The honest version: any licensed realtor can technically list an estate home. The difference shows up in the moments a typical sale doesn't involve — a beneficiary who disagrees, a probate timeline that's still in progress, a lawyer who needs something specific before closing can happen. Mark Jontz has been through those moments hundreds of times.
A generalist agent handles this occasionally. Mark handles it regularly.
Most real estate agents encounter a probate or estate sale a handful of times a year, if that — it's not their focus, and there's no reason it would be. Mark Jontz has personally handled 500+ transactions involving probate, Power of Attorney, or Committee-of-Estate situations specifically. That repetition means fewer surprises, because he's already seen most of the versions of "what could go wrong" that a typical sale simply doesn't encounter.
Specific things that experience actually changes
- Realistic timeline-setting — knowing from direct experience how long a Grant of Probate typically takes in practice, not just in theory, and structuring the listing timeline around it instead of against it
- Working directly with the estate's lawyer or notary — understanding what legal professionals actually need from the real estate side, and providing it proactively instead of reactively
- Managing multiple beneficiaries — experience in keeping several people, sometimes with different priorities, informed and aligned through the process
- Recognizing which repairs and preparation actually matter — see our guide on preparing an estate home for sale — instead of over-investing in a property the estate doesn't personally benefit from improving further
- Pricing accurately for the situation — understanding how probate-value and market-value considerations interact, covered in our estate home valuation guide
What this looks like from the first conversation
Mark starts every estate inquiry the same way: a plain conversation about where things actually stand — what stage of the legal process you're in, what documentation exists already, and what's realistically possible given the timeline. No pressure to list before you're ready, and honest guidance even on the parts that don't directly involve real estate.
This page provides general information only and is not legal, financial, or tax advice. Please consult a lawyer, notary, or accountant about your specific situation.