Our in-depth guide to selling a house in Texas breaks the process into eight simple steps.
If you're selling a house in Texas now, you're in a neutral market that's predicted to rise. As of September 30, 2023, property values in the Lone Star State moved -1.78% over the previous year but have risen 0.01% over the past month. Texas home values are projected to rise 6.6% over the next year.
Of course, even the best Texas properties will struggle to sell if you don’t price the home accurately, market it well, or negotiate properly.
Reduce the stress of selling in Texas with the help of a Clever agent
Clever's partner agents can hold your hand through the home-selling process. Clever will match you with a top-rated real estate agent who can expertly guide you through all the steps of your home sale.
Clever has also pre-negotiated savings on your behalf. Sellers can list their homes with a top local agent for just 1.5% commission — a fraction of the 2.5–3% listing fee most real estate agents charge.
👋 Find a great local agent, get a 1.5% listing fee with Clever
1. Find a top-rated Texas real estate agent
If you’re looking to sell a house for the best price — and minimize stress along the way — find a top-rated real estate agent in your area.
The best Texas real estate agents know what local buyers want and how to reach them. They’ll offer expert advice, tips for selling a house on the local Texas real estate market, and support from the initial listing all the way through closing.
Home sellers who work with agents net an average of 33% more than sellers who list on their own. For a $300,090 home — the median home value in Texas, according to Zillow — that’s a premium of more than $100,000.
Connect with top local agents who can help you sell on time and for top dollar. You'll pay just a 1.5% listing fee (half the typical rate), helping you save thousands!
2. Decide when to sell
| Best month for selling a house in Texas fast | Best month for selling a house in Texas for the highest price |
| June | June |
Seasonality influences how much your house will sell for and how long it will stay on the local housing market.
If you can't wait for the best time to sell a house in Texas, connect with a Clever Partner Agent. Clever agents work for listing fees of just 1.5% vs. the typical 2.5–3% rate. So even if you can't time the market, you can still save money.
Best time for selling a house in Texas fast
You'll sell a house fastest in June, according to Realtor.com data from August 2022. Homes listed in June spent 30 days on the market, which is 15 days faster than the national average.
In comparison, homes listed in January stayed on the market for 56 days.
When it comes to timing, the more information you have about your local market the better. Your listing agent will have the latest information about the best time to sell in your town based on your sales goal.
Best time for selling a house in Texas for price
Sell a house in June to get the highest final sale price. Homes listed in June sold for a median price of $498,500, which is 10.81% more than the average sales price for the whole year.
Sellers in June made $39,663 more on their sale.
» LEARN: The best time to sell a home in Texas
3. Price your home
Use a comparative market analysis (CMA) to help determine the list price of your Texas house.
Your real estate agent will generally prepare your CMA, which includes the recent sale prices of other homes sold on the local market. Clever's partner agents provide this service free.
During an assessment of your home, they'll also examine your home’s style, square footage, number of bathrooms, location, and other factors. Although they can talk to you about your house over the phone, your agent will be able to provide a more accurate assessment by visiting.
Pricing is so important when trying to attract potential buyers to your property. If you price too high, your home may languish on the market. If you price too low, you may wind up short-changing yourself in the deal.
» READ: A complete guide to comparative market analysis
4. Prepare, market, and show your home
Make necessary improvements
Budget for necessary repairs and improvements on your home before showing it to potential buyers. You could increase the fair market value of your home by doing so.
Having an updated HVAC system is important when selling a house. Since Texas experiences extremely hot summers (and warm weather for most of the year), count on prospective buyers asking about the age of your unit. Investing in a new and updated HVAC system could pay off in the long run in the sale of your home.
You’ll also want to make sure your roof is in great condition. Use this time to replace any missing roof shingles and deal with any other structural problems your roof may have.
» MORE: The best paint colors for selling a house
Write and share your property’s listing
A stellar web listing for your property will help interest buyers. Get professional photos of your home and write up a great property listing description.
Once your site listing is live, maximize its visibility. Your agent will add your listing to the local multiple listing service (MLS). You can also share it on social media and advertise your home on other listing portals. If you’re struggling for inspiration, your Texas realtor can give you pointers.
» LEARN: 4 technology trends that help sell homes
Stage and show your home to potential buyers
Before showing your home, stage it to reflect its best attributes. If you have a phenomenal kitchen, put out a fresh bowl of fruit on the counter or bake some delicious smelling treats that’ll surely draw in buyers.
When showing your home, you want the potential buyers to feel welcome. Although they're guests in your home now, they could end up being its next owner. Make them feel at home as much as possible.
