Selling a parent’s home

Ask Phyllis: a blog series of frequently asked real estate questions.

Selling a parent’s home

Dear Phyllis,

We sold our La Crescenta home five years ago, and since then, we’ve often reflected on what a fantastic experience we had with our real estate agent. He was knowledgeable, professional, and truly went above and beyond for us. However, now that we’re preparing to sell my parents’ home, we’re facing a new challenge.

My brother and sister—who both live nearby—are leaning toward using a different agent, someone they’ve heard about locally. However, based on our experience, we feel strongly that our agent is far more qualified and would achieve a better outcome for our family. From what we’ve seen, the other agent falls short in terms of experience, communication, and strategy. Because we respect your expertise in real estate—and especially in navigating family dynamics, we’re hoping you can offer some insight or suggestions on how to approach this conversation with my siblings. We want to help them understand the value of going with someone who has a proven track record, especially when this sale is such an important one for our family. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on selling our parents’ home. In a pickle

Dear Pickle,

I understand and appreciate your loyalty to your Realtor. It’s clear you’ve had a great experience and want the best for your family. Even so, it sounds like your siblings have made a joint decision. In this case, they’ve outvoted you. I’ve sold real estate in the Foothills for over thirty years. I’ve worked with many families in similar situations. Differing opinions often lead to tension.

While your intentions are absolutely in the right place, I want to point out something I’ve observed over the years: when one family member pushes for a particular direction and things don’t go perfectly—as they often don’t in real estate—that person can become the focus of blame, even unfairly. It might be worth considering whether preserving harmony with your siblings outweighs the risks of pushing back at this stage. I wish you the best of luck in whatever direction you decide to go.