How Inherited Property Match
Selects and Vets Brokers

Alan and Rhett Fruitman choose brokers themselves, one property at a time. We first learn about the property, the ownership situation, the people involved, and the client’s goals. We then identify relevant candidates and evaluate their experience, licensing information, available disciplinary information, potential conflicts, availability, and fit.

Alan and Rhett speak directly with every broker we recommend before making an introduction. We tell the client why that broker was selected, and there is never an obligation to hire.

We do not recommend a broker based only on a ZIP code, sales ranking, certification, or online reviews.

How Does Inherited Property Match Decide Which Broker Is the Strongest Fit?

We consider transaction history, licensing, property-type experience, market knowledge, available disciplinary information, potential conflicts, availability, communication, professional reputation, and the broker’s fit for the specific assignment.

We do not assume that the broker with the highest overall sales volume is automatically the right choice. A broker who has sold hundreds of unrelated properties may be less qualified for a complicated trust sale, inherited apartment building, or occupied probate property than a specialist with narrower but much more relevant experience.

How Does Inherited Property Match Narrow Its National Broker Pool to One Recommendation?

Inherited Property Match narrows brokers in three stages. The first is a national candidate pool, the second is the group of candidates considered for the specific assignment, and the third is the final broker recommendation.

We draw potential candidates from several sources:

Alan Fruitman’s relationships developed over more than 30 years in real estate
The nationwide Real Estate Broker Match network
Brokers recommended by attorneys, CPAs, and other trusted sources
Brokers we have worked with or evaluated previously
New assignment-specific research when the right person is not already known

How Inherited Property Match narrows a national broker pool to a final recommendation
Stage	National Candidate Pool	Candidates for Your Assignment	Final Recommendation
What it is	Brokers Inherited Property Match can draw from nationally	Brokers whose backgrounds appear relevant to the property and situation	The broker or brokers we believe are the strongest fit
How they are identified	Existing relationships, the Real Estate Broker Match network, professional referrals, and new research	Screened for property type, market, ownership situation, and required expertise	Selected after direct evaluation and a conversation with Alan and Rhett
What we have reviewed	Presence in the pool does not mean the broker has been evaluated for this assignment	Initial experience, property-type fit, market coverage, and availability	Available licensing and disciplinary information, relevant experience, potential conflicts, availability, judgment, and fit
Typical scope	Nationwide	Sometimes one clear candidate. Other searches involve conversations with twelve or more brokers	Usually one recommendation, occasionally more when appropriate

In many cases, we also speak with the broker’s managing broker or brokerage leadership. This makes the brokerage aware of the assignment and gives us another opportunity to discuss the broker’s experience, resources, and reputation.

What Information Does Inherited Property Match Need Before Selecting a Broker?

Inherited Property Match needs to understand the property, the ownership situation, and what the client needs.

We learn about the property

We consider the property’s location, type, approximate value, condition, occupancy, timing, and any specialized issues. For an income-producing property, we may also need to understand the tenants, leases, operating information, debt, zoning, or other factors that affect which broker is qualified.

We learn about the ownership situation

An inherited property may be held in an estate, trust, LLC, partnership, or individual name. The broker-selection requirements can change depending on whether the transaction is a probate sale or trust sale. The sale may also involve multiple heirs who need to make decisions together or an owner managing the inherited-property sale from another state.

Some properties are ready for a relatively traditional sale. Others need someone who has done this before. That means probate and trust sales, court confirmation hearings, sellers who live across the country, and heirs who do not agree with each other.

We do not force every inherited property into the same category. Probate experience matters when the property is subject to probate. Trust-sale experience matters when a trustee is managing the sale. For a straightforward inherited property that can be sold conventionally, local market and property-type expertise may matter more than a probate designation.

We learn what the client needs

We ask about the client’s goals, timing, communication preferences, known obstacles, and how much help you want. We also consider whether the broker will need to coordinate with the attorneys, CPAs, appraisers, title professionals, and other professionals involved in an inherited-property sale.

How Does Inherited Property Match Vet a Broker Before Making an Introduction?

Inherited Property Match follows a seven-step process. We understand the assignment, identify relevant candidates, evaluate depth of experience, review credentials and potential conflicts, speak directly with the broker, compare the candidates, and explain the recommendation to the client.

