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An antique-filled sitting room, fading into a fine-line drawing of a two-story home with a red seal and an old key

New Jersey Estate Sales And Probate

For executors and heirs selling a loved one's home: one plan, one point of contact, and a guy for everything from the estate sale and clean-out to the closing table.

Areas We Serve

MonmouthOceanMiddlesexBurlingtonMercerSomersetCamdenGloucesterBergenEssex counties, New Jersey

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Two Different Things

Estate Sale Or Probate?

This page covers two things that often get confused. An estate sale usually means selling the contents of a home after the owner dies, often through an estate sale company, and some people also use the term for selling the home itself. Probate is the legal side. In New Jersey, the Surrogate's Court in the county where the person lived admits the will and issues Letters Testamentary to the executor, or Letters of Administration to an administrator when there's no will, and those Letters give that person authority to act for the estate (Monmouth County Surrogate, no will).

I handle the house, from the estate sale and clean-out to the closing table. The estate's attorney handles the legal steps and confirms who has the authority to sell.

Estate Sales

Estate Sales, One Less Thing To Carry

Selling a loved one's home comes at a hard time. The people involved may live in different towns or different states, there's an estate to settle, and the house is often still full of a lifetime of belongings. It still has to be valued, emptied, prepared and sold well.

I'm Dennis Mark Interdonato, REALTOR® with Keller Williams Realty Ocean Living, and a former New Jersey home builder and residential remodeler. In an estate sale I take the house off your plate: what it's worth, what to do with everything inside it, what's worth fixing, and how to get it sold.

Clients like to repeat one of my lines back to me: "I got a guy for everything." An estate home is where that line earns its keep.

What I Handle For The Estate

Value

Know What It's Worth

A market evaluation backed by data, so the executor, the heirs and the estate's attorney all work from the same number.

Contents

Estate Sale And Clean-Out

I can arrange the estate sale and a full clean-out, so the home goes from a lifetime of belongings to ready to list without you sorting it room by room.

Repairs

A Builder's Read

I spent years building and remodeling New Jersey homes. I'll tell you which repairs pay off before a sale and which ones a buyer won't pay for, and I know the trades who can do the work.

Distance

From Wherever You Live

The executor and heirs don't have to live nearby. Updates go out in writing at every milestone, so everyone involved sees the same progress.

Buyers

Get It Sold

Full marketing, photos and video, plus direct contact with the buyers most likely to want the home, all the way to the closing table.

Professionals

Your Attorney In The Loop

The estate's attorney handles the legal steps and confirms who has the authority to sell. I keep them informed, so the sale fits the estate's timeline.

A Real Estate Sale

From A Full House To The Closing Table

A client came to me to sell a deceased relative's home in Ocean County. The house still held everything inside it, and the client already had more than enough to deal with.

I arranged the estate sale and the full clean-out, got the home ready for buyers, contacted the buyers and saw it through to closing. Here is how the client put it:

"Dennis did an excellent job handling the sale of a deceased relative’s property in Ocean County, NJ. His expertise was evident with his initial assessment of the property and selling strategy. He facilitated scheduling an estate sale and total property clean out. He contacted potential buyers and successfully navigated some unexpected challenges to get us to closing. Highly recommended for all real estate needs, but especially sales of estate properties."

Michael Z., Google review

That's the job in an estate sale. You shouldn't have to find the estate sale company, the clean-out crew, the handyman and the buyer on your own.

Step One Confirm Who Can Sell

The estate's attorney confirms who has the authority to sign: an executor named in the will, with Letters Testamentary, or an administrator, with Letters of Administration. Nothing gets listed until that's settled, but we can start planning right away.

A Builder Walks The House

An estate home has often gone years without updates. Some of that matters to buyers and some of it doesn't, and guessing wrong costs the estate money either way.

Before I recommend a price, I walk the house the way a builder does: the roof, the mechanicals, the kitchens and baths, and anything a buyer's inspector will flag. Then you decide what's worth doing. Read which upgrades add value in New Jersey before you spend a dollar.

Photo: Dennis Mark Interdonato

Probate & Estate Sale Questions

What executors and heirs ask me first, and what people search for most. Legal and tax questions belong with the estate's attorney and accountant.

How does probate start in New Jersey?

In general, the executor named in the will applies to the Surrogate's Court in the county where the person lived. According to the Monmouth County Surrogate's office, the Surrogate can't issue Letters Testamentary, which give the executor authority to act for the estate, until the eleventh day after death (checked October 2026). The estate's attorney will tell you what applies in your case.

Can we list the house before probate is finished?

That's a question for the estate's attorney, because it depends on who has authority to sign and what the will says. While that's being settled, we can value the house, plan the clean-out and line up any work, so the home is ready when the estate is.

Do we have to empty the house before it's listed?

In most cases I recommend it, because buyers need to see the house, not the belongings. I can arrange an estate sale and a full clean-out so you don't have to handle it room by room.

Should we fix the house up or sell it as-is?

It depends on the house. I'll walk it with a builder's eye and show you both options, with what each one should bring. Sometimes a small, smart investment pays off. Sometimes as-is is the right call. The estate decides.

Can you help if I live out of state?

Yes. You don't need to be nearby. I coordinate the work at the house and send written updates at every milestone.

Do you work with the estate's attorney?

Yes. The estate's attorney handles the legal steps, and I keep them informed about the sale from the first walk-through to the closing table.

How long does probate take in New Jersey?

