What does a personal representative actually do when there's a house to sell?
Answered by Chris Deutsch, Founder & Editor
Licensed Minnesota Realtor #20382264 ·
The short answer
The personal representative — Minnesota's term for what most people call an executor — is the one person the court authorizes to act for the estate. For the house, they're the signature.
On stage The 60-second answer
Captions on · Transcript below
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The longer answer
The job in practice: secure and insure the home, keep its bills paid from estate funds, decide with the heirs whether to prep or sell as-is, sign the listing agreement, accept the offer, and sign at closing. The will usually names the PR; if there's no will, the court appoints one, with spouses and heirs first in line. The "letters" the court issues are the proof — banks, buyers, and title companies will all ask for them. It's real work, usually landing on one sibling while grieving. Your attorney guides the legal duties; I'm not a lawyer, and this isn't legal advice.
If you're the one wearing this, you don't have to figure out the house part alone. I work alongside personal representatives all the time. Call me.
The next department over
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From the editor's desk
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