1. Understand the assignment

We begin with a direct conversation about the property and the people responsible for it. We identify the property type, market, ownership structure, decision-makers, timeline, known complications, and the result the client is trying to achieve.

2. Identify relevant candidates

We search our existing relationships, the Real Estate Broker Match network, trusted professional referrals, and the wider market for brokers whose have done this kind of work before.

3. Evaluate depth of experience

We look beyond years in the business and total sales volume.

We ask about experience with:

The specific residential or commercial property type
The relevant local market or national asset class
Inherited-property, probate, trust, or estate-related sales when applicable
Executors, trustees, multiple heirs, and out-of-state owners
Properties with similar condition, occupancy, tenants, leases, debt, or other complications
Transactions in a comparable value range

Nearly every broker we recommend has completed hundreds of real estate transactions, based on information provided by the broker or brokerage.

A probate-related certification can be one useful signal, but we do not treat a certification as proof of relevant transaction experience. Our comparison of CPRES certification versus inherited-property transaction experience explains why we evaluate the broker’s actual work alongside any designation.

4. Review credentials, reputation, and potential conflicts

Before making an introduction, we ask the broker or brokerage to confirm the broker’s license information and brokerage affiliation. We also review licensing and disciplinary information that is available to us.

We ask about potential conflicts that could affect the assignment, including whether the broker or an affiliate may want to purchase the property, whether the broker may represent both sides, and whether there are material relationships or financial interests the client should know about.

Licensing is a minimum requirement, not proof that a broker is qualified. A valid license does not demonstrate inherited-property experience, property-type competence, judgment, integrity, or future performance.

5. Speak directly with the broker

Alan and Rhett speak directly with every broker we recommend before making an introduction. That conversation is where we assess the broker’s experience, proposed approach, communication style, availability, resources, professional judgment, and fit for the people involved.

We may discuss:

How the broker would initially evaluate the property
Relevant transactions the broker has handled
How the broker would approach pricing and marketing
Current workload and ability to give your sale enough time
Communication with multiple heirs or professional fiduciaries
Experience coordinating with attorneys, accountants, and other advisors
Potential conflicts or agency relationships
Why the broker believes they are or are not the right person for the assignment

We pay attention to whether the broker asks thoughtful questions before proposing answers. An experienced broker should want to understand the authority to sell, property condition, decision-makers, timing, and complications before presenting a strategy.

6. Compare expertise, judgment, and fit

We do not use a single score or formula to make the final decision. We compare the candidates using the factors that matter for that assignment.

Those factors may include:

Relevant transaction experience
Property-type specialization
Local-market or national asset-class expertise
Inherited-property experience
Communication and responsiveness
Professional reputation
Availability and capacity
Proposed strategy
Brokerage resources
Ability to work with the client and other decision-makers
Conflicts or competing interests

7. Explain the recommendation and remain available

We explain the experience, specialization, market knowledge, and other factors that made the broker stand out for the assignment.

If the client does not believe the broker is the right fit, we can reconsider the match and provide another recommendation.

Does Inherited Property Match Select Residential and Commercial Brokers Differently?

Yes. Residential inherited-property matches normally prioritize close local-market knowledge, while specialized commercial matches may prioritize national asset-class expertise over physical proximity. We do not treat residential and commercial brokerage experience as interchangeable.

How inherited-property broker selection differs for residential and commercial property
Selection Factor	Residential Inherited Property	Commercial and Investment Property
Geographic priority	Strong knowledge of the property’s immediate market is normally essential	Asset-class expertise can outweigh physical proximity
Relevant market knowledge	Neighborhood demand, comparable sales, condition, financing, HOA requirements, and buyer expectations	Asset-specific valuation, leases, tenants, property use, operating information, market demand, and buyer requirements
Issues the broker must understand	Property condition, deferred maintenance, cleanout, occupancy, remote ownership, and any probate or trust complications	Rent rolls, leases, operating statements, zoning, environmental concerns, existing debt, and asset-specific diligence
Likely buyer pool	Owner-occupants, residential investors, and cash buyers	Private and institutional investors, owner-users, developers, and 1031 exchange buyers
Marketing approach	Local MLS exposure, showings, property preparation, residential buyer marketing, and local vendor coordination	Offering materials, targeted buyer outreach, and relevant local, regional, or national marketing platforms
Broker profile we seek	Strong local-market knowledge and experience with similar properties and ownership situations	An asset-class specialist with relevant transactions, valuation knowledge, and access to the appropriate buyer pool

Residential inherited property

How much inherited-property experience a broker needs depends on the situation. It matters considerably more when the sale involves probate, a trust, multiple heirs, an out-of-state seller, an occupant who may not want to leave, significant deferred maintenance, or a property full of personal belongings.

