Estate Sales

Selling an Estate Property in Toronto

Selling a home or condo after a death in Toronto usually requires probate. You can list and accept an offer during that wait. You cannot close until the certificate arrives. The Storey Team represents estate trustees through that whole process, from establishing authority to distributing the proceeds.

We have represented estate trustees on Toronto estate property sales across downtown condos, west/east end freeholds and suburban bungalows. Many of those trustees lived outside Toronto and handled the sale remotely. We work alongside your estates lawyer and accountant rather than around them, and we do not take referral fees for introductions.

On this page

The ESTATE Method
Why estate sales need a different approach
Probate and authority
Tax and money
The property itself
Condos and tenanted properties
Listing, offers and closing
Power of attorney and capacity sales
Working with an estate specialist
Estate sales across Toronto

The ESTATE Method

The ESTATE Method is the six step process The Storey Team uses to sell estate property in Toronto: Establish authority, Secure the property, Two values, Align the people, Transition the home, Execute the sale.

E. Establish authority

Find the will, confirm who the estate trustee is, and determine whether probate is required. Two things are worth checking before you assume it is: whether the estate qualifies for Ontario’s first dealings exemption, which can avoid probate entirely on a property whose title has not been dealt with since conversion to Land Titles, and whether the property was held in joint tenancy. Start the probate application immediately. In Toronto it is the long pole in the tent.

S. Secure the property

Call the insurer within days, not weeks. A standard home policy is typically void after 30 days of vacancy and some restrict coverage far sooner, so the estate needs a vacancy permit or a vacant property policy. Then change the locks, redirect the mail, shut off and drain the water, keep the heat on, and put lights on timers. A burst pipe in a vacant, uninsured Toronto house in February can cost more than the entire commission.

T. Two values

An estate property has two different values answering two different questions, and confusing them is expensive. The date of death value is a retrospective appraisal that sets the estate’s cost base for tax and supports the Estate Information Return. The current market value is what it will sell for today. We arrange the retrospective appraisal through an accredited appraiser and provide the market evaluation separately.

A. Align the people

Before anything is listed, every co-trustee and beneficiary needs to agree, in writing, on the asking price, what gets repaired, the timing, and what happens to the contents. Co-estate trustees generally must act unanimously, so one person refusing to sign can stop a sale. In our experience the disagreement is almost never really about price. It is about someone feeling the process is moving too fast.

T. Transition the home

Work through the contents in order: family keepsakes first, then appraisal of anything potentially valuable, then an estate liquidator or auction house, then charity pickup, then a bin. Doing it in that order stops something meaningful ending up in a dumpster. Then decide what to fix, which is usually less than families expect. Clean, clear, paint and repair anything that would alarm a home inspector. Skip the renovation.

E. Execute the sale

List with a probate clause drafted for the court’s actual timeline, not the standard 30 day extension. Market the property properly rather than quietly. Manage the offers, close, and hold back a reserve until the CRA clearance certificate arrives. An estate trustee has a duty to obtain fair market value, and documenting how the price was arrived at protects the trustee from a later claim.

Why estate sales need a different approach.

Most of what goes wrong in an estate sale is structural rather than emotional. A probate clause written for a 30 day extension, in a court running six months, puts the estate in breach. A property listed at its date of death value in a market that has moved leaves money behind. A house emptied before anything was appraised loses assets the trustee had a duty to realize. An empty home with a standard insurance policy is uninsured after a month.

Probate and authority

Can you sell a house in Ontario before probate is granted?

Yes, you can list and market an estate property and accept an offer before probate is granted, but you cannot close. Ontario land registry offices and buyers’ lawyers require a Certificate of Appointment of Estate Trustee before they will register a transfer from an estate. In practice this means listing early and building the wait into the closing date.

Do I need probate to sell my parent’s house in Toronto?

