What is the executor's year and does it affect when an estate property can be sold in Ontario?

The "executor's year" is a long-standing convention in estate administration, giving an estate trustee roughly a year from the date of death as a reasonable period to gather in the estate's assets, identify and address debts, and get the estate ready for distribution, before beneficiaries can generally expect the administration to be complete. It's a guideline reflecting what's considered a reasonable timeframe, rather than a hard legal deadline that must be met exactly or a rule that prevents earlier action.

This convention doesn't stop a trustee from selling a property earlier than the one-year mark, and in many cases selling promptly is exactly the right approach, particularly to avoid a property sitting vacant, depreciating, or accumulating carrying costs. What the executor's year mainly affects is the other end of the timeline: it generally gives the trustee some protection from being pressured into rushing a final distribution before that period has reasonably passed, since a trustee who distributes too early and later discovers unresolved debts or claims can face personal exposure. Anyone administering an estate, or a beneficiary wondering why things are taking time, should understand this as a reasonable-time guideline for overall administration, not a rule governing exactly when a specific sale must happen.