South Bay & Greater Los Angeles
Selling a home held in a trust can involve more than a traditional real estate transaction. Trustees may be responsible for managing the property, understanding the trust's requirements, coordinating with beneficiaries and professional advisors, preparing the home for market, and making informed decisions designed to protect the interests of the trust.
Lisa Babros and Carrie Miller, Global Real Estate Advisors with Vista Sotheby's International Realty, provide specialized real estate guidance for trust property sales throughout the South Bay and Greater Los Angeles. With more than 36 years of real estate experience, they help trustees, beneficiaries, fiduciaries and families navigate the sale of trust-owned and inherited real estate with clarity, discretion and care.
Lisa & Carrie are Certified Probate & Trust Specialists and Seniors Real Estate Specialist®, bringing additional expertise to estate-related real estate sales and the transitions that often accompany them.
A trust sale occurs when real property owned by a trust is sold by the trustee or another person authorized to act on behalf of the trust.
In California, a trustee generally has the power to sell trust property, subject to the terms of the trust and applicable law. California Probate Code §16226 provides that a trustee has the power to acquire or dispose of property by public or private sale or exchange.
Every trust and family situation is different, however. Before listing a property, the trustee should confirm his or her authority to sell and discuss any legal, tax or trust-administration questions with the appropriate attorney, CPA or other professional advisor.
Our role is to manage the real estate component of the transition and work collaboratively with the trustee and their professional advisors throughout the sale.
One of the first decisions is determining what should happen to the property before it reaches the market.
Some trust properties are beautifully maintained and ready to sell. Others may have been owned for decades and require significant attention. The home may still contain furniture and personal belongings, have deferred maintenance, require repairs or updating, or need to be sold in its current condition.
Before recommending a strategy, Lisa & Carrie evaluate the property, current market conditions, comparable sales, likely buyer expectations and the potential financial benefit of making improvements.
Together with the trustee, they can help determine whether it makes sense to:
The objective is not simply to prepare the home for sale. It is to determine which actions are likely to provide meaningful value and which may create unnecessary expense, delay or complication for the trust.
The Trust Property Sale Process
Trustees are often responsible for far more than just the sale of a home, and real estate decisions can directly impact the overall administration of the trust. Lisa & Carrie provide guidance designed to reduce uncertainty, avoid unnecessary expenses, and help trustees make informed, market-driven decisions before committing time or trust resources.
Their support may include:
This consultative, property-specific approach ensures trustees understand their options early in the process—before making major financial or logistical decisions. The goal is to align the real estate strategy with the condition of the home, current market conditions, and the fiduciary responsibilities of the trust.
By combining deep market knowledge with extensive experience in estate and trust-related transactions, Lisa & Carrie help ensure that each property is positioned effectively, marketed professionally, and managed with care from start to finish.
Generally, a California trustee has authority to sell trust property, subject to the terms of the trust and applicable law. California Probate Code §16226 expressly provides trustees with the power to dispose of property by public or private sale or exchange.
Because individual trusts can contain different instructions or restrictions, trustees should have their attorney confirm their authority before proceeding with a sale.
Not necessarily. The trustee's authority and responsibilities are generally determined by the trust document and California law rather than simply by whether every beneficiary agrees.
Disagreements among beneficiaries can complicate a sale, however. A trustee facing a dispute should obtain advice from the trust attorney before making decisions regarding the property.
Start by confirming your authority to act under the trust and obtaining appropriate legal and tax guidance. From the real estate perspective, the next step is usually to evaluate the property's condition and current market value before making repairs, removing significant items or investing money in renovations.
An early property evaluation allows you to compare selling as-is with preparing the property for market and make decisions based on likely financial return rather than assumptions.
Sometimes—but not automatically.
The right answer depends on the home's condition, location, price range, buyer expectations, cost of the proposed work and current market conditions.
For some properties, painting, landscaping, cleaning or targeted improvements can significantly improve marketability. For others, extensive renovations may not provide enough additional value to justify the cost, time and risk.
Lisa & Carrie evaluate these options before recommending a preparation strategy.
A trustee does not necessarily need to live near the property to manage a sale.
Lisa & Carrie regularly coordinate the real estate process locally, including property access, vendors, preparation, inspections, marketing and transaction management. Electronic signatures and remote communication can also allow many aspects of a California real estate transaction to be handled from another city or state.
The property's current market value is evaluated using factors such as recent comparable sales, location, lot size, square footage, condition, improvements, competing inventory and current buyer demand.
For purposes involving taxes, date-of-death valuation or trust accounting, an attorney, CPA or qualified appraiser may recommend a formal appraisal. A real estate market analysis serves a different purpose: helping determine how the property should be positioned and priced when offered for sale.
This is extremely common, particularly with longtime family homes.
Before disposing of personal property, the trustee should determine what the trust, beneficiaries or professional advisors require. Once appropriate decisions have been made, Lisa & Carrie can help coordinate resources for estate contents, hauling, donation, cleaning and preparation of the property for sale.
There is no single timeline.
The length of the process depends on the trust, the trustee's authority, the condition of the property, whether personal belongings need to be addressed, the amount of preparation required, market conditions, pricing, buyer financing and the terms of the accepted offer.
An initial property consultation can help establish a realistic timeline based on the particular home and circumstances.
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