Usually yes, if the property was in your parent’s name alone. Probate is generally required whenever real property must be sold and there is no right of survivorship. If the home was held in joint tenancy with a surviving spouse, it passes automatically and no probate is needed for that asset. Two exceptions are worth checking: the first dealings exemption and a small estate certificate.

How long does probate take in Toronto?

As of mid 2026, the downtown Toronto Superior Court of Justice is taking roughly four to six months to issue a Certificate of Appointment of Estate Trustee, even on a clean application. Regional courts are far faster, with smaller regions at three to six weeks and Brampton at three to five months. You must file where the deceased lived, so you cannot shop for a faster court.

A requisition, which is the court’s formal notice that something is wrong with your application, adds another four to eight weeks. A miscalculated Estate Administration Tax payment can get the whole file rejected and reset your wait to zero. This is the single strongest argument for using an estates lawyer rather than filing yourself.

What is a Certificate of Appointment of Estate Trustee?

A Certificate of Appointment of Estate Trustee is the Ontario court document that confirms who has legal authority to administer an estate. It is what most people mean by “probate.” Land registry offices, banks and buyers’ lawyers rely on it as proof that the person signing the transfer is entitled to. Without it, an estate cannot complete a sale of real property.

Is there a way to avoid probate on a Toronto property?

Sometimes. Ontario’s first dealings exemption can allow a property to transfer without probate if the title is registered as Land Titles Conversion Qualified, meaning it was converted from the old Registry system in the late 1980s or early 1990s, and no transfer has been registered against it since that conversion. Adding or removing a name, or in some cases a mortgage, breaks the exemption.

On a $1 million Toronto home the exemption saves roughly $14,250 in Estate Administration Tax and, more importantly, months of waiting. It usually requires the estate to have been set up with a secondary will that keeps the property outside the probate application. Your real estate lawyer can pull the title and tell you in an afternoon whether it qualifies. It is always worth asking, and almost nobody does.

What is a small estate certificate?

Ontario’s Small Estate Certificate is a simplified probate procedure for estates valued at $150,000 or less. The application is shorter and the process is faster than a standard Certificate of Appointment. Most Toronto estates that include real property exceed the threshold, since the home alone usually does, so it rarely applies to a house or condo sale in the city.

Who signs the listing agreement for an estate property?

The estate trustee signs, in their capacity as estate trustee rather than personally. If the will names two or more estate trustees, all of them must sign unless the will expressly permits them to act independently. Beneficiaries do not sign and have no authority to list, even if they are inheriting the property and living in it.

This catches people out constantly. A daughter living in her late mother’s house cannot list it. Get the signing authority confirmed before anything else happens, because a listing signed by the wrong person is not a listing.

What if there are two or three executors who disagree?

Co-estate trustees must generally act unanimously unless the will says otherwise, so one trustee refusing to sign can stop a sale. The practical fix is to settle price, timing, repairs and the handling of contents in writing before the property is listed. Where trustees cannot agree, an estates lawyer can bring an application to the court for directions.

In our experience the disagreement is almost never really about the price. It is about one person feeling the process is moving too fast. Building an explicit alignment step into the process, before listing, resolves most of it.

What happens if there is no will?

If someone dies without a will in Ontario, they die intestate, and a family member must apply to the court to be appointed estate trustee without a will before the property can be sold. Ontario’s Succession Law Reform Act then determines who inherits. Intestate applications take longer than probating a will because the court requires more supporting material and, often, consents from beneficiaries.

Can we sell the house if a beneficiary is living in it?

Yes, but it needs to be handled carefully. The estate trustee has authority over the property and a duty to sell it for fair market value on behalf of all beneficiaries, not to accommodate one. A beneficiary occupying the home has no automatic right to stay through a sale, though depending on how long they have been there and on what terms, occupancy rights may need legal review.

This is the most emotionally charged version of an estate sale and the one where an experienced, neutral third party earns their fee. Have the conversation early, in person, with everyone in the room.

Tax and money

How much does probate cost in Ontario?

