If you’re trying to sell your home on a short timeline, things can get stressful—and fast. From finding a great agent, to getting your home ready to show or stage, to finding the right sellers, to moving through the closing process, there’s a lot that can slow down the process.
But luckily, there are many simple tips you can follow that will help you get from listing to closing as fast as possible. Here are some tips for a quick home sale.
Find a top-selling agent
If there’s any step to put additional time and effort into, it’s this one.
Selling your home without an agent (going the For Sale by Owner, or FSBO route) will almost certainly result in a lower final sale price and likely, lots of additional headaches. After all, people go to school for real estate for a reason—there are lots of laws, regulations, and requirements around selling and buying homes that the typical homeowners wouldn’t know.
Agents also have access to marketing budgets and resources that the typical homeowner does not. This can make finding a qualified buyer much easier and faster.
Finally, homes sold by owners typically sell for many thousands less than homes sold by agents.
Finding and working with a top-selling agent, therefore, will not only earn you more money and reduce your stress, but it will also significantly speed up your time from listing to sale.
Focus on updates and improvements that buyers want
If you’re trying to sell your home fast, you won’t have time to update every light fixture, paint your exterior, and landscape your entire backyard.
But the good news is: you don’t have to.
Instead of trying to get your home in absolute perfect shape before you list, instead focus on the most important things that buyers are looking for and the improvements that have a high ROI.
According to insights from top agents, the features home buyers want in 2021 include:
- Kitchen backsplashes
- Kitchen islands
- Double vanities
- A fire pit
Improvements with high ROI include:
- Decluttering
- Deep cleaning
- Basic lawn care service
- Laying fresh mulch
Consider selling to an iBuyer or investor for cash
If you’re really looking to sell your home fast, there are options for selling quickly other than the traditional listing process.
Companies called iBuyers purchase homes for cash fast, as do many investors and home flippers. In general, a cash offer will be easier in terms of closing—the buyer doesn’t have to get approved for a loan or deal with a bank—but it will also be lower than you may get with a traditional offer.
That’s why, if you go this route, it’s important to do your homework and make sure you’re not accepting an offer that is, in actuality, much lower than you could get with a traditional buyer, perhaps waiting only a few additional weeks to close.
