SELLERS · TRUSTS & ESTATES
Trustee Sales, Handled With Expertise and Care
Settling a family home held in trust can feel overwhelming. It's emotional, it's time-sensitive, and it's full of decisions you've probably never had to make before. Our team specializes in helping trustees prepare and sell these homes with a thoughtful, strategic plan that protects the estate, takes stress off your plate, and gets the best result for everyone the trust serves.
We know these homes are more than real estate. They hold decades of memories, family history, and the weight of a responsibility someone trusted you with. Our job is to honor that legacy and walk you through every step of the sale with clarity, sensitivity and confidence.
I felt entirely secure with them handling everything even though I was hundreds of miles away.
Loyce E., Trustee · Google review
HOW WE HELP TRUSTEES
Your Guide, Project Manager and Advocate
We work with trustees who live right here and trustees who live across the country, and we manage the many moving parts of preparing and selling a trust property. From the first walkthrough to close of escrow, we're your guide, your project manager and your advocate.
Everything we do comes back to three priorities:
Honoring the home
We take time to learn the home's story, treat it with dignity, and present it in a way that shows what it's truly worth.
Highlighting its best qualities
We know how to position a home for today's buyers: lead with its strongest features, help buyers feel something when they walk in, and create real market interest.
Preparing it for the best return
We help trustees make smart, strategic decisions about repairs, updates, cleanout, and presentation, so every dollar goes where it makes the biggest difference and the home is ready to shine on the market.
PERSONALIZED CONCIERGE PACKAGE
No upfront cost for home preparation.
With our Personalized Concierge Package, we cover prep costs up front, and they're simply repaid from the sale proceeds at closing.
No surprises · Everything in writing
A home's story, told with care
Our Process
You don't have to figure this out alone. We've refined a caring, proven process for trust sales, and we'll stay in close touch at every step.
A phone call
Start by simply telling us about the home and your situation, with no pressure and no paperwork.
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We'll explain how a trust sale works, what needs your attention right away, and what you can leave to us.
A walkthrough
Next, we visit the home with you, in person or by video, to see it and hear its story.
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The home can be in any condition, with no need to clean up or clear it out. For trustees who live out of the area, we can do the walkthrough by video. Together, we'll note what makes the home special and anything the family may want to keep.
A prep and strategy plan
From there, we create a clear plan for what to fix, what to leave, and how we'll bring the home to market.
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You'll receive a written plan with a schedule and budget. With our Personalized Concierge Package, we cover prep costs up front, and they're simply repaid from the sale proceeds at closing. No surprises, everything in writing.
Getting ready and going to market
We take care of everything and launch the home.
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We manage our trusted, vetted vendors through the cleanout, repairs, updates and ongoing home maintenance, and we keep you updated along the way. When the home is ready, we launch it with professional photography, film and our full marketing plan.
Offers, escrow and closing
We negotiate on the estate's behalf and keep everyone informed until the very end.
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We negotiate on the estate's behalf and keep everyone informed through the communication plan we built together, with updates coming from you or from us, all the way to closing. You can sign documents electronically along the way, and when final documents need a notary, we'll arrange a mobile notary to come to you.
Why Trust Sales Are Different
A trust sale carries both emotion and responsibility. You may be honoring a parent's wishes and keeping family aligned, while also meeting your duties as trustee. We help with both, through a communication plan built around your family, clear disclosure guidance, and an escrow team experienced in trustee sales.
WHAT TRUSTEES SAY
“Roxy and her team took care of everything! When my mother passed I became Trustee for her estate, inheriting 2 properties. Even though I live out-of-state and the properties were unusual and quirky, Roxy and her team made them shine.
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Throughout the process, Roxy Realty kept me updated and included in decisions. They anticipated and fixed issues before they became problems. They supported me from start to finish during this very difficult time. I was able to count on them to meet dates and goals, to be honest and to go the extra mile. Their integrity, knowledge, and willingness to go the many extra miles needed to sell these properties was incredible. I felt entirely secure with them handling everything even though I was hundreds of miles away. Both properties, a condo and a Victorian duplex, sold at good prices. There were complexities to the transactions but they made it so smooth for me. Using Roxy Realty was the best choice I have ever made and I can't recommend them enough. Thank you so much for everything team Roxy!
Loyce E., Trustee · Google review
We never accept referral fees from the professionals we recommend.
Our only interest is your outcome.
We've guided trustees through more trust sales than we can count over the past ten-plus years.
