How to Sell Your Home in 5 Steps
2026
There’s a lot involved in selling your home for the best price and the least amount of aggravation. Here’s how to sell your home in five steps.
1. Figure out its value. Having a local agent look at your home is the first step toward getting a practical idea of your home’s value. Any good agent would welcome the opportunity to meet you and put together a Comparative Marketing Analysis (CMA). After touring your home, the agent will get back to you with information about the market, recent comparable sales and an opinion of your home’s value.
2. Assess your home’s condition. Start looking at your home as a ‘product’ on the open market. This helps you understand that the deep purple living room paint or the overly cluttered office, which doubles as a guest room, may not look so attractive to buyers. A good agent, along with a CMA, will give you ideas for home improvements to consider. A property inspection could be an excellent investment, too. If you need a new roof or the furnace is about to die, you’ll have time to address it before a buyer catches it. Ultimately, this can save you time and money.
3. Keep an eye on the comps. Armed with knowledge about your home’s current market value and what you need to make it “market ready,” you should start watching the comps, going to open houses and fully engaging with the local real estate market. The more homes you see, either in person or via your agent, the better you’ll understand what it will take to get your home sold.
4. Do your homework. After speaking to a good local agent, you may have any number of things to do before you can list your home for sale. Start interviewing painters, general ‘fix-it’ contractors, landscapers, and stagers. Ask your agent for referrals. Get bids for what needs to be done. Working with your agent, prioritize the work and get things lined up.
5. Set a deadline and start getting the work done. You and your agent should pick a date to get the property officially “listed” and then work back from there to get the work done. Keep in mind your home should be “open house ready” for the photo shoot. While curb appeal still matters, listing photos online are often a buyer’s first impression. Plan to get all the work done before the photo shoot.
Take your time and do your due diligence. The more you plan, the better off you’ll be and the quicker your home will sell—and for top dollar.
