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Written by Steve Nicastro
Although the average time to sell a home is around two months, you can sell your house in just five days. Here’s our guide on how to speed up the home selling process and get your house sold in as fast as five days (or close to it).
If you need to sell in a week or less, we have strategies to help you sell quickly:
1. Compare cash buyers
2. Hire a top agent
3. Price your home low
4. Offer incentives
5. Quick-prep your home
Can you actually sell your house in 5 days?
Yes, you can list your home and accept an offer in just five days. But the closing process can add another month or two to the timeline, assuming you sell your home on the open market with a realtor.
If you’re looking to sell and close a home sale in five days, your best bet is to get a cash offer.
1. Contact cash home buyers
| Buyer | Time to offer | Closing period | Total time to sell |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash buyers | Within 24 hours | 7-14 days | 1-2 weeks |
| iBuyer | Within 24-48 hours | 8-90 days | 1-12 weeks |
| Open market | 30-60 days | 30-60 days | 2-4 months |
Top cash home buyers can make offers within 24 hours after completing a property inspection, and can close in as fast as a week or so. They’re your fastest home-selling option.
That’s much quicker than the median of 50 days it took sellers to receive and accept an offer on the open market in September 2022, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, which doesn’t include the typical 30–60 day closing period.
It’s also about as fast as iBuying companies like Opendoor and Offerpad, which can close in as few as eight days, or as many as 90 days.
Here are a few reasons why cash home buyers are your fastest selling option.
- You don’t list your home for sale. Cash buyers eliminate the listing process – no cleaning, home staging, or pre-listing repairs are required. And you won’t have to worry about dozens of strangers touring your home for showings.
- Zero contingencies. Paying with cash eliminates the need for a financing contingency. Cash home buyer contracts also don’t depend on your home appraising for its sale price.
- No repairs are required. Cash home buyers purchase your house as-is. You won’t have to make any expensive repairs or upgrades to your home before selling or fix anything that comes up during their walk-through of your home.
Cash investors pay less than the fair market value for your home (usually 75% or less of its fair market value). But it’s your best bet if you need to sell in just five days (or close to it).
Selling a house in 5 days: Next steps
If you’re looking for a fair cash offer, consider starting with a free cash offer service like Clever Offers. Backed by the top-rated Clever Real Estate, the company can get you up to 10 competing offers from serious cash buyers in their network. You can also request a professional estimate of your home value, so you can evaluate offers against your home’s potential sale price.
2. Hire a top-performing agent
An open market sale makes sense if you have more time to sell (1–2 months). There’s no chance you’ll get an offer and close in five days. A realtor can get you an offer ASAP, but the closing process usually adds another 30 to 45 days to your sale timeline.
There are also no guarantees of a fast sale like selling to a cash buyer or iBuyer. But hiring a realtor to list your home opens up the possibilities of a bidding war and getting above-listing price offers. That can more than offset paying real estate agent commission (usually ranging from 5% to 6% of the final sale price.)
A realtor can also bring you offers from all buyer types – not just first-time home buyers, but cash home buying companies, iBuyers, and local real estate investors.
Hire for a fast home sale
Choose an expert real estate agent with a proven track record of quick sales for the best results. Here’s how to do it.
- Shop for the right realtor. Agent matching services can make it much easier to find quality local real estate agents that sell houses quickly. They can match you up to several top agents fast and at no cost.
- Interview agents. Ask each agent how long it takes to sell a home in your market. Top agents can back up their numbers with data from the multiple listing service (MLS). It’s a good sign if the agent’s average days on market is lower than your market’s average.
- Choose the best fit. View the agent’s active and past listings on Zillow to see how much traffic their listings receive and to read past client reviews. And be sure to discuss their commission rate. If you’re comfortable moving forward, sign a listing agreement to get the home sale process started.
3. Price your home below fair market value
Pricing your home aggressively is a surefire way to get more home buyers interested in your listing for a few reasons. A low asking price can get you:
More online views and showings
Realtors will see that your home is underpriced and may let their buyers know, too. The result is more Zillow listing page views, social media shares, and showings. Just be clear that the low price tag is because you need to sell ASAP and not, for example, because the home is falling apart.
A bigger net of offers
Your below-market value listing will likely attract first-time home buyers on a budget and local real estate investors looking to make an all-cash offer. A buyer that makes an offer at or near your list price may be less worried about overpaying for the property.
Fewer contract issues
Home buyers who plan to get a mortgage are less likely to run into appraisal issues if your home is priced below its market value. In fact, 8% of all contracts in August 2022 were delayed because of appraisal issues, according to the National Association of Realtors.
Your agent will run a comparative market analysis (CMA), a report based on recent sales in your area, to calculate your home’s fair market value. Then you can decide on a competitive listing price.
