A Spokane family came to me with a house that had been sitting vacant for three years. They wanted to list it traditionally because that felt like the right thing to do.
I had to be straight with them. Putting that home on the open market as it sat would have meant months of showings, buyers walking out, and offers that would have felt like an insult. We went a different direction, and it was under contract in weeks.
Why Isn't a Traditional Listing Always the Right Move?
A traditional listing works well for a move in ready home, but a property that's been vacant for years, needs significant repairs, or carries deferred maintenance often performs poorly on the open market, generating more disappointment than offers. Months of showings on a home that isn't presentable tend to produce buyers who walk out mid tour and offers that reflect every visible flaw, sometimes more aggressively than the home's actual condition justifies. That's not a failure of marketing. It's a mismatch between the property and the strategy.
What's the Cost of Choosing the Wrong Strategy?
Listing a home the traditional way when it isn't ready for that market usually costs a family time, money, and unnecessary stress, on top of an already difficult season. Every month a probate property sits on the market is a month of taxes, insurance, utilities, and upkeep the estate is still paying for. Price reductions stack up. Showings on a home that isn't presentable can feel discouraging for a family who's already grieving. The families who struggle most in this process are usually the ones whose agent never had an honest conversation with them about whether traditional was even the right approach.
What Are the Alternatives to a Traditional Listing?
Depending on the property's condition and the family's timeline, a few other paths often make more sense than a standard open market listing for a Spokane probate property:
- An as is sale to a cash buyer or investor, which can close in weeks instead of months and removes the pressure of showings on a home that isn't move in ready
- A pre market sale to a targeted buyer pool, for properties with real value that simply need the right audience rather than broad public exposure
- Strategic light repairs before listing, when a modest investment could meaningfully change how the home performs on the open market
- An estate sale or auction process, in specific situations where speed and certainty matter more than maximizing the final price
How Do You Know Which Strategy Is Right for Your Situation?
The right strategy depends on the home's actual condition, the estate's timeline, and what the family actually needs, not on which approach feels the most familiar or expected. Listing traditionally can absolutely be the right call for plenty of probate properties. The problem isn't the traditional route itself, it's choosing it by default without an honest look at whether it fits the specific home and situation in front of you.
Tell Me What You're Dealing With
If the home you inherited feels like too much for a traditional listing, tell me what you're dealing with. I'll give you a straight answer on what actually makes sense, even if that answer isn't the one you expected to hear.
About the Author
Zech, Rios and Co Real Estate
Probate and estate sales are Zech's focus at Rios and Co Real Estate, and part of that work is being willing to say when the expected approach isn't actually the right one for a specific property or family. He'd rather have that conversation early than watch a family lose months to a strategy that was never going to work for their situation.
This article is for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal or financial advice. Every property and estate is different. For guidance specific to your situation, consult your real estate agent or a licensed probate attorney.
