If you are a trustee selling an inherited home, finding the right Realtor matters. A trust sale involves more than listing a home in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). You may need to coordinate with an estate attorney, beneficiaries, contractors, escrow, and title. At the same time, you need to protect the property and maximize its value.
Therefore, you want a Realtor who understands the nuances of trust sales. If the property is in Glendale, La Canada Flintridge, La Crescenta, Montrose, Pasadena, or Arcadia, local experience matters even more. Each community has different neighborhoods, buyers, property values, and market conditions.
What Should You Look for in a Trust Sale Realtor?
Not every Realtor who says they handle trust sales has significant experience with them. First, ask how many trust sales the Realtor has actually handled. An experienced trust-sale Realtor should also understand the challenges that come with inherited property. For example, the home may need repairs. It may still contain the previous owner’s belongings. It may be occupied by a tenant or family member.
A Concierge Program Can Make Preparing the Home Easier
Inherited homes often need repairs before they go on the market. However, trustees may not want to pay thousands of dollars out of pocket before the property sells. That is where Phyllis Harb’s Concierge Program can help. Through the program, Phyllis can advance the costs of repairs and improvements needed to prepare the home for sale. The proceeds at closing then reimburse the costs.
This can make the process much easier for trustees and families. Instead of finding the money upfront, you can focus on preparing the property properly. The program can help with desired repairs and improvements that may improve the home’s condition, presentation, and marketability. Of course, every sale is different. Phyllis evaluates the property and recommends improvements based on the home’s condition, neighborhood, market, and potential return.
As a result, your Realtor needs to do more than sell the house. They need to coordinate the entire process.
Look for Local Trust Sale Experience
Local knowledge can make a major difference. A Realtor who regularly sells homes in Glendale may understand the market differently than an agent who rarely works there. The same applies to La Canada, La Crescenta, and Arcadia. So look for an agent who knows the neighborhoods, demographics, and the trust-sale process.
Trust Sales in Glendale
Glendale has a wide variety of properties. You will find older homes, character properties, hillside homes, condos, and larger estates. As a result, pricing an inherited Glendale home requires more than looking at a few nearby sales. Your Realtor should understand the neighborhood, property condition, buyer demand, and the improvements that can increase the home’s appeal.
Trust Sales in La Canada Flintridge
La Canada Flintridge presents its own challenges. Buyers often pay close attention to location, schools, lot size, condition, and architectural character. Therefore, the right pricing and marketing strategy can make a significant difference. A Realtor who knows and lives in La Canada can also help a trustee decide which repairs and improvements make financial sense before listing.
Trust Sales in La Crescenta and Montrose
La Crescenta and Montrose offer a mix of older homes, updated properties, hillside residences, and smaller bungalows on postage stamp lots. Because property values can vary significantly by location and condition, accurate pricing becomes critical. A local Realtor should know which features buyers value and how to position the property in the current market.
Trust Sales in Arcadia
Arcadia also requires a local approach. The community includes everything from traditional homes to newer construction and larger properties. Lot size, location, schools, condition, and neighborhood can all affect value. Phyllis’s real estate partner Kris Jardino is an Arcadia resident and understands the local buyer pool and current competition.
Ask These Questions Before Hiring a Realtor
Before you sign a listing agreement, ask a few direct questions.
How many trust sales have you handled? You want an answer based on actual experience, not simply a statement that the agent “does probate and trusts.”
Do you work with estate attorneys? A good Realtor understands that the attorney handles the legal issues. The Realtor handles the real estate side. The two professionals should communicate throughout the transaction. Keep in mind that the more direction your attorney has to give a Realtor who is not experienced with trust sales will add to your legal fees.
Your Realtor should have a clear communication process. Everyone should understand what is happening and when decisions need to be made.
Can you manage the property if I live out of state? Many trustees do not live near the inherited property. Therefore, ask whether the Realtor can coordinate contractors, cleaning, landscaping, staging, inspections, and other services.
What do you recommend repairing before the sale? You do not want to spend thousands of dollars on improvements that will not increase the home’s value. An experienced trust-sale Realtor should help you determine where to spend money and where to save it.
Why Experience With Trust Sales Matters
A trust sale can become complicated quickly. The property may need significant preparation. Family members may disagree. Documents may need to be reviewed. An attorney may need to become involved. Escrow may uncover issues that require additional attention. Therefore, experience matters.
A Realtor who regularly handles trust sales knows how to anticipate problems. More importantly, they know how to keep the transaction moving.
Harb & Co. Specializes in Trust and Probate Sales
At Harb & Co., we have decades of experience helping families navigate trust and probate real estate sales. Phyllis Harb has been a Realtor since 1989. She understands that selling a family home involves more than the transaction itself. Often, trustees are dealing with a lifetime of belongings, family decisions, property repairs, and emotional stress.
That is why we take a hands-on approach. We help trustees prepare the property, coordinate vendors, determine which improvements make sense, establish a strategic price, market the home, negotiate offers, and coordinate the transaction through closing. We also work closely with estate attorneys, escrow officers, contractors, and other professionals involved in the sale.
Trust Sale Experience Throughout the Foothills and San Gabriel Valley
Our local knowledge is one of our biggest advantages.
Phyllis grew up in Glendale and has lived in La Canada for decades. She knows these communities personally, not simply from MLS statistics. We understand the neighborhoods. We understand the buyers. Most importantly, we understand how important accurate pricing and strategic preparation can be when selling an inherited property.
Our team serves trustees throughout Glendale, La Canada Flintridge, La Crescenta, Montrose, Pasadena, Altadena, and Arcadia.
Selling an Inherited Home Does Not Have to Be Overwhelming
Being named trustee can feel like a tremendous responsibility. However, you do not have to manage everything yourself. Start by assembling the right team. Your estate attorney can guide you through the legal requirements. Your CPA can address tax questions. Then, choose a Realtor who understands both your local market and the unique demands of trust sales.
If you are searching for a Realtor specializing in trust sales near you, experience matters. For trustees in Glendale, La Canada Flintridge, La Crescenta, Montrose, Pasadena, and Arcadia, Phyllis Harb and the Harb & Co. Team can help you navigate the real estate side of the process from preparation through closing.
And, when the home needs work, Phyllis’s Concierge Program can help you move forward without paying approved repair and preparation costs upfront. If you are preparing to sell an inherited home, contact Phyllis Harb to discuss your property and learn how a trust-sale specialist can help.
