Selling Your House Online? Here are Your Options
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Britt Spread, Contributing AuthorClose
Britt Spread Contributing AuthorBritt is a Chicago-based writer who loves writing articles that help people find and move into great homes. She believes that together we can make the world a better place, and it starts with written communication.
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Sam Dadofalza, Associate EditorClose
Sam Dadofalza Associate EditorSam Dadofalza is an associate editor at HomeLight, where she crafts insightful stories to guide homebuyers and sellers through the intricacies of real estate transactions. She has previously contributed to digital marketing firms and online business publications, honing her skills in creating engaging and informative content.
Since most buyers begin their search digitally, many sellers now turn to the internet and choose to sell house online to reach the right audience. In fact, 43% of buyers in 2024 said browsing listings online was their first step, and 51% ultimately found their homes through online searches.
Beyond attracting buyers, several real estate companies have introduced innovative tools that make it possible for sellers to complete the entire sale process online. With digital platforms, you can give a tour to buyers wherever they are, find top-performing agents, and complete a sale fast with a competitive cash offer. Some technologies can even help you understand your home’s worth.
Whether you’re partnering with a real estate professional or selling on your own, you must use the internet like a pro to successfully sell your home.
Sell Your House Online With a Top Agent
Find real estate agents that sell homes faster and for more money. With more and more buyers using online tools to search for their next home, a top agent can help you use the latest tech-enabled tools to create a winning selling strategy.
In this article, we’ll cover three online home sale options and share some real estate marketing tips on how to prepare your house. For even more helpful pointers, we caught up with Kurtis Becker, a top real estate agent in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, who has sold 100% of the listings he’s taken on.
Sell your house online with a top real estate agent
Most home sellers — 90%, in fact — partner with a real estate agent to help with their home sale. Although finding the best Realtor to sell your house might sound like a daunting task, there are online resources that have made searching for a great agent easier than you might expect.
HomeLight, for instance, matches sellers with potential agents with a track record of success in their market. Sellers are empowered with information, including how quickly agents have sold homes in the past and how much they sell homes for compared to area norms.
Agents keep up-to-date on the latest tech-enhanced trends in real estate to help their clients market their homes. Online listings must grab prospective buyers’ attention, so they’ve got to stand out. Top agents can arrange professional photography, drone flyovers, and 3D tours to give your house listing an edge over similar properties.
They’ll even create paid marketing campaigns. According to Becker, “Most Realtors will just put a home on the multiple listing service (MLS) and wait for the buyer to come to them.” However, Becker has found that including “online social media marketing, paid YouTube and Google ads, and specialized keywords” draws more attention to his listings.
Pros
- Professional expertise: Your top agent provides professional expertise, including strategies that work best for buyers who are house hunting online.
- Local market insight: An agent who specializes in your area can provide insight into prospective buyers, neighborhood dynamics, and local real estate trends and highlight these in your online listing description.
- Vast professional network: Top agents have access to the best inspectors, repair contractors, and other professionals, so you’ll have peace of mind that your pre-sale inspection will go smoothly and thoroughly.
Cons
- Relatively slower transaction: Selling your house the traditional way by working with a real estate agent takes time, with an average timeline of around 63 days, more than two months: 31 days on the market and 42 days for a buyer to close on a purchase loan.
- Commission costs: Your agent’s commission will come out of your sale profits.
Sell your house online as For Sale By Owner
The internet is a great resource for all kinds of information, including buying and selling real estate. Having easy access to online resources has empowered and enabled homeowners to an unprecedented degree. Because of this, some sellers opt to forgo working with an agent and instead choose For Sale By Owner (FSBO).
There’s a certain freedom that comes with being in charge of the entire sales process. However, it’s not exactly a popular home sale method, and often for good reason. Only 6% of recent home sales were FSBO, which is partially due to the time and effort it requires. FSBO is a big project, so choose this only if you’re truly ready for a challenge.
Pros
- Affordable MLS visibility: You can still list on the MLS through a flat fee MLS listing service for great visibility.
- Direct oversight: You have total control over the sale, from pricing to negotiations.
- Agent commission savings: You save on agent commissions. You won’t pay for the listing agent’s fee, which is around 3% of the home sale price. Given the NAR lawsuit settlement that decoupled the buyer’s and seller’s agents’ fees, you’re not required to cover the buyer’s agent’s commission, which is likewise around 3%.
Cons
- Marketing responsibility: Marketing your home is all on you. You’ll have to create eye-catching content and spread it across the internet without a real estate agent’s help and expertise.
- Time-consuming endeavor: FSBO takes a lot of time. Real estate agents earn their commissions by maintaining listings on different online platforms, coordinating showings, and communicating with potential buyers. If you sell your house on your own, you’ll have to set aside plenty of time to dedicate to the sales process.
- Potentially lower price: You could lose money on your sale. On average, FSBO homes sold for approximately $380,000 in 2023, much lower than the average price of $435,000 for agent-involved sales.
- Legal risk: Selling on your own may make you vulnerable to legal troubles. Many documents in the selling process, such as the purchase agreement, are legally binding. When you choose FSBO, you don’t have the expertise of a professional agent who can help you avoid legal landmines. This is why it’s best to consider working with a real estate attorney if you choose to sell on your own.
Familiarize yourself with the documents needed to sell a home. These include the purchase offer, which outlines the sale terms, the deed to transfer ownership, required disclosure forms, a clear title report, and the closing or settlement statement. Being prepared with these documents helps avoid delays, legal issues, and miscommunication.
