An estate sale is a property sold on behalf of a deceased owner’s estate — usually by the executor, and often only after probate confirms their authority to sell. The listing itself looks like any other on MLS; what changes is who’s selling, and why.

An executor’s job is to settle the estate and distribute the proceeds — certainty and a clean close often matter more than squeezing out the last dollar. Estate homes are also frequently long-held, original-condition properties in established neighbourhoods: exactly the profile renovators and value buyers look for.

Expect as-is sales — executors rarely warrant a home they never lived in — and closings that can stretch while probate completes. Estates may also require court- or beneficiary-approved terms. Patience plus a clean, well-financed offer is the winning combination.