Are you looking to sell your home in Texas? You’re not alone. In fact, over 400,000 homes are sold each year in the Lone Star State. So what’s the best way to sell your Texas home fast and for top dollar? Here’s a step-by-step process for how to sell your home in Texas.
Find a real estate agent that can sell your home for top dollar.
The first thing is first; you need to find a real estate agent that you can trust to sell your home. This is not the time to try and sell your home on your own or with an inexperienced agent. You want an agent that knows the market well and has experience successfully selling homes in your area.
The problem with selling your home on your own is that you will likely not sell it for as much as you would if you had an experienced agent working on your behalf. Real estate agents have the connections and resources to help sell your home quickly and for top dollar.
But your cousin’s friend is an agent!? That’s great! How much experience does this person have? Do they buy or sell many homes each year? In what price range? Understanding their knowledge and expertise is essential to ensure they are the best person to sell your home.
I say all this not to discourage you but to encourage you to do your homework when hiring a real estate agent. It’s essential to sell your home for the most money possible, and an experienced agent will help you do that.
And, a worthy note, the big teams you hear about on the radio that’s where many new agents straight out of real estate school go to. Keep that in mind before calling a major real estate team.
Determine the value of your home accurately.
Onto the fun stuff! So you’ve found your agent and are ready to sell your home. The first step is to determine the value of your home. This will give you a good idea of what you can expect to sell your home for and help you price it accordingly.
An excellent real estate agent will do a comparative market analysis (CMA) to determine the value of your home. This is a report of similar homes sold in your area recently. They find homes that have a similar size, location, and features as your home and see how much they sold for.
This process will help you price your home accurately. You don’t want to price it too low and leave money on the table or price it too high and scare away potential buyers. Your agent will help you find that happy medium.
If you first think of using the Zestimate from Zillow, think again. Zestimates are often inaccurate and not as reliable as a CMA from a real estate agent.
Prep your home for sale.
The next thing your experienced agent will do is coordinate for a professional photographer to come and take pictures of your home. In today’s digital world, potential buyers will see your home online before they step foot in it.
It’s essential to have high-quality photos that show your home in its best light. This will help attract buyers and make them interested in your home. While you’re at it, start cleaning up and getting ready for the photos.
Think of it this way. Potential buyers may not even bother looking at it online if your home doesn’t have amazing photos. If they look at it, they may not be as interested in seeing it in person. And if they’re not interested in seeing it in person, you’re less likely to sell your home. So make sure those photos are top-notch!
Also, while they’re at it, an outstanding agent will have a licensed drone pilot come and take some aerial shots of your home and property. This is a great way to show off your home’s features and help it stand out from the competition.
Fun fact! We’ve actually teamed up with Arbor Green Design, a licensed professional aerial photographer in the Central Texas area. They take amazing aerial shots and will ensure we get the right photo of your home.
Market your home – everywhere!
There is much more to marketing your home than just publishing it on the MLS. To sell your home quickly and for top dollar, you need to ensure that as many people see it.
Your experienced agent will develop a comprehensive marketing plan that will include everything from online listings to open houses to print advertising. They will also work with their vast network of contacts to help market your home to as many people as possible.
And when potential buyers start calling, your agent will be there to screen them and set up appointments. This is important because you don’t want just anyone coming into your home. You want serious, qualified buyers who are interested in making an offer. Sometimes this involves potential buyers providing a pre-approval letter from a lender (for financing) or proof of funds letter (for cash buyers) before they can even schedule a showing.
The marketing of your home is so important, and there is so much that goes into it. This is one of the many ways an experienced agent will be able to help you sell your home quickly and get as much cash as possible.
Negotiate with potential buyers.
This is one of the most critical steps in the home selling process and one where an experienced real estate agent will be able to help you.
When it comes time to negotiate with potential buyers, emotions can start running high. After all, this is your home we’re talking about. You have memories there. You’ve raised your family there. It’s only natural that you would be attached to it.
But, if you want to sell your home quickly and get the most bang for your buck, you’ll have to put those emotions aside. Because the fact is, the better you are at negotiating, the more money you’re going to get for your home.
Your agent will collect all of the offers and organize them in a way that makes it easy for you to compare them. They will also help you negotiate with the buyers to get the best possible price and terms.
And, if there are multiple offers, they will help you navigate those. This is another area where an experienced agent can make a difference.
At the end of the day, it’s your decision whether or not to accept an offer. But having an experienced agent by your side will help you navigate the process.
Close the sale and collect the cash.
Once you’ve accepted an offer, the home is then under contract. But you’re not done yet!
The buyers will have a certain amount of time to get their earnest and option money turned in, financing in order, and do any inspections that they deem necessary. Your agent will be there every step to ensure everything goes smoothly. They’ll also keep in touch with the buyer’s agent to ensure the deal is on track.
Once everything has been finalized, it will be time to close the sale. You’ll sign all the paperwork and transfer home ownership to the buyer. It may take a day or two for the funds to show up in your account, but once they do, Congrats! The home selling process is officially complete, and you will have successfully cashed out.
Tips to sell my Texas house fast!
In a fast-paced real estate market like Texas, selling your house can be both an exciting and nerve-wracking experience. But don’t worry! With the right approach and some strategic planning, you can ensure a swift and successful sale. Here are some practical, actionable tips to help you sell your Texas house quickly.
Price your home right!
Pricing your home accurately is crucial. Set the price too high, and your house could sit on the market for months. Too low, and you risk losing money. Conduct a comparative market analysis, consider the current real estate climate in your area, and consult with a local real estate agent to set a competitive price that will attract buyers.
Improve the curb appeal.
First impressions matter, and the exterior of your home is the first thing potential buyers see. Invest time and money in improving your home’s curb appeal. Freshen up the landscaping, power wash the exterior, paint the front door, and ensure walkways are clean and inviting.
Declutter and deep clean your house.
A clutter-free and clean home is more appealing to buyers. Start by decluttering each room, removing personal items, and organizing closets and storage areas. After decluttering, deep clean your home or hire a professional cleaning service. This is especially important if you’re selling your home as-is in Texas. This is because the buyer is taking the home with no improvements, so you want to really capture their imagination with a clean home.
Stage your home.
Professional staging can make your home more attractive to buyers and help it sell faster. Staging highlights your home’s strengths, downplays its weaknesses, and helps buyers envision themselves living there. Of course, you can skip over this tip if you’re still living in the home.
Use high quality photos.
Most buyers start their home search online, so high-quality photos are essential. Consider hiring a professional real estate photographer to capture your home in the best light. Whenever we sell a home for a client we always get a professional to take the pictures. We also include aerial photos if we think it’s necessary for the type of property.
Market your home effectively.
Work with your real estate agent to create a comprehensive marketing plan. This might involve listing your home on popular real estate websites, hosting open houses, using social media to reach potential buyers, and leveraging the agent’s network to find interested buyers.
Be flexible with showings.
The more people who see your home, the better your chances of selling it quickly. Be as flexible as possible when it comes to scheduling showings. If potential buyers can’t view your home at their convenience, they may move on to the next option. Selling a home in Texas is cutthroat so you have to be as flexible as you possibly can be.
Whenever you’re ready to sell your home in Texas…
Selling your home doesn’t have to be stressful or overwhelming. With the help of an experienced real estate agent, you can sell quickly and get the most money possible.
If you’re considering selling your home in Texas, we would be happy to help you through the process. We’re located in Central Texas and have closed over 70 real estate transactions in under three years!
So, if you’re ready to sell, don’t hesitate to reach out. We would be more than happy to help you get started.
