The twelve questions
Bring this list to every interview and take notes on the answers. Then compare the notes, not the handshakes.
- 1 How many court-confirmed estate sales have you completed in this county?
- 2 Have you worked this specific courthouse and its confirmation calendar before?
- 3 Walk me through your fee structure. Who pays the buyer's side, and are there estate-specific costs?
- 4 What is this home realistically worth, and how will that number hold up at the hearing?
- 5 Who carries the court paperwork: you, the executor, or the attorney?
- 6 What happens if a qualified buyer outbids at confirmation?
- 7 How do you price and present a vacant or cluttered estate home?
- 8 What prep or repairs would you recommend before the appraisal?
- 9 How often will you report, and to whom, in writing?
- 10 May I speak with two executors you have served in the past three years?
- 11 How do you handle contents, cleanouts, staging, and the personal property side?
- 12 What is your 90-day and 180-day plan if the property does not sell?
What to listen for
Experience shows up in specifics: a named courthouse, a recent confirmation date, a fee sheet with the estate line items filled in, and a pricing plan that defends the number with data. A confident answer to question ten, the reference check, usually tells the rest of the story.
This guide is general information about California estates, not legal or tax advice. Confirm your family's situation with a qualified California probate attorney and your tax professional.