5 Reasons to Hire a Professional Executor to Sell Probate Real Estate

Too few people realize the sweat and hassle that goes into selling a deceased person’s home. Why burden yourself (or your heirs) with that responsibility when you can hire a professional executor—someone who has the skills and know-how to take care of every last detail for you?

In this post, I’m sharing real-life stories (with names changed to protect privacy) from clients who decided to place their probate home sales in the hands of a pro. Here are their most common reasons for doing so.

1. No one wants to be executor

I’ll just say it: it’s perfectly OK if you don’t want to serve as executor of your loved one’s estate. Plenty of people don’t, so believe me, you’re not alone.

Being executor is an honor and a privilege, but it’s also a very demanding role. It takes time that you could have spent on other things that you want (or need) to be doing. It also makes you legally liable for any mistakes you make while selling the property.

If a friend or relative names you as their executor and you don’t want to do it, try not to feel guilty. You might feel like your reasons aren’t good enough or you’re betraying their trust in you, but in fact it’s just the opposite. By hiring a professional, you’re making sure your loved one’s affairs will be handled as effectively as possible. And in my book, that shows they made the right choice in naming you.

Here are a couple examples from my clients.

Louise and Laura were named in their father’s will as co-executors of his estate. Sadly, their dad passed away—and right in the middle of having his whole house renovated. When the sisters learned they were to be co-executors, it created even more than the usual level of stress and anxiety. Both have young kids and busy lives and schedules of their own. Finishing a huge reno project and then selling the property was the last thing they wanted. So the sisters realized in the end that the best decision for them was to hire a professional executor.

Siblings Jim and Jen also passed on serving as co-executors, but for a different reason. Their beloved aunt had died in her apartment, and neither of them could emotionally stomach the idea of cleaning out the place and selling it. If, like Jim and Jen, it feels like you’re too close to the situation to be an effective executor, a pro can definitely help.

The above examples are people who were named executors. But what if you’re planning for your own affairs, and you’re worried about burdening your loved ones? That’s plenty reason to hire a professional. Also, remember that executor fees cost the same whether you name a pro or you name an amateur friend or relative—and there’s no upfront cost just for naming them in your will. Your executor only gets paid after they’ve done their job and your estate is settled.

2. Family drama.

Need I say more?

OK, I will. Family and drama often go hand in hand. And there’s no greater recipe for it than when death and money come into play.

Folks often turn to a professional executor if they anticipate even a whiff of drama with their loved ones. That’s because the professional is a neutral third party, someone who makes sure the process is fair, correct, and efficient. Ideally, one of the end results of hiring a pro is that the family peace is kept and relationships are intact.

Denny, Nicole, and Sam are siblings and Leo is their step-dad. When the kids’ mom (Leo’s wife) passed away, the family opted to hire me. Because even though everyone normally got along fine, Leo and the sibs recognized that being a blended family left the door open for drama. Ultimately, they just wanted everything to go as smoothly as possible, so they went pro.

Meghan’s brother Scott was living with their mom at the time of her passing. It was very dicey whether Scott would leave his mom’s place or was even capable of renovating and selling. So I was hired to serve as an independent middle man. This is a very common situation that I run into, where families rely on me to nudge the stubborn relative or tenant to leave so we can get the sale done. As a professional, it was much easier for me to check off that task than it would have been for Meghan.

3. The heirs live out of state.

While it is possible to sell a probate property from a distance, it’s WAY less convenient. There are some things that simply have to be done in person: cleaning out the house, overseeing renovations, preparing for the sale, attending the closing…

If you’re not local, travel expenses can add up fast. Many folks find it’s just not practical (or financially worth it) to try to handle everything themselves.

Min-ji and Soon-ja live in Korea, but their dad died in the U.S. The sisters didn’t feel comfortable settling his affairs themselves because of language barriers and lack of familiarity with local customs. On top of that, their dad also left behind multiple properties and a small business. As executor, I kept the sisters well informed at every stage of every sale, even from afar.

Michael was living in Europe when his father passed in New York City. Michael guessed (correctly) that the probate process would be messy for several reasons. First off, his dad owned a co-op, and those properties always come with their own special headaches. The dad also had nosy neighbors, a leak, and even a pest control issue. It was much easier for Michael to hire a pro than to try to fly back and forth to deal with all those things.

4. Selling a probate property isn’t your (or their) area of expertise.

Many of us have sold properties before. But probate properties are a whole different kettle of fish.

There are wills and other legal documents that need to be reviewed, and technical questions (such as ownership) that need to be answered before the sale process can even begin.

As a professional executor and licensed attorney, I’m equipped to deal with all of those issues (and more) so that you don’t have to.

Gary, Jason and Steve are brothers. Between the three of them, none felt they had the expertise to deal with the tax and legal issues that come up during probate sales. These brothers had the smarts to know when they needed a professional, and that’s the route they took.

Remember Jim, the guy who couldn’t bear to clean out his late aunt’s apartment? I didn’t mention that he was also an experienced CPA (certified public accountant). Jim had seen just enough of probate cases in his professional life to know how complicated they can be—and to also know there was no way he wanted the burden of being his aunt’s executor.

5. You don’t have anyone to appoint as executor.

Many of my clients are solo agers who stress A LOT over who they’ll name as executor. When you don’t have any logical, practical choices amongst your friends and heirs, going pro can often be the best option.

Lydia was a solo ager whose heirs and friends lived out of town. She knew her people would be unable to travel to New York to clean out and sell her apartment, but there was another compelling reason for Lydia to hire a professional executor. She had privacy concerns and didn’t want her loved ones to see how she lived. Using a professional executor was a way for Lydia to protect her dignity and provide the buffer she was looking for.

Let a professional executor handle your probate real estate sale.

Selling a home in probate is a complex process. Whether you’re looking to lift the burden off your heirs or yourself, a professional executor can help you do just that—from prepping the home to closing the sale.

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