How to Sell My House Fast in New York: Cash Offer Option

Cash house buyers in New York

New York house-buying companies, also known as We Buy Houses companies, typically buy houses in need of repairs. Most of these companies will conduct a walkthrough within 48-72 hours, pay cash, and strive to close the sale in around seven to 10 days. In more urgent cases, some New York cash buyers can close in as little as three days.

Here are examples of some of the top house-buying companies in New York.

*Service plans can change. Check the company’s website for current fees and costs.

Pros and cons of selling your New York house for cash

The experience of selling a house for cash in New York can vary from company to company. However, most owners encounter these benefits and drawbacks when selling their home to companies for cash.

Option 2: Hire a top New York real estate agent

Working with a top agent in New York can be a good option for sellers who would like to sell faster than average but who have some time to devote to a traditional sale vs. an instant cash offer. Top agents who know the local area can add value in the following ways:

• Offer expertise in pricing so your home sells fast
• Prioritize repairs and upgrades that increase home value
• Provide staging tips to make your home appeal to more buyers
• Apply various marketing techniques to bring in a larger pool of buyers
• Use local expertise for skillful negotiation

HomeLight data shows that top New York agents sell homes faster than most agents, and the top 5% of agents sell homes for up to 10% more than average agents. Working with a top agent can lead to a speedy sale for top dollar to help you move past a divorce, sell a loved one’s estate, or get out of debt.

How fast are homes selling in New York?

Local market conditions can determine how quickly or slowly your house sells in New York. According to data from the New York State Association of Realtors (NYSAR), as of Q2 2023, the median days on market (DOM) across the state were ranging from 53 to 67 – slightly higher than the 2022 average and higher than the current national median of 44 days.

It’s important to note that DOM is measured as the time from listing a home to having a signed contract. New York sellers making moving plans should also take into account the additional 43 days a mortgage-backed buyer typically needs to close on a purchase loan.

Home price is a big factor in how long it takes to sell, with luxury properties in areas such as Manhattan languishing for months, while less expensive homes, of which there remains a low inventory, sell much faster.

Erin Wheelock is a top-selling New York agent with 16 years of experience. She says DOM can vary by neighborhood, property type, and location, as can price. “In the city, newer developments tend to sell at higher prices.”

New York agent Dominick Marchesiello, whose team sells homes more than 46% faster than the average agents in their area, says that in their region of upstate New York, homes are still moving quickly. “Depending on the area and school district, sellers are still getting multiple offers,” he says, “our team has had months where we’re getting 107%-108% of the home’s asking price.”

New York real estate conditions and trends

Here is a snapshot of current real estate conditions in New York:

*Does not include the typical 43 days a buyer needs to close on a purchase loan. Data source: New York State Association of Realtors (NYSAR)

How to find a top New York real estate agent

Finding the ideal real estate agent in New York can play a crucial role in a fast and smooth home sale. HomeLight’s Agent Match platform is here to assist. By analyzing over 27 million transactions and thousands of reviews, we can pair you with top-rated agents well-versed in New York’s market dynamics. Whether you’re buying or selling, HomeLight’s goal is to connect you with the best real estate professional for your specific needs.

10 strategies to sell a house fast in New York

Top-performing New York agents have an arsenal of successful strategies that attract buyers and make homes sell faster.

1. Set your price competitively

An experienced top agent will perform a comparative market analysis (CMA) to help you set the best price to sell a house fast in your New York market.

“You have to be very strategic on pricing,” says Marchesiello. “When you price a home, you want to price at a market value that drives activity. If there’s a lack of inventory in your area, you could have double-digit showings in a short amount of time, and if you price your home on the aggressive side, you could potentially get multiple offers over asking.”

But he adds this caution for sellers: “What you don’t want to do is succumb to the temptation of listing your house at the highest possible number and end up over market value because you won’t get those multiple offers over the asking price.”

If you’re curious about your home’s current value, try HomeLight’s Home Value Estimator. While it shouldn’t dictate your final pricing strategy, an online home value estimate can give you a ballpark price range. You can get a preliminary estimate in less than two minutes.

2. Consider a pre-listing inspection

Home inspections can often hold up a sale. With a pre-listing inspection, you’ll know repair issues in advance and let the buyer know about issues before they make an offer, which saves time.

While this can be a good option to speed up a home sale, not all agents agree. “Personally, I don’t recommend it,” says Marchesiello. “Many buyers are still waiving home inspections altogether in order to give a competitive offer, and a seller can’t be held liable for repairs or issues they don’t know about. Getting a pre-listing inspection means you are legally bound to disclose everything found in the report.”

3. Declutter, depersonalize, and neutralize

One of the easiest (and free!) things you can do when getting ready to sell is to declutter and depersonalize your home. You want your property to appeal to a wide range of potential buyers, and that means making it as neutral as possible. “We want buyers to envision their own family there, and they need a blank slate,” says Marchesiello.

This means not only making sure you take down those New York Giants pennants, but also family photos, your kid’s fridge artwork, and any knickknacks or trinkets that are cluttering up shelves or countertops.

Marchesiello notes that kitchens are one of the most important areas buyers look at, and offering a clean look can be crucial to a quick sale. “Less is always more,” he says. Countertop appliances, cleaning supplies, etc., should be put away, and a nice floral centerpiece on the kitchen island can be an eye-pleasing addition.

Bathrooms also tend to be important to buyers, so make sure your bathroom is clean, with all personal toiletry items out of sight and any burned-out lightbulbs replaced.