Learn more about selling inherited residential real estate.

Commercial and investment property

A regional or national asset-class specialist who understands the relevant buyers, leases, valuation methods, and transaction structure can be better positioned than a generalist nearby. The reverse is also true: a national commercial investment-sales broker may not be the right person to sell a modest residential property requiring hands-on local coordination.

Learn more about selling inherited investment real estate.

How Inherited Property Match Is Paid

Property owners do not pay Inherited Property Match.

When a client hires a broker we introduced and the property sells, that broker pays us a portion of the commission the broker earned. There is no upfront fee for our matching service, and the client is not obligated to hire the broker we recommend.

Brokers cannot pay to join Inherited Property Match, purchase a higher position, or buy a guaranteed referral. The referral-fee percentage does not determine which broker we recommend. We make the recommendation based on which broker we believe is the strongest fit for the assignment.

How Does Inherited Property Match Screen Brokers for Potential Conflicts?

Inherited Property Match asks about potential conflicts before making a recommendation, including ownership interests, relationships with likely buyers, possible dual agency, affiliated service providers, and other financial relationships that could affect the broker’s advice.

Inherited-property sales can attract buyers, investors, wholesalers, service providers, and other parties whose interests may not be the same as the seller’s.

Depending on the assignment, we may ask:

Whether the broker or an affiliated entity wants to purchase the property
Whether the broker has a material relationship with a likely buyer
Whether the broker may represent both the seller and buyer
Whether the broker regularly works with particular investors or wholesalers
Whether affiliated service providers may be recommended
Whether another financial relationship could affect the broker’s advice

We expect material conflicts known to the broker or brokerage to be disclosed. An undisclosed material conflict or material misrepresentation can cause us to stop considering or recommending that broker.

No screening process can guarantee discovery of every unknown or undisclosed relationship. Clients should review all agency and conflict disclosures provided by the broker before signing an agreement.

What Does Inherited Property Match Review, and What Does It Not Verify?

Inherited Property Match reviews licensing and brokerage information, relevant experience, professional reputation, availability, potential conflicts, and assignment-specific fit. These checks cannot guarantee performance or uncover every concern.

Our review is a professional judgment, not an investigation. We do not audit a broker’s files, independently verify transaction counts, run consumer-reporting background checks, or look into matters the broker does not disclose. Much of what we learn comes from the broker, the brokerage, and people we have worked with in the industry.

What Inherited Property Match reviews when evaluating brokers and the limits of each review
What We Review	What It Does Not Prove
License information and brokerage affiliation	A valid license does not prove specialized competence or future performance.
Available disciplinary information	Public records and reporting practices vary by state, and a record may not reveal every complaint or concern.
Transaction volume and relevant experience	Some experience information is provided by the broker or brokerage and may not be independently verifiable.
Property-type and market experience	Past experience does not guarantee a particular price, timeline, or result.
Communication, responsiveness, and availability	A broker’s workload and availability can change after the introduction.
Professional reputation and referrals	A strong reputation is important but does not guarantee future conduct.
Potential conflicts disclosed during our review	We may not discover an unknown or undisclosed relationship.
Strategy and assignment-specific fit	The final recommendation includes human judgment based on the information available at the time.

Inherited Property Match is not a government regulator, law firm, accounting firm, appraisal company, or insurer. We do not guarantee a broker’s performance, a sale price, a closing date, or a particular legal or financial outcome.

Our recommendation is not legal, tax, investment, insurance, or appraisal advice. Clients should consult the appropriate qualified professionals and independently review the broker and brokerage agreement before hiring anyone.

When We Will Not Recommend or Will Stop Working With a Broker

We will not knowingly recommend a broker who lacks an active license or the expertise required for the assignment.

