Exchange/Sale Best Practices

This information is for guidance only and is not official policy. Not all best practices will be useful to all agencies in every situation. There is a short informational video on exchange/sale on GSA’s Official YouTube channel.

• Make sure the property you exchange/sale, and the property you acquire, meet one of the four “similar” criteria as defined in 41 CFR 102-39.20, Definitions.  
• Talk to your Chief Financial Officer, General Counsel, and Budget Resource Management Officer as needed. They will help you follow federal and agency policies and decide which offices/employees are responsible for the action.
• Handle exchange/sale purchases at the agency (national) level using a single contract. The contract’s work statement (Performance Work Statement) should mention 41 CFR 102-39, Replacement of Personal Property Pursuant to the Exchange/Sale Authority. Managing the process this way leads to:
  • Compliance with GSA Bulletins B-34, Disposal of Federal Electronics and B-48, Exchange/Sale Guidance
  • Consistent decisions and processes
  • Work specialization
  • Savings due to efficiency
  • No duplicated workFaster decisions
  • Better control and flexibility
  • A single point of contact for financial auditors

Exchange Best Practices

• Be very clear and specific about what property is being exchanged and what property is being acquired.
• Set up a schedule for the exchange process to manage the activity internally.

Sale Best Practices

• Confirm that your agency’s Sales Center is authorized to sell items for exchange/sale.
• Determine the fee structure for these exchange/sales.
• Involve your agency’s Chief Financial Officer’s office to properly account for the sales money according to your agency’s rules.
• Use complete descriptions and photographs of the items you are selling to get the best price. Include pictures of both the outside and inside of all motor vehicles and aircraft.
• For aircraft, include a statement detailing any extra costs or unique circumstances (e.g., the buyer has to pay to remove a fence, or it will take extra time and money to move the aircraft from a secure location).
• Before selling aircraft, make sure the following information in the system of record is correct:
  • Aircraft Location (e.g., check if it needs to be moved)
  • Serial Number/Part Number (e.g., check the identification markings/Tail Numbers for accuracy)
  • Model Year (e.g., Year of Manufacture)
  • Acquisition Code (e.g., how the plane was acquired)
  • Condition Code (e.g., does the condition match the Aircraft Engine/Maintenance Data Memo)
  • Status (e.g., make sure the plane is not under a Report of Survey or Litigation Status)
  • Property Code (Federal Stock Class) (e.g., make sure the plane is properly classified)

GSA usually only sells a few similar aircraft at one time to avoid flooding the market.

For more information on replacing aircraft through exchange/sale, see the Exchange/Sale of Aircraft webpage and 41 CFR 102.33, Management of Government Aircraft.