A detailed guide on selling a home in Atlanta, GA
Owning a home is a huge deal. It may only happen once in a lifetime. Making the conscious decision to sell a house can change the path of your life completely. Depending on your timeline, you may need this done as soon as possible. If you have thought that I need to sell my house fast in Atlanta, this guide will provide all the tools that you need. Successfully selling property can be executed in multiple fashions. It begins with determining exactly what you need as a homeowner, and when you need it done.
Since Georgia is a massive state, we will keep our focus on the city of Atlanta for this discussion. However, these real estate tips can be used in nearly any market. Our team understands the challenges that come with selling property since we buy houses in Atlanta. After reviewing this detailed guide, you can move forward with confidence and sell your house fast in Atlanta, GA.
How difficult is it to sell my house fast?
Almost every real estate transaction is different from the rest. As a homebuyer myself, I continue to learn new things from each house I purchase. Real estate is an industry that keeps you on your toes. For homeowners that need to sell my house fast in Atlanta, there is hope for you. The quickest that I have seen a home sold was 21 days. Do you need to sell your house within 3 weeks? If the stars align and there are no hiccups, it is possible.
On average, a house can be sold from start to finish within 35-45 days. This means that from the moment you go into agreement with a homebuyer, you can successfully sell your house in about 1 month of time. A large portion of the process relies on outside factors, such as the title company. Unfortunately, we are all at the mercy of outside forces like that. However, I do my best to make sure that the process of selling a house goes as fast and smooth as possible.
4 Reliable Methods to Sell a House in Atlanta
Regardless of the type of property you own, there is a buyer out there waiting to work with you. For example, Selling My House Atlanta has bought several different types of houses and properties in Georgia:
- Single-family house
- Multi-family apartment building
- Vacant land
- Condo
Each scenario and situation is different. However, I bring my experience to the table, which helps the transaction go very swiftly. If you have wondered how to sell my house fast in Atlanta, consider working with an experienced buyer that can close in a timely manner.
Selling my house without a realtor
As technology continues to improve, selling anything becomes easier. Documents can be emailed at lightning speed. Communication will be streamlined. Overall, the process can go much quicker. The same holds true when trying to sell a house fast.
Also known as “for sale by owner”, many homeowners get excited about taking on the challenge of selling a house by themselves. Now, they are not completely alone in the process. There is still a title company involved, which is the 3rd party nonbiased entity that transfers both the money and the deed during the transaction. You can also take things a step further and involve an attorney to review certain documents before closing.
How much does a realtor cost?
Average Sale Price in Atlanta, GA | Commission Percentage | Commission Fee | Net Profit from selling your house |
$313,818 | 6% | $294,989 |
There is always a cost of doing business. Typically, when selling a house in Atlanta, you will pay a 6% commission from the total sale price of the home. For example:
For homeowners that are ok paying money for a service and want to be completely hands-off, working with a realtor could be a good choice. The service may cost you upwards of $20,000 after all fees and commissions are paid. The is $313,818. If this falls in line with your own home price, make sure you account for the realtor commissions you must pay.
If you have thought that I should sell my house fast in Atlanta without a realtor, you can save $18,829 on average. However, it’s not all rainbows and sunshine when selling a house without a realtor. 95% of the process falls solely on you.
Avoid the Hassle
Sell your house for a fair price today!Benefits of selling a house by owner
You are in control! When you need to get things done, you can do them yourself and knock them out. For example, when you have to wait on the title company to receive the title report, you can give them a call yourself to nudge them. Not everyone will fight as hard as you will to get things done. Additionally, you set the boundaries for the marketing of your property. For homeowners that are skilled at promotion, marketing, and advertising, you can utilize your own skills to make sure that the job is done right.
Cons of selling a house by owner
Responsibility and liability are the two main cons to selling a house in Atlanta without a realtor. That is why many homeowners will hire an attorney to at least review their paperwork. Every detail for every document falls on you. I highly recommend when selling a house without a realtor to do your due diligence throughout the entire process. It helps to work with an experienced homebuyer, as they can help you with certain documents and keep you informed. If you have wondered how to sell my house fast without a realtor, take the process one step at a time to avoid mistakes on your documents.
Showcase your Property Online
Technology is a blessing and a curse in today’s world. You can buy and sell things online with a few clicks. There is a huge benefit to that. Selling property online is becoming more of the ‘norm’. According to Zillow, 86% of millennials reported that they go online to begin the process of selling their home.
