6. Partner with an agent who does probate
If you prefer to sell the house on the market, hire a top real estate agent with probate home sale experience to list your home.
Harmel says her goal as a probate specialist real estate agent is “to net the family as much equity as possible.”
HomeLight’s Agent Match tool can connect you with top-performing agents in your market. This free tool analyzes over 27 million transactions and thousands of reviews to determine which agents would be best for your needs. Then, you can interview the agents to compare their probate experience, marketing strategies, and communication style and decide on the best fit.
Because this can be an emotionally charged experience, you want an agent who will be in your corner throughout the process. “I want the family to feel like I have respectfully treated the property,” Harmel says. “I actually love those properties — they’re my favorite. They have stories, and it’s all about presenting them to the world in the best light possible. I like doing that.”
7. Enlist the help of a mediator if needed
In a multiple heir situation, there’s plenty of opportunity for drama. If your family is struggling to reach an agreement over the home sale, hire a mediator to help you work through the obstacles together.
“If there are beneficiaries who do not agree on the sale of the house or other issues regarding the house — renovations, the agent, removing tenants, etc. — then a mediator can help resolve these issues outside of a formal court process,” Basu says. “This can decrease the time spent on resolution, as well as the cost.”
Meyer adds that the most common scenario for hiring a mediator is when one heir doesn’t want to sell — usually for sentimental reasons — or wants to hold out for more money. “A big issue is when one heir has unreasonable beliefs as to the value of the home,” he says. “Usually, you’ll need [a mediator] if there is a dispute about what to do with the house. But luckily, I’ve never needed one yet.”
8. Take an aggressive approach to decluttering before you sell
“Ninety percent of the time when I arrive at an inherited house, the family has already taken items that were personal to them, and now they don’t know what to do with the rest of it,” Harmel shares.
Create a decluttering plan with other heirs and family members to tackle the job over a couple of weekends. You can hire a professional estate sale company to manage and promote an estate sale or attempt to sell items individually with a garage sale and use of online platforms, such as Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and OfferUp.
Though decluttering a deceased loved one’s home is a difficult task, it’s essential for securing a swift and successful sale and a higher price. According to top real estate agents surveyed by HomeLight, decluttering can add approximately $8,000 to a home’s value.
