Can I sell my parent's house?

You cannot sell your parents’ home without legal authority. To do it, one of these must happen: Your parents sign the listing and sale documents, or They give you Power of Attorney to act on their behalf. Without that, you can help prepare the sale, but they must legally approve and sign everything.

Authorization & Power of Attorney is required.

You can only sell the property if you are the legal owner or have a Durable Power of Attorney specifically granting real estate authority. If your parents have passed, you must be the court-appointed executor of the estate, and the home usually has to clear the probate process before a title can transfer to a buyer. Never sign a listing agreement until you have confirmed your legal standing with a real estate attorney.

Hi Marc, this is a situation I help with often. In order to sell the home, your parents will need to be the ones signing all of the documents unless you have legal authority, such as Power of Attorney, that allows you to act on their behalf. Without that, everything must be signed directly by them. The good news is, you don’t have to navigate this alone. You’ll want to work with a real estate agent who is willing to meet your parents where they are—someone who can come to the home, walk them through the process in person, bring all necessary documents, and make things as simple and stress-free as possible for them. If you’d like, I’d be happy to help you find the perfect agent to guide you through the next steps and coordinate everything so it’s handled the right way from the beginning. Where is the home located?