What is a probate real estate agent?
General information for Pennsylvania, last reviewed November 9, 2026. Not legal advice. Practice varies by county Orphans' Court and Register of Wills.
A probate real estate agent is a licensed real estate agent who markets experience selling homes that belong to an estate. These agents work with executors, administrators, heirs, and estate attorneys. The real estate license is the same one every agent holds. What differs is the agent's focus and familiarity with how estate sales tend to go.
What a probate agent typically helps with
Based on how the agents in this directory describe their own services, a probate agent may help with:
- An opinion of the home's current market value, as-is and after possible preparation
- Coordinating clean-outs, estate-sale or donation services, repairs, and property checks, which is especially useful when family members live out of the area
- Keeping the executor, co-heirs, and the estate attorney updated on showings, offers, and timing
- Marketing, negotiating, and managing the transaction through settlement with the title company
What a probate agent is not
- Not your lawyer. A real estate agent cannot give legal advice about the estate, the will, taxes, or distributions. Several agents in this directory say so on their own pages.
- Not a court official. The Register of Wills and the Orphans' Court handle the legal side of the estate.
- Not the same as an estate-sale company. In Philadelphia, “estate sale” can mean a tag sale of belongings. An estate sale agent sells the house itself.
What is a Certified Probate Real Estate Specialist (CPRES)?
CPRES stands for Certified Probate Real Estate Specialist. It is a training designation from private real estate education providers. It is not a license, and it is not issued by the Pennsylvania State Real Estate Commission or by any court. Agents who hold it describe training in how probate sales work, including sales from trusts and court-supervised sales. Joe Thomas's site, for example, describes the training this way (TriState Probate Help).
A designation can show interest and training, but it does not guarantee results. Many experienced estate agents hold no probate designation, and some hold others, such as the Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES). In this directory, a CPRES badge appears only when the agent's own public page, or an official profile, lists it. If you are looking for a CPRES agent in Philadelphia or the suburbs, use the “CPRES listed” marker on the agent cards. Then confirm the designation with the agent directly.
Do I need a probate agent?
No law requires one. Executors can hire any licensed agent, or none at all. Some families value an agent who has handled many estate sales; others already have an agent they trust. Our guide on how to choose a probate agent lists questions that apply to any agent.