4. Offer buyer incentives
Sweeten the deal for potential buyers by marketing the home with an incentive. Your real estate agent will be the best resource for knowing what incentives will attract local buyers.
Offer to pay buyer’s closing costs
Home buying costs are skyrocketing due to elevated home prices and rising mortgage rates. Offering to cover the buyer’s closing costs can save them thousands of dollars upfront. For you, it helps attract more potential home buyers on a budget (or anyone looking to save on a home purchase).
Let buyers keep your stuff
Leaving appliances, mounted televisions, and other hard-to-move items (hot tub, outdoor shed) can add to your home’s attraction. Bonus: it could also save you the money and time of moving those items after closing.
Pay the first year’s HOA fees
Some homeowners associations require a full year of HOA or condo fees at closing. Offering to cover that cost could save home buyers hundreds or thousands at closing and help speed up negotiations.
Provide a repair credit
If your home needs serious repairs, marketing it with a flat repair credit ($5,000–10,000) could save you and the buyer a lot of time and stress negotiating post-inspection repairs. Alternatively, you can offer to pay for the buyer’s home warranty ($350–600 for a year).
5. Prepare your home for a quick sale
Ready to sell? Here are some tips to speed up the sales process.
Declutter
Before putting your home on the market, consider organizing all of your stuff, hosting a garage sale, or putting all of your personal belongings in the attic, garage, or storage.
Clearing out your home makes it easier to host buyer showings and home inspections, and should also make it faster for you to move out post-closing.
Get a pre-listing home inspection
Whether or not you can afford to make repairs, paying for your own home inspection ($300–450) and sharing the results with buyers can attract more serious offers — and weed out buyers who aren’t interested in making the repairs or won’t qualify due to strict financing requirements.
Make high ROI upgrades
The best repairs to make before selling may include minor cosmetic repairs or updates that improve your home’s curb appeal, like painting, flooring, and landscaping. Work with your agent for more specific advice.
Add a floor plan to your listing
You can cut your home’s time on the market by up to 50% by adding its floor plan to your listing, according to CubiCasa, a floor plan provider.
Floor plans help buyers better understand the home’s room sizes and layout. A NAR study found that 67% of home buyers find floor plans a very useful website feature, trailing only detailed property information (86%) and photos (89%).
Your best bet is to work with a realtor that can create a free digital floor plan for you. Our agent matching team can get you connected to a top local agent who can provide you with a floor plan, professional photos, videos, and 3D tours to get your home sold fast. Better yet, you can save thousands on commissions through our pre-negotiated rates. Simply tell us about your home and compare agent proposals in your inbox — with no obligation to commit.
Why trust us
We pulled information from the National Association of Realtors Confidence Index Survey and the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis’ housing inventory data to complete this article.
Real Estate Witch’s mission is to provide accurate, actionable, and practical information you can use to make better decisions on your real estate journey. Whether you need help selling a home fast or advice on how to buy a home without breaking the bank, we’ve got you covered.
About the author
Steve Nicastro is a real estate agent, investor, and personal finance writer based in Charleston, South Carolina. This article drew upon his experience working as a seller’s agent between 2020-21, as well as interviews with top local realtors in the Charleston market.
As a newbie agent in 2020, Steve shadowed several top-producing realtors who regularly sold homes faster than the market average. In 2021, he sold several homes the same day they listed by pricing the home fairly, marketing the home with professional photos and videos, and advertising the listing on social media.
How to sell your house in 5 days: FAQs
What's the fastest way to sell a house?
Your best bet to selling a house in 5 days is to get an all-cash offer with no home inspection, financing, or home sale contingencies attached. Cash home buyers can close in as fast as a week or so — much quicker than the 2–3 months it usually takes to sell on the open market. You can contact several cash home buyers, or get in touch with a realtor who can field offers for you and help you compare your options.
How can I sell my house fast in a slow real estate market?
You can sell your house fast in a slow real estate market by choosing an expert realtor with a proven track record of fast sales, pricing it below fair market value, and offering buyer incentives.
How fast do most houses sell?
Homeowners receive and accept an offer in a median of 50 days, according to the Federal Reserve. That doesn't include closing, which is typically 30–60 days. However, you can sell your house faster by selling to a cash home buyer or listing on the open market with an experienced realtor.
Related reading
How Can I Sell My House Fast? iBuyers or cash buyer companies make fast cash offers. But with buyer demand skyrocketing, you can sell on the open market for top dollar and still move fast.
7 Companies That Buy Houses for Cash in 2022. These companies buy houses for cash, helping you sell your home quickly and conveniently — but at a cost!
The Best iBuyer Companies in 2022. The top three iBuyer companies are Opendoor, Offerpad, and RedfinNow. But which one is the best for you? Learn more.
Are “We Buy Houses” Companies a Ripoff? “We buy houses for cash” companies aren’t necessarily a ripoff — but they do pay less than fair market values for homes.
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