Ontario charges Estate Administration Tax of $15 for every $1,000 of estate value above $50,000. The first $50,000 is exempt, and estates valued at $50,000 or less pay nothing. On a $1.2 million estate the tax is about $17,250. It is payable when you file the probate application, and it is calculated on the value of the whole estate, not just the property.

A worked example from the province: a $240,000 estate pays nothing on the first $50,000 and $15 per $1,000 on the remaining $190,000, which is $2,850.

Is there an inheritance tax in Ontario?

No. Canada has no inheritance tax and Ontario has no estate tax on beneficiaries. What exists instead is Estate Administration Tax, payable by the estate on the probate application, and income tax on the deceased’s final return, which includes a deemed disposition of their property at fair market value on the date of death. Beneficiaries do not pay tax on what they receive.

Do I pay capital gains tax when I sell my parent’s house in Ontario?

Usually not on the full gain. For tax purposes your parent is treated as having sold the property at fair market value on their date of death, and if it was their principal residence the principal residence exemption can eliminate the gain up to that point. The estate’s cost base then resets to the date of death value. Only the increase in value between the date of death and the actual sale is taxable to the estate.

This is why the date of death value matters so much, and why selling sooner rather than later usually reduces the estate’s tax bill in a rising market.

What is a date of death appraisal and do I need one?

A date of death appraisal is a retrospective valuation of the property as of the day the owner died, prepared by an accredited appraiser. It establishes the estate’s cost base for tax purposes and supports the value reported on the Estate Information Return. You need one. A realtor’s market opinion is useful for pricing but is not the same document, and the CRA may not accept it.

These are two different numbers answering two different questions, and confusing them is one of the most expensive mistakes executors make. We arrange the retrospective appraisal and provide a separate current market evaluation for pricing, which is step three of the ESTATE Method.

What is the Estate Information Return and when is it due?

The Estate Information Return is a filing to the Ontario Ministry of Finance listing the estate’s assets and their values as at the date of death. It is due within 180 calendar days after the estate certificate is issued, and it must be filed even if the calculated value of the estate is $0. Penalties for failing to file can include fines and, in serious cases, imprisonment.

Who pays the mortgage, taxes and utilities while the house sits empty?

The estate does. Property taxes, insurance, utilities, condo fees, maintenance and any mortgage continue to be owed and are paid out of estate funds. If the estate has no liquid cash, a beneficiary or the estate trustee sometimes advances the money and is reimbursed on closing. These carrying costs are one of the main reasons drawn out estate sales are expensive.

On a Toronto condo, fees plus taxes plus insurance can run $900 to $1,500 a month while you wait for probate. Over a five month wait that is real money, and it is why listing during the probate application rather than after it usually nets the estate more.

Do I need a CRA clearance certificate before distributing the money?

A clearance certificate is a CRA document confirming no further tax is owed by the deceased or the estate. You do not need one to sell the property or to make interim distributions, but distributing the full proceeds without one exposes the estate trustee to personal liability for any unpaid tax. Processing delays of up to 120 days are common, so apply as soon as the final returns are filed.

What if a beneficiary or the estate trustee lives outside Canada?

Non-resident status adds a layer. Where a non-resident has a taxable interest in Canadian real property, section 116 of the Income Tax Act can require a withholding and a clearance certificate from the CRA before the proceeds are released, and funds can be held back at closing until it is obtained. An estate with a non-resident trustee may also be treated as non-resident for tax purposes, which has broader consequences.

This needs to be flagged at the listing stage, not at closing. It affects the closing timeline and how much money actually moves on the day. Get an accountant with cross-border estate experience involved early.

Does the estate pay HST on the sale?

No. The resale of a used residential property in Ontario is exempt from HST, and that does not change because the seller is an estate. HST applies to the real estate commission and to professional fees such as legal and appraisal work, as it would in any sale.

The property itself

Do we have to empty the house before listing it?

No, but the house needs to be presentable, and in most cases removing the contents raises the sale price by more than the clear-out costs. Empty rooms photograph better than rooms full of a lifetime of belongings, and buyers walking through a fully furnished estate home tend to focus on the previous owner rather than on themselves living there.