The numbers don’t lie. Homeowners are seeking out tools and resources from the internet to sell their homes. As resistant as I once was, I eventually caved when I realized how much the internet can actually help. There are dozens of benefits to using the online world to sell your house fast in . Off the bat, you might find a buyer that doesn’t even live in Atlanta but is interest. If you didn’t use the internet, you may have not even crossed paths with this homebuyer.
- There are approximately 72,000,000 millennials in the United States
- Let’s say 10% of them will sell a house in their life
- 72,000,000 x 10% = 7,200,000
- 7,200,000 x 86% = 6,192,000 total homeowners that fall under the category of “millennials” in the United States will use the internet to sell a house
How to leverage technology to sell a house
Have you ever heard of Craigslist? It was once considered a dark and shady place online. Actually, it still is. However, in the world of real estate, homeowners use this tool with much success. For example, if you have thought that I need to sell my house fast in Atlanta, you can showcase your property on Craigslist to local buyers. Atlanta has a specific page for this where homeowners consistently list, promote, and market their homes online.
This may sound all hunky-dory, but I urge you to proceed with caution. Over 50% of the companies that buy houses on Craigslist will be fake scammers. Here are several things that you can do to protect yourself when selling a house in Atlanta on Craigslist:
- Verify the person is real by talking on the phone
- Do not wire money
- Look out for misspelled words in their communication with you
These are all red flags and should alert you that you are potentially talking to a scammer.
Besides Craigslist, you can tap into more credible online real estate platforms, such as BiggerPockets. There, you can connect with credible real estate people in your market. If you need a contractor, lender, title company, or buyer – you can likely find them here. It’s a much safer atmosphere. They recently came out with a feature where you can list your own property on BiggerPockets. It takes some leg work to get going, but it can help you promote your house online when selling it.
Email outreach is also a great way to let people know that you are getting rid of your property. Think about it… how many emails do you receive a day? Consider that but on a much larger scale.
- “Let the people know! You don’t know until you ask.” – Erik Ridenbough
You might be wondering who you can email. Start with your inner circle. You’d be surprised who you might personally know that is interested in buying houses. Even if that does not happen, your friends could know someone who is interested. Create a compelling story about your property that could interest people.
Have you said to yourself that I need to sell my house fast in Atlanta but am afraid to tell my friends? Surrender to any type of guilt that comes along with asking for help in your head. Tell your story of how important this home was to you, and why you want to sell it. More people can relate than you think. Many of us have been through hardships regarding houses. For example, I bought houses from homeowners locally in Atlanta dealing with:
- Code violations
- Delinquent tax balances
- Eviction
- Bankruptcy
Selling a house in Atlanta can be smooth and easy. Especially if you get lucky enough to sell your home to a friend. Now that is fast! Regardless of any real estate issue that you are working through, a swift house sale is almost always achievable. Fortunately, I’ve encountered countless different real estate situations that I now know how to work through.
Sell my house as is
Ah, yes. The most beautiful route to go when attempting to sell a house fast in . The term “as is” means that you handle 0% of the renovations before handing off the deed to your property. You and your family get to walk away today without hammered one single nail.
Selling a house as is comes with huge benefits to the homeowner. Avoiding pesky renovations can save you huge amounts of time. Not to mention, you save money by not paying for these repairs upfront. Typically, when selling a house in Atlanta to a homebuyer like us, you can take advantage of this strategy. There are no repairs required when working with Selling My House Atlanta.
Should I fix my house before selling it?
This question is one that I get quite often. The answer is usually ‘it depends’. However, the majority of the time, I recommend not fixing your house before selling it. If you live in a neighborhood where there are a bunch of house flippers like myself, the next owner of the property will likely do their own renovations anyway. That means it would not make sense for you to complete any repairs, as it would be wasted money. Keep dollars in your pocket and consider selling your house as is.
Work with tenants
This is the golden sale of real estate. Is the house that you are considering selling a rental property? Imagine not having to list your house, and not having to go out and find a homebuyer! By selling a house in Atlanta directly to your tenants, you save loads of time that would otherwise be spent marketing and networking.
Have your tenants ever expressed interest in buying your home? It is worth having the conversation if they have. There are multiple ways that you can structure the sale of a house for this situation. For example, you can draw up a lease option. This keeps them on a standard lease for the agreed-upon timeframe that they want. It could be 2 months, 5 years, or somewhere in between.
