Beyond Real Estate: Helping Families Navigate Aging, Downsizing, Probate & Senior Transitions

What does it look like to serve families beyond the real estate transaction? In this Beyond Real Estate conversation, Meredith Fogle talks with Valerie Upham, a San Diego real estate professional with more than 22 years of experience and founder of the Aging Parent Network. Valerie shares how her work with older adults and families grew from real estate into a broader service focused on downsizing, trust and estate sales, probate, home safety, senior living resources, and difficult family conversations. She explains why families should talk about wishes, power of attorney, safety, finances, and housing before a crisis—and how agents can stay in discovery long enough to understand the real problem a client needs solved. Valerie also discusses choosing a niche, building a service-centered business, her upcoming book about conversations with aging parents, and her goal of connecting families with trusted resources nationwide.