made when the auctions were held in person.

The first online sheriff’s sale is November 18.