The sequence we use is: family members take what they want first, appraisers look at anything potentially valuable, an estate liquidator or auctioneer handles the rest, then charities collect, then a bin. Doing it in that order avoids the situation where something meaningful ends up in a dumpster. Give the family a real deadline, because without one this step takes months.

Should we renovate before selling an estate property?

Rarely. Most estate homes should be cleaned, cleared, painted and repaired only where a defect would scare a buyer or a home inspector. Full renovations are almost never worth it, because the estate spends money and time it does not have and buyers of dated Toronto properties are frequently planning their own renovation anyway.

The exceptions we do recommend: anything that reads as a safety or structural concern, a non-functioning furnace or roof leak, knob and tube wiring disclosure issues, and a deep clean. Paint and floors sometimes pay for themselves; a new kitchen in a 1960s bungalow almost never does. Every dollar spent also has to be agreed by all beneficiaries, which is its own reason to keep the list short.

How do we insure a house that is sitting empty?

Tell the insurer immediately. A standard home insurance policy is typically void after 30 days of vacancy, and some policies restrict coverage far sooner. The estate needs either a vacancy permit or a dedicated vacant property policy, and even then, vandalism, theft, water escape, glass breakage and frozen pipes are commonly excluded. This is the single most overlooked risk in an estate sale.

Practical steps while the property is empty: shut off and drain the water, keep the heat on, install water and temperature sensors, arrange regular inspections, keep the grounds maintained, put lights on timers, and change the locks. A burst pipe in a vacant, uninsured Toronto house in February can cost the estate more than the entire commission.

Do we have to fill out a Seller Property Information Statement?

The SPIS is voluntary in Ontario, and estate sales are typically the clearest case for declining it. An estate trustee usually never lived in the property and has no direct knowledge of its history, so completing a detailed disclosure invites liability for statements they cannot personally verify. Known latent defects that make a property dangerous or unfit still have to be disclosed regardless.

Are estate properties sold “as is”?

Usually yes. Estate properties are normally sold on an as-is, where-is basis, meaning the estate makes no representations about the condition of the property or the chattels and the buyer takes it as they find it. That language belongs in the listing and in the agreement of purchase and sale. It protects a trustee who has limited knowledge of the home.

As-is does not mean the property should be presented badly. The biggest pricing mistake in estate sales is treating “as is” as permission to skip cleaning, decluttering and proper photography. Buyers discount hard for mess, and that discount is almost always larger than the cost of the cleanup.

What do we do with the contents, the furniture and the personal items?

Work through them in order of value and meaning: family keepsakes distributed first, then a professional appraisal of anything potentially valuable such as jewellery, art, coins, watches or antiques, then an estate liquidator or auction house for saleable items, then charity pickup, then junk removal. An estate trustee has a duty to realize fair value for estate assets, so valuables should not be given away casually.

A Toronto specific note: condo buildings have rules about elevator bookings, loading dock access and moving hours that can add a week to a clear-out if you do not book ahead.

What if the house needs to be cleared but nobody lives nearby?

This is common and manageable. Estate trustees frequently live in another city or another country, and the entire clear-out, cleaning, repairs, photography and showings can be coordinated remotely by the listing team with documented approvals at each step. Expect to sign documents electronically and to receive photo or video records of the property’s condition at each stage.

We handle a meaningful share of our estate files this way, for trustees in Vancouver, the UK and the US. The thing that makes it work is written approval at each decision point, so nobody is surprised later.

Condos and tenanted properties

Can we sell a condo that is part of an estate?

Yes. An estate condo sale follows the same rules as any estate property sale: the estate trustee needs a Certificate of Appointment before closing, and the unit can be listed while the probate application is pending. The additional pieces are the status certificate, which the estate orders as seller, plus condo fees and special assessments that continue to accrue against the unit throughout.

