Most families we meet aren't in a hurry — they're just unsure. Whether the estate is open at the Register of Wills or you haven't filed anything yet, we'll explain where you stand, what the property is worth today, and the three real paths forward. No pressure, and no obligation to list.
A short, private form. We reply the same day.
Chris has been notified and will reach out personally, usually within a couple of hours during business hours. If it's urgent, call (202) 902-6714 and you'll reach him directly.
Cash-offer companies can only sell you one option, because it's the only one they profit from. As a licensed DC agent who also buys property directly, we can put all three side by side with real numbers and let you choose.
Almost always the highest net to the estate. We handle the parts families dread.
Sell as-is, on your date, with nothing to fix and nobody walking through the house.
Sometimes selling isn't right this year. We'll say so, even though it doesn't pay us.
Three steps, at your pace. Most families start with a conversation months before anything is listed.
Fifteen minutes on the phone or at our DC office. You tell us about the property and where the estate stands; we tell you what typically happens next in the District, and what it usually costs.
Current market value, an as-is value, what light preparation would realistically add, and a plain side-by-side of listing versus an off-market sale. Yours to keep and to share with the family or the attorney.
If you list, we run the sale end to end and coordinate with the estate attorney and the Register of Wills timeline. If you'd rather wait, that's a fine outcome and we'll check in when you ask us to.
Chris Athey is a licensed Washington, DC real estate agent with SERHANT., focused on estate and inherited property in the District. He works with personal representatives, heirs and estate attorneys on properties from Capitol Hill to Deanwood — and, because he also renovates and purchases property directly, he can give families a real off-market number instead of a vague one.
DC probate has its own rules — supervised versus unsupervised administration, the creditor claim period, transfer and recordation taxes, and tenant protections that catch out-of-state families off guard. That local specificity is the whole point of this practice.
Serhant DMV LLC · Licensed in DC, MD & VA · DC License #SP40004494
— Placeholder testimonial. Real, attributed client reviews go here at launch.
Written for personal representatives and heirs dealing with the District's Probate Division — not generic national content.
In most District cases, yes — the personal representative can sell once they have letters of administration, and the sale can close while the estate is still open. What varies is whether the administration is supervised, which affects court involvement. We'll tell you which situation you're in and coordinate with the estate's attorney.
Not always, but for anything contested, tenant-occupied, or involving out-of-state heirs, it's worth it. We have a network of independent attorneys we can refer you to if needed — we have no affiliation with, ownership interest in, or financial relationship with those attorneys, and we receive no referral fee from them. We don't give legal or tax advice ourselves.
No. This is the most common reason families delay for years. We coordinate cleanout, donation and disposal, and in an as-is sale you can leave everything where it is.
Very common. We provide one neutral, written valuation everyone can look at, and we're comfortable presenting to a family or an attorney directly rather than lobbying one sibling.
We can, and we'll always put it next to what the open market would likely bring. When we're the buyer, we disclose that in writing and we are not acting as your agent in that transaction — you're free to have your own representation or to list instead.
Tell us the address and where things stand. We'll tell you what the property is worth and what usually happens next — even if you're a year away from doing anything.
