Buy Probate Real Estate: Find Off-Market Probate Sales & Estate Deals
Daniel Tromello
How a Probate Sale in California Became a Win-Win Real Estate Deal
How ReSolve partnered with a local agent to close a complex probate property off-market, fast, clean, and with long-term value in mind.
Most agents don’t get excited when a probate listing lands in their lap. It usually means unclear title, a slow court process, and sellers who are overwhelmed or just want out. Add in foundation problems or grading issues and it starts to feel like a listing that might never go anywhere.
That’s where this story begins. A San Diego agent had been trying to move a probate property for more than half a year. The home had major structural issues, and the lot sat on a slope in a Complete Communities zone, which made pricing it tricky. She didn’t specialize in this kind of property and knew she needed help.
She reached out to us.
This wasn’t the most dramatic deal we’ve ever worked on. There were no shouting matches, no eleventh-hour saves. What made it matter is what it showed: when you have a process that works, and you treat people the right way, you can turn a tough probate sale into a clean close. That’s what we did. And the agent? She’s still sending us deals.
When I walked the property, I could see why it hadn’t moved. The front structure had foundation issues. The back needed grading. The whole thing sat on a slope, tucked into a 6,000-square-foot lot zoned under Complete Communities. On paper, that sounds like potential. In practice, it created more questions than answers.
The agent had been working on it for months. She was experienced, but in traditional sales. This was a probate property with structural problems and no clear comps. If you've been in the business a while, you’ve probably come across something like this. A deal that won’t fit into the usual box. You start asking yourself: Do I list it? Do I try to find a buyer off-market? Is there even a real number for it?
There’s no textbook for pricing these kinds of properties. If you price it like a fixer, you're leaving value on the table. If you try to market it to a developer, the lot size might turn them off. It sits in that middle ground where most agents start second-guessing.
She reached out because we had a history. We’d stayed in touch over the years, helped her price a few other deals. We gave her a number she could take back to the seller and feel good about. We bought it for $500,000 — more than they expected. We closed in ten days. No back and forth, no delays.
The process worked because there was trust. And because she didn’t try to solve something outside her lane. She called someone who does this kind of deal all the time.
This wasn’t the first time we’d talked to this agent. We’d been in touch for a while. A few deals had come across her desk before, and she’d asked for our input. Those didn’t turn into anything, but we were happy to help. Sometimes she’d call to run numbers. Sometimes she just wanted a second opinion. We were always there when she needed another set of eyes.
That’s what made this different. When she hit a wall on this probate listing, she knew who to call. She wasn’t looking for a buyer. She was looking for someone who could help her make sense of it.
A lot of people think these deals are just about cash. They’re not. Most agents don’t work on probate listings all the time. They’re dealing with families, timelines, and properties that don’t fit the usual comps. Our job is to bring structure to that. We don’t have to overcomplicate it. We just need to be consistent and honest, and do what we say we’re going to do.
This property could’ve sat for another six months. If it had gone on the market, it probably would’ve. The foundation issues alone would’ve scared off most buyers. Add in the probate situation and the zoning questions, and it’s the kind of listing that drags. Days on market climb, the seller gets frustrated, and the agent ends up doing damage control.
Off-market avoids all that.
There were no open houses. No lockbox. No parade of contractors and investors walking through. The agent stayed in control, the seller got a clean offer, and everyone kept their sanity. She also represented both sides of the deal, which saved the seller on commission. That’s real money back in their pocket.
More importantly, the agent didn’t risk her reputation by bringing in someone unreliable. She didn’t have to worry about a buyer trying to retrade at the last second or disappear halfway through escrow. We gave her the price, stood behind it, and closed on time.
That’s the reason agents call us. Because when we say we’ll close, we do. And because we know how to handle all the things that usually blow up deals like this.
This kind of deal doesn’t come around often for most agents. Maybe once every few years, if that. But we see them constantly. We've built our business on it.
We’ve helped agents get through title issues, navigate probate court, and price properties that don’t have a clean comp anywhere nearby. We’re not just making offers. We’re helping agents figure out how to move a deal forward when nothing about it feels straightforward.
This agent didn’t have to chase us down. She didn’t have to worry about a lowball or a price change halfway through. She called, we had the context, and we got it done.
That’s what this kind of relationship looks like. It doesn’t start with a deal. It starts with showing up, offering real help when there’s nothing in it for us, and proving over time that we do what we say.
You don’t need to be a probate expert to handle these deals, but you do need to know when it’s time to approach them differently. That’s what this agent did right. She knew this wasn’t a standard listing, and called someone who’s worked through these kinds of deals before.
The next time a probate or distress property shows up in your inbox, and you're not sure how to move it, here’s a quick gut check:
If any of these sound familiar, don’t try to force it into a traditional listing. These are the kinds of situations where experience matters. A clean, quiet close might serve your client better than a long listing and a drawn-out negotiation.
You don’t build your career on volume alone. You build it on the way you handle the deals no one else wants; the ones with risk, noise, and no clear direction. That’s where reputations are made.
These properties don’t show up every day. But when they do, they create a moment that matters. Not just for your client, but for you as well. Because how you move through it says everything about the kind of agent you are.
If you’re looking at a probate listing, or any property that feels stuck between options, we’re ready to help. Get a clear read, a reliable number, and a partner who knows how to close when things get complicated.
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