How Soon Can I Sell My Home This Summer?

By Will Fendon

For nearly 20 years, Will Fendon has been a top-producing Realtor in Portland, Lake Oswego, West Linn, and surrounding areas.

How long will it take to sell your home? What I can tell you is that it usually comes down to three critical things: how you prep, price, and position your home for today’s market. If you can get those three things right, your home could be the one that sells fast most of the time. However, just because everything starts off right doesn’t mean it’ll go smoothly. Even with the right prep and pricing, deals can still fall apart if you don’t account for how today’s buyers think.

Selling a home today takes more than just a good offer. I recently worked with a client who was ready to sell in today’s market. We sat down, talked through how to prepare, price, and position the home, and got it listed. On the very first day, we received a full-price offer.

But even full-price offers can fall apart. After the buyer completed the typical inspections, they walked away from the deal. This kind of thing is happening more often. Buyers are getting extremely picky and aren’t afraid to move on quickly.

We went back to market with a new round of marketing and a strong push. Within just a few days, we had another full-price offer. But to actually close this one, the sellers had to make three key concessions: they contributed toward the buyer’s closing costs, offered a financial credit in place of a repair based on a contractor’s bid, and completed some required exterior paint touch-ups for the appraisal.

The sellers agreed to all three. The sale closed—and the very next day, they bought their dream home.

So what does that mean for you? In today’s market, timing really is everything. Our clients succeeded because they were ready. The home was staged, the yard looked fantastic, and it was priced right. If you’re selling your home and want a successful sale, here are three steps to remember.

Step 1. Prep your home to showroom condition. Your home needs to be clean, move-in ready, and visually appealing. In the example I shared, our clients took this seriously. The home was staged beautifully, the yard looked amazing, and they didn’t cut corners. That kind of preparation helped them attract a full-price offer on day one.

Step 2. Price it accurately for the current market. Pricing is everything. It has to reflect what your home is, where it is, and what today’s buyers are willing to pay. Our clients priced it right based on market reality. After the first buyer walked away post-inspection, they relisted quickly and got another full-price offer. But to close the deal, they had to make three key concessions. Ultimately, being realistic and flexible is what got the home sold.

Step 3. Your timing must align with your goals. If you’re considering selling your home right now, your timing has to match your bigger picture. Our clients were making an offer on their dream home, and it was contingent on the sale of their current one. They didn’t have time to waste. They had to price correctly and be decisive, and that urgency made all the difference.

I’ve been saying this a lot lately: this is not a market for dreamers. It’s a market for realists. If you’re just testing the waters or hoping for a sky-high number, it may be smarter to hold off until rates drop or the market shifts. Renting temporarily could even make more sense.

But if you’re thinking about making a move, I’d love to have a no-pressure conversation about your goals. Let’s figure out whether now is the right time and how we can create a plan to help you get there. Don’t hesitate to send me a message at [email protected]. I’d love to talk.