How to Sell a Home Fast in Massachusetts in 2024

We all want a quick sale, and for two years, it seemed almost guaranteed that your house would sell fast and for over the listing price. In 2023, things have cooled a little. While most experienced realtors will tell you not to panic and that the market has simply returned to normal, it can be difficult not to, especially if you need to sell as soon as possible, or if your home has some flaws.

Selling a home can be a long process, and one with little certainty. Today, we’ll guide you through what you need to think about if you want to sell your home fast in 2023.

How to Sell a Home Fast in Massachusetts in 2023

There are a few ways you can help (or ensure) your home sells quickly. You can:

Make the home as appealing as possible to a wide range of people
Adjust your listing price to make it more desirable
Hire a talented realtor
Sell to a trusted cash home buyer

There are a few pros and cons to each of these options, so let’s look at them in more detail.

1. Make the home as appealing as possible to a wide range of people

Pros:

More likely to find a buyer quickly
The more desirable your home, the better the price you’ll get for it
The guidance of a good realtor or home stager can help you get this right

Cons:

If your home needs repair or renovation, there’s going to be little you can do without putting in a lot of money
This option will cost you time and money, which you may not have or want to spend before moving
You’ll often need to put a lot of your belongings in storage while the house sells, which is an additional cost

Making your home more desirable is a great idea if your home is already in good condition and you have a few weeks or a month before you need to put your home on the market. Houses are on the market for around 2-3 months, so you need to be in a position where your move can take 3-6 months.

If you need to do more than a few minor repairs, some tidying, and perhaps a few coats of paint over brightly colored walls, think seriously about whether doing more will really benefit you. A good realtor can guide you here and let you know what you can expect from your home now and after some improvement. They’ll be able to tell you whether it’s worth your time or not.

2. Adjust your listing price to make it more desirable

Pros:

The better the price, the more likely you are to attract the right buyer
You’ll often be able to move quickly

Cons:

Pricing too low can put people off
You’ll be catering to a smaller group of people who are willing to put in the work that your house needs
You’ll make less overall
Selling via a realtor with a low price will cost you a lot in realtor fees and you may not make any more than you would selling to a cash buyer

Pricing realistically (or low) can help you find a buyer quickly, but while we may all grab the $0.99 bargains at the grocery store, selling a house for cheap often raises suspicion in buyers. Naturally, they’ll assume there is something wrong with the house, so you’ll need to be upfront about any flaws.

The other thing you need to consider is that you can likely have a much smoother time of things by simply selling to a cash buyer. Investors (like us) are always looking for properties to buy, so you’ll likely get similar money from a cash buyer and won’t have to wait around for inspections or mortgages.

3. Hire a talented realtor

Pros:

They can give you good advice on how to better sell your property
They’ll be able to market your property well
They may have clients looking for a property like yours

Cons:

They can’t magic up buyers, they simply do their best to reach them
Their fees are usually 2-5% of the purchase price
Finding a realtor that is good at selling properties that aren’t in show home condition can be a challenge
You’ve got no way of knowing how long a sale will take

Hiring a talented real estate agent is a must if you’re going to put your home up for sale on the open market. They’ll be able to guide you on how to best stage your home (or recommend a professional house stager to you), will get professional photos taken, and advertise it everywhere they can.

The key, however, is to find a real estate agent that is right for you. You may be recommended an estate agent that sells family homes in your area, but if they only sell homes that have been recently renovated throughout, they may not be a good fit for your fixer-upper. In other words, make sure you do your research and find a realtor that not only makes sales but sells properties like yours.

4. Sell to a cash home buyer

Pros:

Sell quickly (we’ve closed on homes in as little as 7 days)
You can sell a home in as-is condition
You don’t have to wait for inspections and mortgage approvals
Cash buyers can work to your schedule, you aren’t waiting around for your buyer to be ready
You don’t need to involve a realtor, so your moving fees will be significantly less

Cons:

No competition for your home, so you’ll only get one offer for your home (common most of the time, but the last few years have made some sellers expect bidding wars on their property)
Offers are lower as investors will need to make a profit on your property when they renovate it and sell it or rent it out, and so they’ll factor that into what they offer you

Cash home buyers may not offer you the same money a realtor tells you to list your property for, but that’s really the only downside of selling to a cash investor. Otherwise, we offer the fastest way of selling a property out there. All you need to do is contact us with a few details about your property and we’ll send you our best cash offer. If you’re interested, we’ll then discuss the property further on the phone, and after some research, give you our final offer. If you decide to accept, we can close in as little as 2 weeks. There are no inspections, no waiting for mortgage approvals, and no repairs needed. To find out more about the process or to get an offer for your Massachusetts home, click here.