Families, Executors, Guardians, & Attorneys Trust Us With the Details
By Howard Morrel & Leslie Hirsch
The Trusts & Estates Division of Christie’s International Real Estate Group offers a unique set of real estate skills and services tailored to the needs of trustees, families, family offices, trusts & estates attorneys, elder law attorneys, and guardians. Always, we work with sensitivity for the complex emotions and family dynamics that often arise in these situations.
We represent properties throughout the USA and the world through our extended network, and frequently help clients with properties in multiple geographies. Importantly, we can handle the preparation, sale, and transfer of both a property and the goods within that property.
The Trusts & Estates Division is led by the Morrel Hirsch & Advisors team out of New York.
Below you will find a general breakdown of the services to trusts and estates–but every situation is unique, and we strive to take care of every issue and detail to relieve the burden from families and their representatives.
In most cases, our coordinating efforts are covered by a typical real estate commission.
We invite you to contact us to learn how we can help your trust or estate move forward, even in the most difficult of times.
Brokerage & Property Transfer Services
The Trusts & Estates team offers unparalleled brokerage and property transfer services tailored to the specialized needs of heirs, trustees, and executors—along with their attorneys, financial advisors, and business representatives. Our full-service support to trusts and estates encompasses every aspect of the real estate transaction process, as we strive to provide a seamless and successful experience from start to finish. Please also take a look at our Sellers Page and Case Studies.
Real Estate Valuation & Appraisal
Determining the true value of real estate can be challenging. The market is fluid, and undervaluing or overvaluing properties can lead to financial losses or missed opportunities. Timing is crucial, particularly when the property is controlled by a trust or estate. We use our own in-house appraisers to assess every aspect of your property—considering its unique features, location, and regional market trends. With our expertise, you can make informed decisions regarding your luxury real estate sale with full confidence, so you maximize value and potential returns.
Broker Opinion Letters
Whether you’re involved in legal proceedings, financial transactions, or strategic decision-making, our highly respected broker opinion letters provide the clarity and credibility you need to proceed with confidence.
Date-of-Death Valuations
When dealing with estates and trusts, accurately determining the value of real estate at the time of passing is crucial for tax assessments, estate planning, and distribution purposes. Failing to establish appropriate, credible date-of-death valuations can lead to serious issues decades later when a step-up basis is needed. We maintain high credibility in the market, offering valuations we believe to be precise and compliant.
Rental Income Analysis
Our team of experts conducts comprehensive assessments of market trends, tenant demographics, and comparable rental properties to help you maximize rental income for your properties or to estimate income flows for a prospective multi-family property investment.
Co-op & Condominium Board Package Preparation
Selling or occupying a co-op apartment or condominium in New York–or around the world–can be a challenge. Heirs are often surprised to learn they can’t be certain of their right to live in an apartment or condo they have inherited, and it may be a complex process to complete a sale. We offer deep expertise and long experience—as well as an established reputation–in working with condo and co-op boards, as well as banks. From organizing financial documents and personal statements to crafting persuasive cover letters and presentation materials, our professionals help ensure that the process moves along and that your application to a board stands out for all the right reasons.
Interest-Free Advances for Repair & Staging Costs
The funds within an estate are often tied up just when they are needed most. Our team can often offer interest-free advances to cover clean-out, repair, staging—or whatever is needed for you to enhance your property’s appeal. These funds are returned to us as part of escrow—easing the financial burden in a simple, hassle-free manner. Please enquire to learn more.
Property Clean-out Assistance
Let us handle the process of cleaning out your property, ensuring a smooth transition for you and your family. We and our partners handle the most difficult and sensitive clean-outs, including biohazards.
Inventory, Distribution, & Removal of Personal Property
We work with trusted partners who provide electronic inventories of the goods within a property and help coordinate the process of negotiating among heirs and distributing that property after a family loss. Often this work includes teleconferences and shared databases with far-flung family members. Our teams work with exceptional care and sensitivity, alleviating the burden on you during a turbulent time–and potentially saving large legal bills and the risk of family conflict.
Coordination of Movers
Anyone who has worked with movers in places like Manhattan knows that the issues involved can be enormous–from dealing with the rules in a high-rise to proper scheduling and tracking. We partner only with highly trusted movers with whom we have established a long relationship. Our team often care of coordinating the move itself, helping ensure that belongings are transported safely and efficiently to their new destination.
Appraisers, Shippers, Auctioneer Coordination for Art & Collectibles
Families and their representatives often face the daunting prospect of finding qualified appraisers for art, jewelry, collectibles, and more–then coordinating the sale, auction, or shipping of these valuables. Along with our affiliation with the Christie’s Auction House, we work with highly respected firms in each of these fields and can coordinate the work efficiently and sensitively for all concerned. High-net-worth families around the globe have trusted us with this vital task for decades.
Repairs & Improvements
We are renowned for its ability to prepare a luxury property for sale so that it appeals to a discerning buyer. A fresh coat of paint, the removal of dry rot, a replaced window pane, new kitchen cabinets—all of these can add tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, and sometimes more to the value of a property during a sale. We work with an extensive list of trusted partners and tradespeople in every aspect of renovation. We know the issues and we coordinate the work to maximize value at minimal cost to an estate. Importantly, as noted above, we can often advance funds interest-free when needed.
Staging Your Property for Sale
Prospective purchasers need help imagining the possibilities of even the finest property. That means effective staging with furniture, art—and the small touches that bring a residence to life. We fully understand the expectations of buyers in this market and we work only with talented, trusted stagers and the best curated decor to maximize presentation. Learn more about property preparation.
And, of Course, Many More Real Estate Services
The list above is hardly comprehensive. After decades of work with trusts and estates, we know that many unusual requirements and unanticipated obstacles can arise. Our expertise can help avoid common issues and help ensure that everything happens in the proper order—and we stand ready to jump in with whatever is needed to keep the process moving and achieve the best possible result.
Please contact us for a free consultation.
Howard, Leslie, & Team
Attract Excellence → Deliver Perfection
Our full-service approach to trusts and estates transactions encompasses every aspect of the process as we strive to provide a seamless and successful experience from start to finish.