Once the lease ends, your tenants have the option to buy your property at an agreed-upon price that is determined in the original contract. That way, you both agree on a sale price before the time period starts. This ensures that no one gets screwed in the case where the property value increases or decreases significantly.
The primary benefits of working with existing tenants to buy your house are the time and money that you save. There are no listings, open houses, or marketing whatsoever. It’s easy as pie! Were you consider handing out flyers around town to spread the word about your home? Ditch the paperwork, sit back, and relax. If you were thinking that I need to sell my house fast in Atlanta, consider working with your tenants. Again, this is the golden sale of real estate.
Steps to Selling a House By Owner
1. Use Social Media
Social media is present in most of our lives. If you are reading this on a smartphone or computer, you likely have at least one social media account. Instagram and are fantastic tools that can be used to promote products and services. They can get messages and information out quickly to people that you know or don’t know yet.
Instagram is extremely picture-friendly. There are certain products that are perfect for this platform, houses being one of them. Is your house in great condition with a pool and backyard patio? Showcase the great features of your home. By painting the picture of your home being an ideal place to live, you will naturally generate interest.
Facebook is another great tool that you can use when selling a house in Atlanta by owner. With a few clicks, you can let your entire inner circle know that your house is for sale. Be ready for messages, likes, and pokes. Especially if your house is located in an area with high demand, there is a chance that you will get contacted by people that you don’t know personally but are interested.
Instagram, Facebook, and other social media platforms are great for outreach. Selling a property in Atlanta can be challenging. You may need to do initial outbound marketing to homebuyers in your area to drum up interest. The internet makes things quick and easy. You can spread your message to the masses with a few clicks and hopefully connect with a homebuyer that is interested in buying from you.
2. Attend Atlanta Real Estate Clubs & Meetings
In a large city like Atlanta, there are several large real estate clubs that you can reach out to. It is simple. Start by searching online to find a few that are tailored towards real estate homebuyers. They usually hold weekly or monthly meetings. Some may be online, and others in person.
These meetings are great to attend, especially if your real estate circle is small. Many homeowners often attend these and can network with people there. There’s a chance your buyer could be in the crowd! Life is all about connections. By putting yourself out there, you increase the chances of selling your property.
3. Review Fair Offers
Receiving an instant funds offer for your property can be the difference between the sale process taking 3 weeks or 3 months. Instant funds speeds up a real estate transaction because it is liquid and removes the bank from the equation. Accepting an instant funds offer is required if you have thought that I need to sell my house fast in Atlanta. A homebuyer that plans to finance a house will need to jump through several hoops to close the deal on their side.
Banks can drastically slow down the home buying process. Buyers must submit multiple forms and get their credit approved. From there, they must verify income and show several other documents. Then the bank must approve everything from their side of things. It makes sense since the bank must protect themselves. They don’t want to lend money to someone if they will not get paid back, which is why their vetting process is so rigorous.
4. Negotiate the Deal
Once you find the right homebuyer, you are ready to close the deal. Real estate transactions almost always have some sort of negotiation involved when it comes to price. It’s important to know that as a homeowner if you are selling your house off-market, you cannot always expect a retail price when offers come in. That’s not to say that you don’t save a ton of money with this strategy. Savings include:
- 6% of the sale price that you would typically pay in commissions
- Open house costs
- Professional listing costs
By following these steps, you can ensure a successful sale of your home. Remember that Atlanta, Georgia is a large city. There are plenty of homebuyers out there that are searching for properties. My company, Selling My House Atlanta, specializes in closing deals swiftly. Our average turnaround time is 3-4 weeks when working with homeowners. We buy houses in ATL, and the surrounding cities. Our team has been working in the real estate industry for several years. The experience we’ve gathered over the years allows us to overcome any obstacle that could arise.
Have you found yourself in a tough housing situation? Reach out to us or fill out our simple form to see how we can help. If you have wondered how to sell my house fast in Atlanta, for more information on the process. I personally make sure that your timeline and needs are met. My company’s core value is integrity. When there is a time that I feel like I cannot help a homeowner, I will be completely honest about that and point them in the best direction based on their needs.
Real estate can be complicated, but it does not have to be. I hope that you gain a few nuggets of knowledge from this comprehensive guide on selling a house in Atlanta, GA.