Steps to Selling a House in Pennsylvania

A lack of inventory coupled with increased buyer demand has led to the rapid increase in property prices in Pennsylvania. In 2021 the property price increased 9.4% year-on-year, with some counties –– like Fulton County –– increasing as much as 89% in the same period.

In 2022, property prices are only expected to increase to 4%, with limited inventory, any homeowner thinking of selling in the state is bound to be successful. This is the primary reason why –– if you are in the process of selling a house in Pennsylvania –– you should consider a for sale by owner (FSBO). This guide should help you remove the traditional realtor from the equation and pocket most of the profit.

Selling a House in Pennsylvania: A Simple How-To

In real estate, selling a home is far less complicated than buying a property. Being on the seller end of the transaction means you get complete control of the process, especially using an FSBO sale with the help of a flat fee MLS. But, to leverage the market, you should follow the steps below.

Prepare Your Home for Sale

Just because the market is booming and inventory is low doesn’t mean you should prepare your home to sell. Preparing your home –– painting, repair work, cleaning, landscaping –– all lead to top-dollar offers and a quicker closing. A couple hundred invested into this process and a few weekends completing DIY projects, and your home will be ready to list.

Get Professional Photographs of Your Home

As an FSBO seller, professional photographs are your best bet at garnering interest for your home. Most real estate photographers only charge $200 per session for 24 to 36 edited pictures. This nominal investment is well worth it as it improves buyer interest.

Sign Up for a Flat Fee MLS

There are numerous flat fee MLSs in Pennsylvania, but when deciding how to sell your own house in Pennsylvania, you should focus your attention on the features they offer. Ideally, you should have a flat fee service that gives you control of buyer agent commission and the offer process and provides meaningful support throughout the process. 

Simple Choice Realty and Houzeo remain top selections for sellers who are selling a home in Pennsylvania. Houzeo reviews and Simple Choice Realty reviews reflect the same.

Price According to Market Value

Just because the housing market is currently in a bull market doesn’t mean you should exploit these numbers. Instead, select a price based on available sold comps in your neighborhood for the past two or so years.

You can use Zillow’s Zestimate or Redfin’s Estimate as a guide.

Prepare For Open Homes

A critical part of selling is the open home. FSBO sales with a flat fee MLS are almost identical to selling a home with a realtor when it comes to open homes because, with a flat fee MLS, the responsibility of showing the home falls to the buyer agents who’ve seen your property on the MLS. To make it easier for buyer agents to access your home, you’ll need a digital lockbox.

Then to complete selling a home in Pennsylvania, you need to get and accept offers, something you can do using Houzeo, which simplifies the process with their intuitive dashboard.