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Choosing a realtor for a probate or estate sale
Updated Nov 2026 · Find estate and probate realtors by county →
Selling a home that belonged to someone who has died is not the same as selling your own. The seller is the estate, the timeline is set partly by the court, and the house usually comes with a lifetime of contents. Agents who have done this before make it easier.
What's different about an estate sale
- Authority. The executor or administrator signs, not the heirs. The agent needs to see the court's appointment paperwork before listing, and a good one will ask for it.
- Court approval. In Connecticut, a fiduciary may need Probate Court approval to sell real estate unless the will grants that power. Your attorney will know which applies; an experienced agent will know how to time the listing around it.
- Disclosures. Executors often can't answer the usual questions about the roof, the furnace or the basement because they never lived there. Connecticut's property condition disclosure has provisions for this, and agents who work with estates know how to handle it.
- Contents. Most estate homes need an estate sale, a cleanout, or both before photos. An agent who has relationships with those companies saves you weeks.
How to tell who has done it before
- Ask how many estate or probate sales they closed in the last two years. Not "worked on." Closed.
- Look for the designations: CPRES (Certified Probate Real Estate Specialist) and SRES (Seniors Real Estate Specialist) both signal relevant training, though plenty of good agents have neither.
- Ask who they'd call for a cleanout and an estate sale. If names come instantly, they've done this.
- Ask how they handle an out-of-state executor. Many are. The answer should involve a plan, not a shrug.
Be careful with "we buy houses" offers
Executors are a favorite target of cash-offer companies because they're overwhelmed and often far away. A fast cash sale can be right in some situations — a house in poor condition, heirs who need to close quickly — but the price is usually well below market. Get at least one opinion from a listing agent before accepting any cash offer, even if you end up taking it.
Questions for the interview
- What do you think the house would sell for as-is, and after a cleanout and light repairs? Which would you recommend, and why?
- How will you keep the other heirs informed if they ask?
- What's your commission, and does it change for an estate sale?