Can an executor sell a house before probate in Alberta?

Mostly yes — except the finish line. Before the Grant of Probate, an executor can get valuations, gather offers, and sign a sale agreement conditional on probate being granted. What generally can’t happen until the grant issues is the actual transfer of title — Land Titles needs the grant to register the sale.

In practice this means the smart sequence is parallel, not serial: start the probate application and line up the sale, so closing lands shortly after the grant instead of months later. Estates that wait for probate before even discussing a sale pay for it in carrying costs — insurance, heat, taxes, and yard care on an empty house.

A direct buyer suits this timeline well: the closing date flexes to the court’s schedule, and the estate gets one firm written number early, which is often what a family of beneficiaries needs most.