Chicago and Suburbs
Clear Solutions for Estate Sales
From professional decluttering to high-impact sales strategies
Proven Intelligence
Why are Estate Sales different?
Estate sales involve complex legal fiduciary duties and "as-is" hurdles that a standard transaction simply doesn't face. When you add specialty assets like luxury properties, lakefront condos, or multi-unit and investment buildings into the mix, you need an expert broker who understands the nuances of local marketing and negotiating norms, tenant laws, condo association knowledge, and probate court requirements. Hiring a specialist ensures the estate is protected from liability while maximizing the value of a unique property for the heirs.
An often asked question
Sell as-is or fix before selling?
It depends on the audience for each property. For some sellers, access to repair funds is a concern. We are often able to connect our clients to funds available for repairs prior to selling, to be paid at closing, for most situations.As-Is Although almost all estate sales are ultimately as-is, there is a difference between a poorly marketed property and an as-is sale. Sales without repairs prior to marketing often make sense on properties with extensive water or fire damage, where land value is the primary value. Another set of properties that work well with this approach are investment and income properties, although all efforts should be made to gather relevant information to help a buyer increase the asset's value.Repairs Prior Many lifestyle properties, such as luxury homes or lakefront condos, benefit when buyers can see the lifestyle the property offers. Repairing to sell is a business decision which works best when working in tandem with an adivior that understands the buyer audience best. In most scenarios, fully or partially emptying the property is a good start; anything above should be handled carefully to preserve the net sale result.Direct Investor Purchases At times, selling the property directly to an investor or a buyer that is comfortable emptying the property and doing any repairs on their own is a good move. To know what the best price is for the asset in its current condition also requires expert knowledge of what the potential of the property is after rehab or the land value potential. Many direct buyers look for properties they can purchase at 60% to 70% below market value and resell immediately after closing at market value.
Hyper-Local Intelligence
Neighborhood Focused
Each buyer group in every location is a different audience. Expert knowdge of your immediate neighborhood and audience guarantees the best results possible.
Premium intelligence
Don't do it alone
A specialized broker acts as your fiduciary shield, navigating the complexities of an estate sale to ensure you are protected, well represented, and almost always netting the estate a higher return than a direct sale
Estate Sale Experts
Santiago and Elizabeth
Santiago Valdez and Elizabeth Pyle are real estate brokers who specialize in the complexity of estate sale preparation, marketing, and negotiation through a successful closing. They have over 2 decades of experience and a proven track record of successful results, including more than 1,000 recorded sales.
We value relationships
Not just numbers
Santiago and Elizabeth value the relationships they have built as investment property owners and successful real estate brokers. We welcome the opportunity to get to know you better.