Short answer: Before marketing a property held by a trust, estate or company, or affected by separation or bereavement, confirm ownership and decision authority with a lawyer. Build a calm document and communication pathway before discussing price or appointing an agent.

Start with the registered ownership and governing documents

Obtain a current title and identify the registered owner. Gather the trust deed and trustee changes, will and probate or administration documents, company records, relationship-property agreements, court orders, powers of attorney and relevant resolutions. Do not assume family understanding is the same as legal authority.

Give the documents to the lawyer and ask who must approve the agency agreement, sale and purchase agreement and settlement instructions. The Companies Office provides official registers for company and other entity information, but a register search does not replace legal interpretation.

Create one decision and communication map

Write down each authorised decision-maker, adviser and practical contact. Define which decisions need unanimity, a resolution, executor action, director authority, attorney authority or another process. Keep private family context out of public marketing unless it is necessary and approved.

Separation and bereavement can make ordinary campaign pressure harmful. Agree how appraisals, costs, offers and changes will be circulated, how long people have to respond and who records the final instruction. A neutral written process can reduce avoidable conflict without pretending to solve it.

Separate property evidence from distribution decisions

The appraisal, marketing and sale process concerns the property. Distribution of proceeds, debts, trust accounting, estate administration, tax and relationship-property consequences are separate professional matters. Do not ask an agent or calculator to decide them.

Use rounded working sale scenarios only for planning. Obtain lender payout information and expected selling costs, then ask the lawyer, accountant or tax adviser how proceeds must be handled. Keep beneficiary and bank details outside the browser workspace.

Protect dignity and recoverability

For a bereavement or move into care, plan access to personal belongings, important documents, sentimental items and family decisions before staging or clearance. Do not let a campaign launch date erase a person's control or family process.

Keep versions of appraisals, resolutions, instructions and signed agreements. If authority changes, pause and have the lawyer confirm the next valid step. The website can organise questions and status but cannot verify legal capacity or authority.

  • Current title and entity documents
  • Confirmed signatories and approval process
  • Separate property, tax and distribution advice
  • Sensitive belongings and communication plan

Put this guide into your private workspace

Use these connected tools to record your own facts and questions. Values stay private and are never sent to an agent without a separate reviewed contact action.

Frequently asked questions

Can one trustee or director appoint the agent?

That depends on the governing documents, resolutions and law. Ask the lawyer to confirm authority before signing.

Does probate always have to finish before a property is marketed?

The estate facts and authority matter. Obtain estate-specific legal advice before making commitments.

Can the workspace store beneficiary or bank details?

No. Keep sensitive identity, beneficiary and payment information in the professional's secure process.

Official sources

Sources were accessed and checked on 21 August 2026. Keep the live source and current professional advice as authority if rules or circumstances change.