What happens to the condo fees while an estate is being settled?

The estate keeps paying them. Common element fees, property taxes, insurance and utilities continue to be owed on a unit regardless of whether anyone is living there, and unpaid fees become a lien against the unit that must be cleared on closing. Budget roughly $900 to $1,500 a month in total carrying costs on a typical downtown Toronto condo.

The condo has a tenant. Can we still sell it?

Yes. A tenancy survives both the owner’s death and the sale of the property. The buyer inherits the existing lease on the existing terms, including rent, and the tenant cannot be evicted simply because ownership changed. You can sell a tenanted unit at any time; what you cannot do is promise a buyer vacant possession that you are not in a position to deliver.

Can we get vacant possession of a tenanted estate property?

Only in limited circumstances, and not by the estate on its own account. Ontario’s N12 notice for purchaser’s own use is available where the buyer, their spouse, a child or parent of either, or a caregiver will genuinely occupy the unit for at least 12 months, and the buyer signs an affidavit of intent. The notice is served after a firm sale, at the buyer’s direction, and the general rule limits it to residential complexes with three or fewer units.

The rules changed recently, so check the current position with a paralegal before you plan around them. Under the pre September 21, 2026 rules the notice period is 60 days ending on the last day of a rental period and the tenant is owed one month’s rent in compensation. From September 21, 2026 a landlord giving 120 days or more notice can waive that compensation. Bad faith penalties are now severe, with maximum fines of $100,000 for an individual and $500,000 for a corporation since July 1, 2026.

Does a tenanted estate property sell for less?

Often yes, and by more than people expect. A tenanted unit sold with the tenancy in place is priced to investors rather than to end users, and in downtown Toronto the end user buyer pool is both larger and willing to pay more. Where the rent is well below market, the discount widens further. The gap is frequently 5% to 15% of value.

The decision of whether to attempt vacant possession, sell tenanted, or negotiate a cash for keys agreement with the tenant is the single biggest pricing lever on a tenanted estate property. It should be modelled with numbers before listing, not decided by instinct.

How do showings work if a tenant is still living there?

By the rules, carefully. A landlord may enter to show the unit to prospective buyers with 24 hours written notice, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Tenants are not required to leave and cannot be pressured into vacating. In practice, agreeing a fixed weekly showing window with the tenant, in writing, produces far better cooperation than serving notice repeatedly.

A cooperative tenant is worth real money to an estate. An antagonized one can cost you the sale.

Listing, offers and closing

What is a probate clause in an agreement of purchase and sale?

A probate clause makes the sale conditional on the estate obtaining its Certificate of Appointment of Estate Trustee, and gives the estate the right to extend the closing date if the certificate has not arrived. It typically requires the estate to give the buyer at least 14 to 15 days notice of an extension and caps how far closing can be pushed. If the certificate cannot be obtained within the agreed period, the agreement can be terminated without penalty.

Getting this clause right is the most technical part of an estate sale. Too tight an extension and the estate is exposed to a breach of contract claim it cannot control. Too loose and buyers walk. In Toronto, where the court is running four to six months, we generally want extension room of 60 to 90 days rather than the standard 30.

How long should the closing date be on an estate sale in Toronto?

Plan for three to four months from acceptance, and longer if the probate application has not yet been filed. Toronto’s downtown estates court is taking roughly four to six months to issue a certificate, so a 60 day closing on an estate property is usually unrealistic. The alternative is to list only after probate is granted, which costs the estate months of carrying charges.

Can we accept an offer before probate comes through?

Yes. An estate trustee can list the property, hold showings, receive offers and sign a conditional agreement of purchase and sale before the Certificate of Appointment has been issued. What they cannot do is sign final transfer documents or hand over keys until the court issues the certificate. Buyers accept this routinely when the agreement is structured properly.

What happens if probate is not granted by the closing date?

