Personal representative
The executor or administrator a probate court appoints to manage a deceased person's estate, including any decision to sell real estate.
Definition
A personal representative is the person a probate court appoints to manage a deceased person's estate. If the will names someone, that person is usually called the executor; if there is no will, the court appoints an administrator, often a spouse or close family member. Both are personal representatives.
The personal representative collects the estate's property, pays its debts and taxes, and distributes what is left to the heirs or beneficiaries. That includes deciding whether to keep, rent or sell real estate, so the personal representative is the person to reach about an estate property, not every heir. Their name appears in the probate file, usually along with the estate's attorney. Some representatives live out of state or have never managed a rental, and a quick, as-is sale can appeal to them for that reason. The court document proving their authority is called letters testamentary or letters of administration.
Source: selfhelp.courts.ca.gov
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