Be Careful When Hiring an Estate Sales Agent.

An estate sales isn’t your run-of-the-mill garage sale. Estate sales offer the promise of nicer things for sale and that potential rare or priceless find. Many people faced with settling a loved one’s estate will turn to an estate sales agent to sell off the deceased’s belonging.  But hiring an estate sales agent can be a risky proposition. The industry is unregulated and not every one follows ethical business practices. Furthermore, they typically charge substantial fees as a percentage of the estate sale total.  You need to do things right when hiring one:  You need to get a copy of your prospective agent’s contract and review if carefully. You must also check into their business history and practices. It can even be helpful to go to one of their sales to see them in action.  A recent article in the New York Times highlights the problems with estate sales agents through the personal experience of two siblings who hired an unscrupulous estate sale agent after their mother died.

Read Paul Sullivan, It Pays to Be Wary When Hiring an Estate Sales Agent, NY Times, September 23, 2016.