Sell your house quickly to a cash buyer
The internet hasn’t only opened up the FSBO world. It also provides you with the ability to sell your house for cash directly to an iBuyer. Selling your house in this manner is a more streamlined process than a traditional sale, and you can often close in weeks rather than months.
Traditional real estate sales involve searching for a Realtor, staging your home, and vacating for showings and open houses. In contrast, investment buyers are looking for fast transactions and tend to pay cash for your home, sometimes without seeing it in person.
For people looking to cash out quickly, the internet has enabled new, straightforward options. For instance, HomeLight’s Simple Sale platform helps you get a competitive cash offer quickly. It takes just a few minutes to answer some simple questions about your home, and then you’ll receive a cash offer in as little as 24 hours and be able to close in as few as 7 days.
Pros
- As-is convenience: It’s a hassle-free transaction since you don’t have to prepare your home for sale or showings. Some iBuyers will purchase your home in its current condition without even visiting the property or sending an inspector.
- Virtual deal: In some cases, you can sell your home entirely online.
- Speedy transaction: Direct sales can happen quickly, so it’s an intriguing option if you want to sell your house fast.
- Agent commission savings: Many direct sales happen without a real estate agent, so you’ll avoid certain costs like agent commissions.
Cons
- Lower sale price: Direct buyers want a good deal. In exchange for a fast sale, you might have to settle for a lower price than you’d get from a traditional sale.
- Limited negotiation: There’s not much room for negotiation, which could mean missing out on potentially greater profits.
Develop a marketing strategy to sell your house online
If you decide to list your home FSBO, create a marketing strategy. Smart marketing includes keeping up with trends and creating a killer listing with stunning photos and a strong, detailed description of the house.
One of the biggest trends you’ll find is that online sales have led to a new and sometimes contactless method of real estate. In fact, in Becker’s experience, some buyers purchase homes without actually seeing the property in person.
“They’re putting in offers online,” he says, “but there’s a large percentage that aren’t even coming over” to see a house with their own eyes.
That means it’s more important than ever to effectively market your house listing, and an eye-catching listing starts with great photography. Your listing pictures need to excite and entice prospective buyers to learn more about your house. So spruce up your indoor and outdoor living spaces, and hire a talented photographer.
Once you have fantastic photos, you’ll need to write an attention-grabbing and creative listing description. Tell the house’s story and help potential buyers picture themselves in your home. In Becker’s words, “you have to look at it through the buyer’s eyes and not your own.”
Quick, Request an Offer for Your House Online!
Use HomeLight’s Simple Sale platform to sell when you’re ready without the hassle of paying for repairs, prepping for listing, or dealing with showings. It’s easy to request an offer online and get started today.
How to avoid online home-selling scams and unverified buyers
Selling your home online can be convenient, but it also comes with risks. Scammers and unverified buyers can take advantage of unsuspecting sellers, so it’s important to know how to protect yourself.
- Check the buyer or company: Always do a quick background check on anyone interested in your home. If you’re working with a cash buyer, look for their website, reviews, and a valid business license to make sure they’re legitimate.
- Ask for proof of funds: Before getting too far, make sure the buyer can actually afford your home. A simple document showing they have the money saves you time and stress.
- Stick to trusted platforms: List your home on well-known real estate websites or services you trust.
- Protect your personal information: Don’t give out sensitive details like Social Security numbers, bank accounts, or other personal documents until you’re certain the buyer is real. Scammers often try to steal this information.
- Meet in safe settings: If you need to meet a buyer, pick public places or do it through your agent or platform. Avoid letting strangers into your home until they’re verified.
- Listen to your instincts: Offers that seem too good to be true or buyers who push you to act fast are often red flags. Take a step back if something feels off.
- Get professional help: When in doubt, consult a licensed agent or real estate attorney. Their guidance can help spot scams and make the process safer and smoother.
Selling your house online is a great and easy way to go
Gone are the days of homebuyers driving through neighborhoods looking for open houses. Instead, they’re searching for — and finding — their next house online. And thanks to various online tools, it’s easier than ever to sell your house online. Regardless of which sales method you choose, the internet can help you sell more easily than you ever thought possible.
FAQs on selling your house online
Yes, you can sell your house online. There are various platforms specifically designed for listing properties. These real estate websites provide a convenient and accessible way to showcase your property to a wide audience of potential buyers.
Selling a house online typically involves creating a listing with accurate and appealing descriptions, high-quality photos, and relevant details. Interested buyers can view the listing, contact you for inquiries, and potentially schedule showings. Negotiating with buyers and finalizing the sale can be conducted through online communication channels or with the assistance of a real estate agent.
Yes, selling a house online offers several benefits. Since more buyers turn to the internet to find their next home, promoting your property on relevant online platforms increases its exposure, allowing you to reach more potential property buyers and attract high-quality leads. On top of the broader audience reach, your listing is available 24/7. Buyers can easily refer to property information anytime, anywhere.
Yes, while selling a house online has its benefits, there are some risks to consider. Dealing with potential scams or fraudulent buyers is a concern, so it’s important to verify the legitimacy of inquiries and take necessary precautions. If you’re selling on your own, you’ll handle negotiations, paperwork, and legal aspects of the sale yourself.
Yes, working with a real estate agent when selling a house online can provide valuable support and expertise. An agent can guide you through the process, offer market insights, handle negotiations, and ensure proper documentation. They can also help market your property effectively, reach qualified buyers, and navigate any challenges that may arise during the transaction.
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