It depends entirely on what the agreement says, which is why the drafting matters. A well structured agreement lets the estate extend on notice and, if the certificate still has not arrived by the outside date, terminate without penalty and return the deposit. Some deals instead use an escrow or occupancy arrangement where the buyer takes possession and pays occupancy rent until title can transfer.

Without a properly drafted clause, the deal can simply die and both parties start over, which usually means re-listing a stale property. That is a completely avoidable outcome.

Do estate properties sell for less than market value?

They do not have to, and an estate trustee has a legal duty to obtain fair market value. The reason estate properties often underperform is presentation and process rather than the estate status itself: full of contents, poorly photographed, priced on a stale appraisal, marketed quietly, or sold quickly to relieve family pressure. Estate properties that are cleared, cleaned and marketed properly sell at market.

The trustee’s duty here cuts both ways. A trustee cannot sell below market value to favour one beneficiary, for instance by selling cheaply to a family member. Documenting how the price was arrived at protects the trustee from a later claim.

Should we sell to a company that says it buys probate properties for cash?

Almost never. Cash buyers who specifically target estates and probate properties are pricing for a discount, typically well below market, in exchange for speed and certainty. Since an estate usually has to wait for probate anyway, the speed is worth much less than it sounds. An estate trustee who accepts a below market cash offer may also be exposed to a claim from beneficiaries.

If the estate genuinely needs speed, there are better tools: list with a realistic closing date, or arrange an estate loan through the lawyer. Take a discounted cash offer only after the property has been properly exposed to the market and you can document that the offer was the best available.

Can the estate trustee sell the house to themselves or a family member?

This requires great care. An estate trustee has a fiduciary duty to all beneficiaries and cannot prefer their own interests, so a sale to the trustee personally, or to their family, raises an obvious conflict. It is sometimes done, but generally only with an independent appraisal, full written consent from every beneficiary, and legal advice. Without those, the sale can be challenged.

How is the sale money distributed?

The closing proceeds go to the estate, not directly to the beneficiaries. The estate lawyer pays out the mortgage, taxes, fees and commission, then holds the balance in the estate account. Distribution to beneficiaries happens once the estate’s debts and taxes are settled, and prudent trustees hold back a reserve until the CRA clearance certificate arrives, which can take up to 120 days.

Power of attorney and capacity sales

Can I sell my parent’s house using a power of attorney?

Yes, if you hold a valid continuing power of attorney for property and the conditions for acting under it have been met. The attorney signs the listing agreement and the transfer documents in their capacity as attorney, and the buyer’s lawyer will want to see the original or a notarized copy of the document. The attorney acts for the grantor’s benefit, not their own.

An ordinary power of attorney for property ends if the grantor becomes incapable. Only a continuing power of attorney survives incapacity, which is the situation most families are in when they call. Confirm which document you actually have before you do anything else.

Can an attorney sell a house that the will leaves to a specific person?

Not freely. Under Ontario’s Substitute Decisions Act an attorney generally cannot dispose of property that is the subject of a specific gift in the grantor’s will, unless the sale is necessary to meet the attorney’s duties to the incapable person, or the property is being given to the person entitled to it under the will. The attorney carries the burden of proving that necessity, and courts examine those claims closely.

If the property is sold anyway, section 35.1 of the Act protects the intended beneficiary by giving them a corresponding right to the proceeds out of the residue of the estate. This is exactly the kind of question to put to an estates lawyer before listing, not after. It comes up more often than you would think, because the family home is very frequently a specific gift.

My parent is moving into long term care. When should we sell the house?

There is no single right answer, and the decision is financial, legal and emotional at once. The considerations are the cost of the care, whether the home is needed to fund it, the carrying costs of an empty house, insurance rules around vacancy, and the tax consequences, since the principal residence exemption depends on the property’s status. Many families sell within the first year, but some hold deliberately.

One thing worth knowing: an empty house is not free. Between carrying costs and the insurance restrictions on vacant property, holding a Toronto home you are not using can cost the family $2,000 a month or more.

What if my parent cannot make decisions and there is no power of attorney?