There's no single timeline, and the estate's attorney is the best person to estimate yours. A few dates are fixed: the Surrogate can't issue Letters Testamentary until the eleventh day after death (Monmouth County Surrogate), creditors generally have nine months from the date of death to present claims (N.J.S.A. 3B:22-4), and the NJ Division of Taxation says any inheritance tax is due within eight months of the death (Executor guide). I can value the home and get it ready while the attorney works through the estate, so the house isn't what holds things up.

How soon after a death can the house be sold?

Someone needs authority to sign for the estate first, and the estate's attorney confirms who that is and when. With a will, New Jersey law says the will can't be admitted to probate until 10 days after death (N.J.S.A. 3B:3-22), and the Ocean County Surrogate issues certificates on the 11th day. With no will, Ocean County issues them on the 6th day after death. In the meantime, I can value the home, plan the clean-out and line up any work, so it's ready to list when the attorney gives the go-ahead.

Do all the heirs have to agree to sell the house?

The estate's attorney makes that call, because it depends on the will, how the house is titled and the terms of the appointment. For background, New Jersey's fiduciary powers statute includes the power to sell estate real property at public or private sale among an executor's or administrator's powers, unless the will, the appointment or a court order limits it, and it doesn't apply to property the will leaves to a named person (N.J.S.A. 3B:14-23). Whatever the attorney advises, I send the executor and every heir the same written updates at each step.

Does the house have to go through probate?

Not always. The Monmouth County Surrogate says a will is probated when the person had assets in their name only, and the Ocean County Surrogate guide explains that a house held by spouses as tenants by the entirety becomes the sole property of the survivor. The deed shows how the house was held, and the estate's attorney can tell you what that means for a sale.

What happens to the house if there's no will?

The Surrogate appoints an administrator and issues Letters of Administration, which give that person authority to manage the estate (Monmouth County Surrogate). New Jersey law sets who has the first right to serve, starting with the surviving spouse or domestic partner (N.J.S.A. 3B:10-2), and who inherits (N.J.S.A. 3B:5-3 and 3B:5-4), and the administrator may need to arrange a bond. Once the attorney confirms the administrator's authority, I handle the sale the same way I would for an executor.

Who pays the mortgage, taxes and insurance while the house is for sale?

The mortgage doesn't go away when the owner dies, so ask the estate's attorney how the estate should handle payments until the sale. New Jersey's fiduciary powers statute includes the power to pay taxes, mortgage interest and other charges on estate property, keep it insured, and make repairs to preserve it or make it saleable (N.J.S.A. 3B:14-23). When the house sells, any remaining loan is typically paid off at closing from the sale.

Do we owe taxes when we sell an inherited house?

That's a question for the estate's accountant or tax professional, because the answer depends on the estate and the beneficiaries. Two official sources are a good start for that conversation: IRS Publication 551 says the basis of inherited property is generally its fair market value on the date of death, and the NJ Division of Taxation says New Jersey inheritance tax mainly depends on each beneficiary's relationship to the person who died. I can share my market evaluation of the home with them, and they'll decide whether a formal appraisal is needed.

Does the house need a New Jersey inheritance tax waiver?

In most cases, yes. The NJ Division of Taxation says New Jersey real estate can't be transferred without its written consent, a tax waiver called Form 0-1 that only the Division issues (NJ Division of Taxation). When every beneficiary is Class A, such as a spouse, child, grandchild or parent, and no tax or return is due, the executor or administrator can request the real estate waiver with Form L-9. A house held as tenants by the entirety with a surviving spouse needs no waiver. The estate's attorney or tax professional will confirm which form applies.

Can I use a power of attorney to sell the house after the owner dies?

No. The Ocean County Surrogate guide says a power of attorney automatically ends at the death of the person who signed it. After that, authority comes from the Surrogate, through Letters Testamentary for an executor or Letters of Administration for an administrator, and the estate's attorney can confirm who holds it.

Do I need a real estate agent to sell an estate home?

That's the estate's decision. An estate home usually comes with more to manage than a typical sale: the contents, the repairs, the paperwork, and several people who all need the same information. I handle the market evaluation, the estate sale and clean-out, a builder's read on which repairs pay off, the marketing and written updates at every milestone, while the estate's attorney handles the legal steps.

This page describes my general approach to selling a home as part of an estate. It is not legal or tax advice. Please speak with the estate's attorney about the probate process and your authority to sell, and with a tax professional about taxes on the sale.

Insider Insights

Paperwork, pricing, taxes and updates for a New Jersey home sale.

Success Stories

Real stories from the people we've helped buy and sell their homes.

I would 10/10 recommend him to anyone!!!

Dennis helped us buy our current house and has both professional work ethic and is extrememly knowledgeable. He was always there to answer any questions we had and was very patient with us in the process. I would 10/10 recommend him to anyone and he will continue to be our agent for any future needs.

SPENCER & SARAH RAITT-FOREST

57 Google reviews as of October 2026. Read them all on Dennis Mark’s Google Business Profile.

Start With The Number

Find Out What The Estate Home Is Worth

What's The Home Worth?

Have Questions About Your Estate? Contact Us Below

Tell me a little about the home and where things stand with the estate, and I'll answer your questions. Want to read more first? See the Estate & Probate Guide, how I sell homes, or the contact page.

Have a question? Get your answers right now.Dennis Mark’s AI Concierge answers your questions without you having to commit to anything up front.

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