How Attorneys Work with the Featured Broker

This page is for Washington State estate and probate attorneys who refer clients for real estate services. It walks through exactly what happens after the referral, what the featured broker handles on your behalf, and how to send a file over.

What Happens After You Make the Referral

Five steps, in order. Each step ends with written confirmation back to your office.

1. 1

   Step 1: Initial contact

   The featured broker responds to your referral within one business day, confirms scope with you in writing, and identifies the single point of contact for the file.

2. 2

   Step 2: Property assessment

   The featured broker conducts an on-site condition review and produces a date-of-death or current-market valuation supported by appraisal-grade analysis — defensible if the file ever requires it.

3. 3

   Step 3: Coordination with the estate or probate timeline

   The featured broker aligns property work — securing, cleanout, vendor scheduling, and listing readiness — with letters testamentary, court calendars, and beneficiary timing as you direct.

4. 4

   Step 4: Listing or valuation delivery

   Where a sale is the path, the featured broker manages preparation, pricing, marketing, offers, and negotiation. Where only a valuation is required, the report is delivered in a format suitable for court, IRS, or beneficiary use.

5. 5

   Step 5: Closing and reporting back to attorney

   The featured broker manages escrow through closing and provides a written close-out summary — net proceeds, key dates, signed documents, and any items the file should retain.

What You Can Tell Your Client

Plain language you can use verbatim or adapt — written for elderly clients and grieving families.

“For the house, I’d like to introduce you to a licensed real estate broker who handles homes tied to estates, trusts, and family transitions across Washington State. I found them through Real Property Planning, a free resource for families in situations like yours. The broker is calm, experienced, and used to working with families during difficult times, and will take care of the property side from start to finish — assessing the home, coordinating any preparation, pricing it appropriately, and managing the sale — and will keep me informed along the way. You will have one steady point of contact. There is no pressure and no rush.”