4. Refresh and revitalize with paint

Painting the interior of your home is a relatively easy and inexpensive way to freshen it up and give it a more modern feel. “Painting is the number one highest return for a seller,” Marchesiello says. He adds that a neutral paint color throughout a house goes a long way and creates a clean, fresh look. “Neutralizing with paint is huge. If you don’t want to do it yourself, it’s worth it to hire a professional.”

5. Ramp up your curb appeal

As the saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a good first impression. This holds true in real estate as well, and making sure that potential buyers get to see your home in the best light possible from the moment they drive up can make a huge difference in how fast you sell. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 92% of real estate agents suggest that sellers improve their home’s curb appeal before putting it on the market.

There are plenty of DIY, affordable ways to enhance your home’s exterior features. You can rent a pressure washer and clean exterior walls, bricks, and walkways, purchase some shrubbery or flowers to plant in the yard, or put down fresh mulch in planting beds. “I recommend black mulch to my sellers,” advises Marchesiello. “It’s an inexpensive way to make the home look beautiful.”

And if you’re selling during those sometimes brutal New York winter months, you’ll also want to make sure driveways and walkways are clear of any snow and ice, and that exterior lights are all in working order.

6. Make use of modern technology to market your home

Even if you aren’t social-media savvy, there’s no doubt that it has become a powerful marketing tool, one that you should definitely take advantage of. “Social media is huge,” says Marchesiello. “We have a team of specialists that manage all of our marketing and social media. You want to create posts that bring about action – maybe an invite to an open house, or a ‘click here’ to see more photos. The seller should always share these posts with family and friends in their area to get more views.”

And speaking of modern technology, don’t be tempted into thinking that photos via your smartphone are a good marketing tool – hire a professional! A professional real estate photographer will understand how to best highlight your home’s special features, and it’s easily one of the best investments you can make when marketing your home.

7. Bring in the professionals for staging advice

Depending on your home’s price range, size, and location, you may want to consider hiring a professional stager to help generate a higher offer. “If it’s a luxury home, we do generally recommend stagers who can come in and fill up what can sometimes be a large space,” Marchesiello explains.

Anne Kenney, an award-winning professional home stager in New York City, says that staging has become an essential part of marketing a property. “Given the large divide between staged and unstaged properties in the city, unstaged properties are automatically seen as inferior in the eyes of buyers when compared to those that are strategically staged for sale,” she says.

Kenney adds that whether a seller has a completely vacant property or an overly personalized, cluttered house, it can be quite difficult for buyers to envision themselves there. “The majority of buyers are simply unable to make that leap,” she says.

If hiring a stager simply isn’t in the budget, Marchesiello notes that a good agent will be able to provide you with staging suggestions that you can do yourself. “Our team takes photos during the initial listing appointment, and we then provide sellers with room-by-room staging advice,” he says. “It might feel a little daunting, but following the staging recommendations we provide is what helps get top dollar.”

8. Focus on the right repairs and upgrades

There are upgrades that can speed up a sale and provide a good return on the investment. “Kitchen countertops are a big thing,” says Marchesiello. “If you have outdated countertops, replacing them can really update the overall look.” He adds that while replacing outdated kitchen cabinets can get expensive, getting them painted and purchasing new hardware is relatively inexpensive and can make the kitchen look brand new.

Sellers should also consider getting ahead of any health and safety-related repairs, whether it’s getting a faulty A/C unit repaired, replacing non-working electrical outlets, taking care of that attic leak, or updating smoke and CO detectors.

Because you are required to disclose any issues you know about, taking care of them prior to listing your home not only makes the house more appealing to potential buyers but can also help prevent the sale from stalling during the appraisal or inspection process.

A top New York agent can give you expert recommendations on what to fix, and what not to fix.

9. Showcase walkability, school districts, and other amenities

For many New York buyers, walkability is important. This makes it critical for sellers to highlight parks, coffee shops, and local restaurants in the neighborhood. If your house is close to bike paths, hiking trails, or other outdoor amenities, be sure to note it in your listing. And if you live in a highly-rated school district, young families might find that especially appealing.

Extras like an auxiliary dwelling unit (ADU) or a mother-in-law apartment should also be emphasized, as well as home office space or a “she-shed.” With more and more people working from home, accentuating any additional space can be very attractive to buyers.

You don’t, however, want to oversell or exaggerate those extras and amenities. “You do need to give buyers an accurate story, so when they come in, they’re happy with what they are seeing. Maybe even a little bit surprised,” says Wheelock. “Otherwise, you just ruin their expectations, and they are no longer open to the possibilities.”

10. Take advantage of New York market timing

Along with the recommendations above, it can be helpful to know the level of market activity in your New York market during different times of the year. HomeLight’s Best Time to Sell Calculator uses housing market data for your city to show you the best and worst months to sell your home. See when is the best time to sell a house if you want to make the most money and which months are best to sell your house fast.

Ready to sell your New York home?

As you can see, a top real estate agent in New York can help you navigate the many nuances that you might not otherwise discover until you’re swamped in the process. Their organizational efficiencies and marketing expertise can help you sell your New York house fast.

If you need an even faster sale, HomeLight’s Simple Sale platform provides cash offers for homes in almost any condition in New York. If you don’t have the time or the means to prepare your home or move through the traditional listing process, you can skip the repairs and showings and close in as few as 10 days. Complete a short questionnaire and receive a no-obligation cash offer in 24 hours.

Writer Stacy Sare Cohen contributed to this story.

Header Image Source: (christian koch / Unsplash)