If you’ve been named executor in a will, or appointed administrator when there wasn’t one, you’re now responsible for handling a house that belonged to someone who died — on top of everything else you’re dealing with. This page is a starting point: what you generally need to know before you can act, and where to go for the details. You’re not expected to become a probate expert — your attorney handles the legal side, including authority, court requirements, and the legal path. What this page focuses on is the real-estate side: what to check before you move forward, and what a licensed listing agent does once your authority to act has been confirmed by your attorney — preparing the property, pricing it using real market context, marketing it honestly, reviewing offers, and coordinating toward closing. Neither role works around the other.

Alex Gonzalez, licensed real estate agent with MGR Real Estate — **Alex Gonzalez** · MGR Real Estate

What you’ll need to know

Whether you have authority to act yet. Being named in a will, or being next in line to serve as administrator, isn’t the same as having legal authority for the estate. That authority generally comes from the probate court, through documents called Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration. See letters testamentary and letters of administration.

What kind of authority you have. California’s Independent Administration of Estates Act (IAEA) can give you different levels of authority to manage estate property: this can affect the sale process, though this site doesn’t determine which type applies to your case. See full vs. limited authority under the IAEA.

What preparing the house involves. Cleanup, repair decisions, and understanding local market conditions before you set a price. See preparing the property and how we prepare market context.

Whether additional court-related steps might apply. Some probate sales involve a Notice of Proposed Action or court confirmation, depending on your authority and case. See notice of proposed action.

What the sale itself looks like, start to finish. A practical, step-by-step walkthrough from confirming authority through closing. See selling a house during probate.

Whether the estate might qualify for a simplified process. Smaller estates sometimes have simplified transfer options worth asking your attorney about. See small estate options.

How long the process generally takes. For a realistic, honest sense of pacing without a promised date. See how long does probate take in California.

General California probate and trust real-estate education. Not legal, tax, title, appraisal, or court advice. Talk with a qualified professional about your situation.

How the real-estate side works alongside your attorney

You don’t have to choose between legal guidance and practical help selling the house. Your attorney advises you on authority, court requirements, and the legal path. Alex Gonzalez works with you and your attorney once that authority is confirmed: preparing the property, pricing it based on real market context, marketing it honestly, reviewing offers, and coordinating toward closing. Neither one works around the other.

If you’re not sure whether the house is actually part of a probate estate or was held in a living trust, start with is your house in probate or in a trust? before anything else: it changes which process applies.

Where to start

A good first step is organizing the documents and information your attorney will likely ask for: the will if there is one, any court papers already filed, and basic information about the property and other estate assets. Get the Inherited Property Checklist for a low-pressure way to start that, no obligation.

When you’re ready to talk about the house itself, request a conversation with Alex Gonzalez.

Common questions

Do I need both a probate attorney and a real estate agent?

Yes: they handle different things. Your attorney advises on legal authority, court requirements, and the legal path. Once that authority is confirmed, Alex Gonzalez works with you and your attorney on the real-estate side: preparing the property, pricing it using real market context, marketing it honestly, reviewing offers, and coordinating toward closing. Neither one works around the other.

How do I know if I have authority to act yet?

Being named in a will, or being next in line to serve as administrator, isn’t the same as having legal authority for the estate. That authority generally comes from the probate court, through documents called Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.

Is the property in probate, or held in a living trust?

If you’re not sure, start by figuring that out: it changes which process applies. See “Is Your House in Probate or in a Trust?” for how to tell the difference.

Official resource: For the court system’s own plain-language explanation, see the California Courts Self-Help Guide’s overview of formal probate. It describes the court process in general; it doesn’t replace advice from your probate attorney.

For Executors and Administrators