WHEREVER YOU LIVE
Wherever You Live, We're Your Team Here
Many trustees live hours or states away. We care for the home as if it were our own and keep you updated every step of the way.
Not sure where to start?
Trustee Checklist
A free, practical checklist for trustees settling an inherited home.
A TRUSTED NETWORK OF PROFESSIONALS
Support From Every Angle
We connect trustees with qualified professionals who support the sale from every angle:
WHERE WE WORK
Trust Sales Across Silicon Valley
We help trustees sell family homes in Los Gatos, Saratoga, Monte Sereno and Campbell, in San Jose's Willow Glen, Almaden and Cambrian, and throughout Silicon Valley. We know these neighborhoods, the buyers who want them, and the local vendors who can get a house ready fast.
If the home is somewhere we don't serve, we'll gladly connect you with a trusted expert agent in that area.
Although we were hesitant to initiate the process, Roxy's guidance and hard work gave us the confidence in the emotional and daunting task of putting our parents' home on the market... Roxy's communication and negotiation skills were invaluable to us, especially since one of us did not live in the area... culminating in a seemingly effortless sale with multiple offers over asking price.
Carole P. · Google review
Our sales across Silicon Valley
COMMON QUESTIONS
Trustee FAQ
Click any question below to read the answer. Click it again to close it.
Do we need to go to court to sell a house held in a trust?
In most cases, no. When a home is held in a living trust, the successor trustee can usually sell it without probate court, following the terms of the trust and California law. Every trust is a little different, and if you'd like a professional to review yours, we're happy to connect you with a trusted trust attorney from our network.
How soon can we put the home on the market?
It depends on your trust and where you are in settling it. The good news is that preparation can begin right away. While the legal steps are being handled, we can walk through the home with you, put together your prep and strategy plan, and have our vendors get the house ready, so it's ready to shine as soon as the timing is right. For guidance on the legal timing, we're happy to connect you with trusted professionals from our network.
Should we sell the home as-is, or prepare it first?
Sometimes selling as-is is the right choice, and we'll tell you honestly when it is. Often, thoughtful preparation brings a stronger result for the estate. After our walkthrough, we put together a prep and strategy plan with a written schedule and budget, so you can see both paths clearly and decide what feels right. Our goal is to spend wisely on the things that matter most to buyers, and nothing more.
Do I have to pay for the repairs and preparation out of pocket?
No. With our Personalized Concierge Package, we cover the prep costs up front, and they're repaid from the sale proceeds at closing. There are no surprises, and everything is in writing before any work begins.
The house is full of a lifetime of belongings. Do we need to clear it out first?
No. The home can be in any condition when we first see it, and there's no need to clean up or clear anything out. Our trusted, vetted vendors handle the cleanout, repairs, updates and ongoing care of the home, and we manage every one of them for you.
I live out of the area. Can I still handle this?
Yes. Our process is designed so you can stay fully involved from wherever you live. We can do the walkthrough by video, you can sign documents electronically along the way, and when final documents need a notary, we can arrange a mobile notary to come to you. Two things we'll ask of you are to keep the home insured and to have the mail forwarded. We take care of everything else and keep you updated every step of the way.
How do the beneficiaries stay informed? What if the family doesn't see things the same way?
Selling a family home can bring up a lot of feelings, and that's completely natural. As trustee, you're our client, and we'll work with you on a communication plan that fits your family. Together we'll decide who's involved, who receives updates, and whether those updates come from you or from us. Clear, consistent communication often helps families make decisions together. If there's a legal question about the trust itself, we're happy to connect you with a trusted trust attorney from our network.
Will the estate owe taxes when the home sells?
That's an important question, and every estate is different. You may hear about a date-of-death appraisal, sometimes called a retroactive appraisal. There's no need to get one now. It can be done at any time, even years later, so we recommend waiting until the home is prepped and in contract. Knowing the sale price helps align the appraisal with the actual sale. For the tax side, talk with your CPA or attorney, and we can connect you with trusted professionals from our network, including experienced appraisers.
We're real estate experts, not attorneys or CPAs. For legal and tax questions, we're happy to connect you with trusted professionals from our network, and we never accept referral fees from anyone we recommend.
More trustee questions
A Steady Hand Through a Complex Process
Whether you're managing this sale from nearby or from across the country, we make the process simpler and keep everything moving forward. Our goal is to help you make informed decisions, protect the estate, and achieve the strongest possible result, all while treating the home and your family with the care they deserve.