Other reasons we may decline or stop working with a broker include:

Material misrepresentation about experience or qualifications
Falsified or misleading transaction information
Failure to disclose a material conflict
Serious relevant disciplinary concerns
Lack of appropriate property-type or market expertise
Repeated unresponsiveness
Insufficient availability or brokerage support
Unprofessional treatment of clients or other parties
Conduct that causes us to lose confidence in the broker’s integrity or judgment

Not every concern produces the same result. A revoked, suspended, or inactive license is fundamentally different from an isolated slow response. We consider the seriousness, relevance, available facts, and the broker’s explanation before making a judgment.

Why We Recommended This Broker

We tell every client why we selected the broker we are recommending.

That explanation may include:

The broker’s relevant property-type experience
The broker’s knowledge of the local market or national asset class
Similar inherited, probate, trust, or estate-related assignments
Experience with the property’s condition, tenants, leases, or other complications
The broker’s proposed approach
Communication style and ability to work with the people involved
Availability and brokerage resources
Why the broker stood out from other candidates

This explanation gives the client a reason to consider the broker. It is not a certification, guarantee, or substitute for the client’s own interview and review.

Who Selects and Interviews Each Recommended Broker?

Alan and Rhett Fruitman personally select and interview every broker Inherited Property Match recommends.

Alan Fruitman

Alan Fruitman is a Co-Founder of Inherited Property Match and President and Managing Broker of Real Estate Foundation, Inc. He began his real estate career in 1993 and brings more than 30 years of residential and commercial real estate experience to the selection process.

Alan’s experience across commercial property, investment real estate, 1031 exchanges, and nationwide broker relationships is particularly important when an inherited property requires specialized commercial expertise or a broker whose reach extends beyond the immediate market.

Rhett Fruitman

Rhett Fruitman is a Co-Founder of Inherited Property Match and oversees broker evaluation, client relationships, content strategy, and day-to-day operations. His background includes Citi Private Bank, CBRE, and the 1031 exchange industry.

Rhett works directly with clients to understand their assignments and with brokers to evaluate experience, communication, availability, and fit.

Learn more about Alan and Rhett Fruitman.

You Make the Final Hiring Decision

Inherited Property Match performs the search, narrows the candidates, and explains its recommendation. The client makes the final decision.

Before hiring a broker, we encourage clients to:

Speak directly with the broker
Ask how the broker would price and market the property
Review relevant transaction examples
Confirm who will personally handle the assignment
Discuss communication and reporting expectations
Review agency and conflict disclosures
Understand the commission and other terms in the brokerage agreement
Consult an attorney, CPA, appraiser, or other advisor when appropriate

For more detailed guidance, read How to Choose a Broker to Sell Inherited Property and download our 100 Things to Look for When Choosing a Broker to Sell Inherited Property.

Consumers can also use the ARELLO Licensee Verification Database or the applicable state real estate regulator to review license information.

What Happens If the Broker Is Not the Right Fit?

The client is not required to hire the broker we recommend.

If the client has concerns before hiring the broker, we will discuss those concerns and can provide another recommendation at no cost. If a brokerage agreement has already been signed, the client must review that agreement and address termination or representation questions with the broker, brokerage, or an attorney. Inherited Property Match cannot cancel or modify an agreement between the client and broker.

We remain available after the introduction and welcome feedback. A material problem may affect whether we recommend that broker again.

Information for Executors, Trustees, Attorneys, and Other Advisors

Executors, trustees, personal representatives, and other decision-makers may need to explain to beneficiaries, co-fiduciaries, attorneys, or other interested parties how a broker was selected.

Inherited Property Match’s process is designed to give the client a clear explanation of:

What the assignment required
What experience and qualifications were considered
Why the recommended broker appeared to fit the property and situation
What limitations remain
Why the client may reasonably choose to interview that broker

Attorneys, trust officers, CPAs, financial advisors, professional fiduciaries, and other professionals may refer clients to Inherited Property Match when inherited residential or commercial property requires broker expertise outside the professional’s own role.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Inherited Property Match choose which brokers to consider?

Inherited Property Match draws candidates from Alan Fruitman’s relationships developed over more than 30 years, the nationwide Real Estate Broker Match network, recommendations from attorneys and other trusted professionals, prior broker relationships, and new research. We then narrow the candidates based on the specific property, market, inherited-property situation, required expertise, availability, and client needs.

