I Need to Sell My House Fast, What Are My Options?

How does it work?
Below, you can read feedback from sellers who connected with a top-performing agent through HomeLight. Read additional testimonials.

Thomas L. of Charlotte, North Carolina: “The service that HomeLight provided was a tremendous help. HomeLight was able to match our specific situation and needs with a selection of local Realtors and remove a lot of the legwork from the selection process.”

Cory of Fort Loramie, Ohio: “Using HomeLight made it easy to find the top real estate agent in our area. The process from beginning to end was so quick and easy. Our agent got to work right away and was very confident in the listing process. Our home went under contract in just 2-3 weeks and sold quickly!”

Pattie J. of New Jersey: “Purely professional from start to finish. I received an immediate response. In less than two months, our property sold for much more than we expected. HomeLight is the game changer of real estate.”

Get started now: homelight.com

4 tips to sell your house faster

For a speedy transaction, here are some home-selling tips from top agents:

• Declutter room by room: Create the illusion of space by removing shoes, boxes, and stacks of items from your floors. Relocate bulky furniture and move any clutter that won’t fit into storage spaces. If it won’t fit in a closet, the basement, or the garage, send it to storage. Countertops should be clear of anything not intentionally placed. At the very least, your home needs to be tidy and organized when the showings start.
• Deep clean everything: If you don’t have the time to mop the floors, vacuum, dust, and get your surfaces sparkling, then consider hiring a service to do the job. For an average investment of $195 to $600 to clean a three-bedroom home with two baths, you’ll likely see a sizable return on investment.
• Spruce up your curb appeal: In the current market, the look and feel of a home’s outdoor spaces are more important to buyers than ever. The National Association of Realtors reports that 92% of Realtors recommend improving curb appeal before listing a home for sale. The most commonly suggested outdoor projects include landscape maintenance (74%), standard lawn care (53%), and tree care (44%).
• Pick the right time to list: Timing can have an effect on how quickly a house sells, but this can vary depending on location. Some housing markets see intense seasonal changes based on when parents start looking for homes, popular times for vacation house hunters to arrive, or shifts in the weather. If you have a bit of flexibility as to when to put your house on the market, enter your city into HomeLight’s best time to sell calculator to find out the fastest time to sell in your market based on local housing market data.

Learn more: 9 Expert Selling Tips to Help You Sell Your Home Fast 

Sell my house fast option 3: Compare a cash offer with an agent’s opinion

This third option can give you the best of both solutions. While you don’t need an agent to request a cash offer, taking this step carries no risk and can provide greater peace of mind.

How fast? While this option may add a few days or a week to your home sale timeline, by asking a top agent for their professional opinion about speed and proceeds, you can feel more confident before you make a selling commitment about your home.

Key benefits:
• You get a side-by-side comparison
• No cost or obligation to compare
• Can request a free comparative market analysis (CMA)
• Confidence to make a more informed decision

How does it work?
HomeLight makes it easy. Start by requesting a quote from HomeLight’s Home Value Estimator. In just a few minutes, you’ll receive a preliminary estimate of value for your home, along with a list of top local real estate agents who can provide you with more information and your estimated Simple Sale cash offer price.

An experienced agent can provide you with a free CMA that compares your property against recently sold properties nearby to determine a beginning listing price for your home sale. Compare this to your cash offer and online estimates to make a more informed choice. As a seller, you are now more empowered, whether you choose to list with a top local agent or sell for cash.

Get started now: homelight.com/home-value-estimator

Sell-fast options to avoid: Short sale, FSBO, and auction

Certain routes to selling your home may sound like a shortcut, but aren’t what they seem. Some options to avoid include short sale, FSBO, and selling at auction.

• Short sale: The “short” in “short sale” refers to money, not time. Selling short means that your lender has agreed to allow you to sell your home for less than you owe on it. As a general rule, short sales take a lot longer to finalize than a regular home sale.
• FSBO: Selling FSBO (for sale by owner) is not a common option. According to the NAR, only 7% of sellers take this route. Of those, 57% already knew the buyer. So unless you have a buyer already lined up, such as a friend or family member, don’t count on a fast FSBO home sale.
• Auctions: An auction can be a fast option if you have the right combination of market, seller, and property. But auctions are unpredictable and risky when it comes to speed and proceeds. You might sell your house in 21 days — or it might take 45 days or longer. You have limited control of the final sales price, and auction costs can exceed traditional agent commissions. And you’ll still need to pay the auction fees even if your home doesn’t sell.