EThe Elevated Property GroupLauren J. Coombs, CCIMButton Text(310) 439-8052
Trustees & Fiduciaries

Real estate advisory built for fiduciary duty

Trustees, executors, and family offices carry a duty of care that ordinary property owners don't. I provide the documentation, market analysis, and defensible process that fiduciary decision-making requires, whether for probate, trust administration, or family office portfolios.

Discuss a Trust or Estate Property
Fiduciary standard

Every decision needs to be defensible

A trustee or executor answers to beneficiaries, courts, or co-trustees for every material decision about estate or trust property. That means pricing, marketing, and disposition decisions need a paper trail, not just good instincts.

I document opinions of value, marketing activity, and offers received in a form that holds up to scrutiny, whether that scrutiny comes from a beneficiary who disagrees, a court overseeing probate, or a co-trustee who wasn't in the room for a decision.

That same rigor serves family offices managing property across multiple owners or generations, where the same standard of documented, arms-length process protects everyone involved.

Fiduciary Services

Opinion of value
Documented, defensible pricing analysis
Probate sales
Court-compliant process
Trust administration
Disposition and portfolio support
Family offices
Multi-generational property advisory
Reporting
Written activity and offer records
Scope of work

What I provide

Documented opinion of value

A written valuation showing the comparables, the adjustments and the reasoning, in a form you can file and share with beneficiaries or counsel.

Provable market exposure

Listed across CoStar and LoopNet, Crexi, AIR CRE, RealNex and CRMLS, with platform activity reports showing views, inquiries, tours and offers by date.

As-is sale management

Trusts and estates rarely should spend principal on improvements. I market and price in as-is condition, target the buyer pool that wants it, and handle disclosures properly.

Coordination with your team

Counsel, CPA, appraiser, property manager and the family. One point of contact keeping everyone on the same version of the facts.

Beneficiary reporting

Written activity updates showing what happened each period, with counts, comps and verbatim feedback. See a sample report.

1031 and reinvestment strategy

Where the trust permits continued ownership, exchange planning, replacement property search and coordination with your qualified intermediary.

The process

What a Fiduciary Engagement Includes

Opinion of Value

A written, documented estimate of value suitable for court or beneficiary review.

Marketing Documentation

Records of outreach, showings, and offers received, dated and retained.

Disposition Strategy

A recommended approach to sale or lease with the reasoning behind it in writing.

Ongoing Reporting

Regular written updates so every party with a stake in the property stays informed.

Sequence

How the assignment runs

01

Review the file

Trust or court documents, title, leases and any prior appraisals. Constraints first, because they decide what is actually possible.

02

Inspect and value

Site visit, then a written opinion of value with comparables and stated methodology.

03

Agree the strategy

Sell, lease, hold or exchange, with the reasoning documented before anything goes to market.

04

Market and report

Full platform exposure, direct outreach to the likely buyer pool, and periodic written activity reports.

05

Close and document

Offer analysis, negotiation, escrow management, and a closing file that shows the process that produced the result.

Who this is for

Fiduciary roles I work with

Questions trustees ask

Straight answers

Can you provide an appraisal?

No. I am a broker, not a licensed appraiser. What I provide is a broker's opinion of value that shows its comparables and reasoning. Where the situation calls for a formal appraisal, I will tell you so and coordinate with an appraiser.

The beneficiaries disagree about selling. Can you help?

I can give every party the same set of facts: what the property is worth, what it would rent for, what it costs to hold and what the market is likely to do with it. Most disagreements about strategy are really disagreements about assumptions. The decision stays yours.

The property is in poor condition. Do we need to fix it first?

Usually not. Most trusts and estates should not spend principal on improvements. I price and market as-is, aim at the buyer pool that wants that condition, and document why that was the right call.

How quickly can this move?

Preparation and listing typically take two to three weeks depending on the file. After that, timing depends on the asset and the market. I will tell you what is realistic before you commit to a date with the court or the beneficiaries.

Do you work outside Southern California?

Yes. I take assignments across California, currently including Sacramento, Stockton and the East Bay, and coordinate out-of-state transactions through vetted local brokers when a trust holds property elsewhere.

What does an engagement cost?

Sale and lease assignments are commission based and paid at closing, so there is no cost to have the conversation or to get an initial read on value. Where a trust needs a standalone valuation with no listing attached, that is quoted separately.

Get in touch

Bring me in early.

The earlier a fiduciary advisor is involved, the more defensible the eventual decision. Reach out before you need answers, not after.

Contact Me