How many brokers does Inherited Property Match consider for each property?

The number of brokers Inherited Property Match considers depends on the assignment. We may already know one clearly qualified broker, while other searches involve conversations with twelve or more candidates. We usually recommend one broker but may recommend more than one when appropriate.

Does Inherited Property Match personally interview every broker in its national pool?

No. Inherited Property Match does not personally interview every broker in its national pool. The national pool is a broad source of potential candidates, not a representation that every broker has received an assignment-specific interview. Alan and Rhett speak directly with every broker we recommend before making a client introduction. We often speak with the broker’s managing broker or brokerage leadership as well.

Does Inherited Property Match use an algorithm or ZIP-code matching system?

No. Inherited Property Match does not make recommendations through automated ZIP-code matching, sales rankings, certifications, or online reviews alone. Alan and Rhett personally evaluate the assignment and speak directly with every broker we recommend.

How much experience do Inherited Property Match’s recommended brokers have?

Nearly every broker Inherited Property Match recommends has completed hundreds of real estate transactions, based on information provided by the broker or brokerage. We may make an exception for a highly qualified specialist whose lower transaction count reflects a narrow or unusual field. We prioritize deep, relevant expertise over raw volume that has little connection to the assignment.

Does every inherited-property sale require a probate specialist?

No. Not every inherited-property sale requires a probate specialist. Probate expertise matters when the property is subject to probate or court procedures, and trust-sale experience matters when a trustee is managing the sale. In other situations, local-market knowledge and property-type experience may be more important than a probate certification.

Does Inherited Property Match recommend a local broker or a national specialist?

It depends on the property. For residential inherited property, Inherited Property Match normally treats close local-market knowledge as essential. For specialized commercial or investment property, a regional or national asset-class specialist may be more qualified than a generalist located nearby.

Does Inherited Property Match check the broker’s real estate license and disciplinary history?

Before making an introduction, Inherited Property Match confirms the broker’s license information and brokerage affiliation with the broker or brokerage leadership, and reviews available licensing and disciplinary information. Licensing is only a starting point. It does not establish inherited-property expertise, property-type competence, integrity, or future performance.

Does Inherited Property Match conduct criminal or comprehensive background checks?

No. Inherited Property Match does not represent that it conducts a comprehensive criminal background investigation through a third-party consumer-reporting provider. Our process focuses on license information, available disciplinary information, relevant experience, professional reputation, communication, conflicts, availability, brokerage support, and assignment-specific fit.

Can a broker pay to join Inherited Property Match or receive a better position?

No. Brokers cannot pay to join Inherited Property Match, purchase higher placement, or buy a guaranteed referral. The referral-fee percentage does not determine which broker we recommend.

Does Inherited Property Match work with inherited commercial and investment property?

Yes. Inherited Property Match works with inherited residential, commercial, and investment property in all 50 states. For specialized commercial property, we may prioritize national asset-class expertise over physical proximity. A commercial broker must have experience appropriate for the specific property, buyers, valuation methods, leases, tenants, and transaction structure involved, as applicable.

Does Inherited Property Match guarantee the broker’s performance or the outcome of the sale?

No. Inherited Property Match does not guarantee a broker’s performance, sale price, closing date, or particular legal or financial outcome. Our recommendation reflects the information available and our judgment at the time. The client makes the final hiring decision and should independently review the broker and the brokerage agreement.

Does using Inherited Property Match satisfy an executor’s or trustee’s fiduciary duties?

No. Using Inherited Property Match does not by itself establish that an executor or trustee has satisfied a fiduciary duty. Our process gives the client a clear explanation of why a broker was selected and what information was considered, but it is not legal advice or a legal safe harbor. Executors, trustees, personal representatives, and other fiduciaries should consult their own attorneys about the requirements that apply to them.

Confidence & Comfort

At Inherited Property Match, you can expect:

Clarity instead of confusion
Guidance instead of guesswork
A trusted expert instead of Google searches

Selling inherited property becomes manageable and organized – so you can focus on honoring your loved one and moving forward.

Property@InheritedPropertyMatch.com

+1 (800) 841-5033

LinkedIn Twitter YouTube Facebook

How Inherited Property Match Selects and Vets Brokers