Choosing The right Probate Realtor
What Should I Ask Probate Real Estate Agents Before Hiring One?
“Have you sold probate real estate before?” is a good start but it’s not enough. You need to phrase your questions in a way that invites the prospective agents to go into detail about their experience.
How many probate transactions have you handled?
By asking how many transactions they’ve handled, you’re really providing the agents with the opportunity to tell a few stories about specific properties they’ve sold.
If they don’t go into detail about probate transactions on their own, follow up by asking about their best and worst probate sale experiences. This will give you insight into the steps they’ll take to ensure things go smoothly and how they’ll handle any difficulties that arise.
This is also a good time to ask them for references from past clients that you can contact. Calling these clients will give you first-hand perspectives from people who’ve successfully completed their probate sales.
How do probate sales and traditional sales differ?
If you’ve done your research and spoken with your probate attorney, you might consider skipping this question in your agent interviews.
Don’t.
Even if you’re confident that you know the differences, this question isn’t really about the answer itself. What you’re looking for is their ability to explain this complex process in away that you can easily understand.
Selling real estate during probate can be a complex process within the already complex probate process as a whole. In the event that an issue arises during the sale, you need to be sure your probate agent can clearly communicate these issues with you and more importantly, have the knowledge and ability to solve them
Are you certified or educated in probate?
Experience selling probate real estate is the number one qualification your agent must have. However, it may give you peace of mind if your agent has probate-specific training or certification.
It’s often a misconception that you must proceed with the agent that your attorney referred. Before committing to a multi-thousand dollar agreement, it is important that you know your options in order to make an educated decision for the estate.
One Last Thing…
Upon identifying a probate real estate agent, ensure that both your agent and attorney are in communication. The average probate process lasts six to nine months, so you want to be sure all three of you work well together.
Selling the home of a dearly departed family member can be a heartbreaking step to take. But having the right probate real estate agent on your side can make that difficult task easier to bear.