Then nobody can sell the property until a guardian of property is appointed. A family member must apply to the Ontario court for guardianship, or the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee may become involved. This is slower and more expensive than acting under a power of attorney, often taking several months. There is no shortcut, and a signature obtained from someone who lacks capacity is not valid.

If your parent still has capacity today, this is the argument for getting a continuing power of attorney for property done now. It is a comparatively small legal cost that avoids a guardianship application later.

Does an attorney under a power of attorney have to get the best price?

Yes. An attorney for property is a fiduciary and must act with honesty, integrity and good faith for the incapable person’s benefit. That includes selling real estate at fair market value, keeping proper records of the transaction, and not preferring their own interests or those of other family members. Selling the home cheaply to a relative is the classic way attorneys get sued.

Can we sell if my parent has capacity but cannot physically get to a signing?

Yes. Capacity and mobility are different things. A person who understands the transaction can sell their home regardless of physical limitations, and documents can be signed remotely, witnessed by video where permitted, or executed at their bedside by arrangement with the lawyer. A power of attorney is not required simply because someone cannot travel to an office.

Working with an estate specialist

What does a realtor who specializes in estate sales do differently?

An estate specialist coordinates the sale around the legal process rather than in spite of it. That means structuring the agreement with a probate clause that matches actual Toronto court timelines, arranging a retrospective date of death appraisal separately from the pricing opinion, managing the clear-out, keeping multiple beneficiaries aligned and documented, and working alongside the estates lawyer and accountant rather than around them.

The practical difference shows up in two places. Deals that do not fall apart at closing because the probate clause was drafted for a 30 day extension in a court running six months. And families who are still speaking to each other afterwards. The Storey Team has built a process around both.

Do you work with our estate lawyer and accountant?

Yes, and it is how these files should run. We work directly with the estate’s lawyer on the probate clause, the closing timeline and the transfer documents, and with the accountant on the date of death valuation and the timing of the sale for tax purposes. The estate trustee stays in control of every decision; the professionals coordinate the detail so the trustee is not relaying messages between three offices.

If the estate does not yet have an estates lawyer, we can introduce you to several we work with regularly. We do not take referral fees for those introductions.

What does it cost, and when does the estate pay?

Real estate commission on an estate sale is negotiated the same way as on any sale and is paid from the closing proceeds, so the estate pays nothing out of pocket while the property is on the market. Costs that do arise earlier are the retrospective appraisal, the status certificate on a condo, clear-out and cleaning, and any repairs. Those are estate expenses, reimbursable from the estate.

Do you help with the clear-out, or do we arrange that ourselves?

We coordinate it. The Storey Team works with estate liquidators, auction houses, charitable pickup services, cleaners and junk removal companies across Toronto, and we schedule and supervise the sequence so that valuables are appraised before anything is disposed of. Trustees living outside Toronto can have the entire process handled remotely with photo documentation at each stage.

How do we get started?

Start with a conversation before anything is listed, ideally before the clear-out begins. In a first meeting we confirm who has signing authority, whether probate is required, what the property is worth today and what it was worth at the date of death, what needs to happen to the contents, and what a realistic timeline looks like. There is no cost and no obligation.

Call or text The Storey Team at 416-670-2432, or email tom@storeyteam.ca.

Estate sales across Toronto

We take estate files across the city. Downtown condos in King West, Queen West, Liberty Village, CityPlace, the Distillery District, Corktown and the Waterfront. Freehold homes in Leslieville, the Beaches, East York, the Danforth, High Park, Leaside and Don Mills. Suburban properties in Etobicoke, North York, Willowdale, Bayview Village, Scarborough and Agincourt.

Talk to us before you list

The most useful conversation happens before the clear-out starts, not after. In a first meeting we confirm who has signing authority, whether probate is required, what the property is worth today and what it was worth at the date of death, and what a realistic timeline looks like. There is no cost and no obligation.

Call or text 416-670-2432 or email tom@storeyteam.ca