Sunday afternoons are a prime time to hold an open house. Typically your open house should run for a minimum of two hours. Before scheduling your open house, check the weather forecast. You’ll receive more buyer leads during sunny weather.
» MORE: 7 open house tips for sellers
5. Field offers and make counteroffers
Once a potential buyer submits an offer on your home, usually through the buyer's agent, you and your agent can propose a counteroffer if you want. The counteroffer process can go back and forth until you reach an agreement, one party ends negotiations, or the purchase agreement expires after a certain time period.
As the home seller, you don't have to respond to a potential buyer's offer. If the buyer's offer is extremely low or comes with unreasonable contingencies, you can turn down the offer or ignore it entirely.
You may get multiple offers, which can be exciting. Be sure to consider all elements of an offer, though, including price, contingencies, and the buyer's ability to close the deal. The best offer may not always be the highest bid. Your agent can help you evaluate your offers.
» LEARN: Real estate counteroffer etiquette
🤔 What's in a purchase agreement?
A purchase agreement is a legally binding real estate contract that governs the entire home-sale process. The buyer's agent usually creates the initial sale agreement, which will include the price and other terms, including:
• Basic details of the sale. Buyer's and seller's names, property's address, purchase price, etc.
• Contingencies. Conditions that must be met to close the sale and relate to situations like buyer financing, home appraisal, and inspections.
• Earnest money. The amount of cash the buyer will pay up front for the seller to put the home under contract.
• Fixtures and appliances. The features of the house that are also included in the sale.
• Disclosures. The seller must legally reveal any issues or facts about the house.
• Closing costs. A breakdown of which expenses the buyer and seller will each be responsible for at closing.
• Settlement and possession dates. The closing date and seller’s timeline for moving out.
6. Get an inspection and appraisal
Buyers typically ask for and pay for inspections of the property. If the inspector finds issues, sellers in Texas have no contractual obligation to make any repairs. All homes are sold as-is.
» LEARN: Selling a house as-is: What you need to know
However, a seller who refuses to work with a buyer on repairs risks the buyer terminating the deal and seeking another home in better condition or with a better price for a similar condition.
Damaged roof shingles, HVAC problems, and plumbing leaks are common repair requests made by Texas home buyers. Deal with all these possible issues beforehand to speed up the closing process — and to potentially get a more valuable appraisal.
The appraisal process
A real estate appraisal, which typically comes after the inspection process, establishes a property's fair market value.
Licensed appraisers perform the appraisals and create detailed reports. An appraisal is the only valuation report a lender considers when deciding whether to lend money to a buyer. In some instances, the buyer pays for the appraisal at the time of the loan application. Other times, you can add the appraisal fee to the settlement statement and the buyer pays at closing.
» LEARN: Can the seller back out of an accepted offer?
7. Submit paperwork and required Texas disclosures
| Required for all real estate sales in Texas | Possible additional documents | Texas disclosure forms |
| • 2 forms of ID
• Affidavit of title • Bill of sale • Closing statement • Copy of purchase agreement and any addendums • Signed deed |
• Closing disclosure (for certain seller concessions)
• Copies of relevant wills, trusts, or power of attorney letters • Correction statement and agreement • HOA forms and guidelines • Home inspection results • Home warranty information • Loan payoff information • Proof of repairs or renovations • Relevant affidavits (name affidavits, non-foreign affidavit under IRC 1445, etc.) • Survey results or survey affidavits |
• Flood zone statement
• Lead-based paint disclosure |
Texas law requires sellers to make certain disclosures to the buyer before closing. Sellers must reveal problems with the property that could affect its value or desirability.
Texas is specific about the information home sellers must disclose to prospective home buyers. Sellers must reveal whether the home has specific elements, like central air conditioning or a swimming pool. Sellers also must explain in detail whether they're aware of any known defects with the identified elements.
Additionally, Texas sellers must disclose prior problems or repairs to particular aspects of the property, like a history of termite infestations, previous structural damage, or evidence of radon gas.
» MORE: Disclosure requirements in Texas
Always consult your real estate agent or real estate attorney before signing or filing paperwork. They can walk you through all the paperwork and ensure you have everything you need for your situation.
8. Close your home sale
Texas is an escrow state, meaning an escrow company oversees the closing of the home sale. In contrast to attorney review states, the transaction generally doesn't occur with all parties sitting at the same table.
Closing itself typically consists of the following steps.
- A buyer's lender sends final loan documents to the escrow agent, who schedules the final closing date.
- The closing takes place at the office of an escrow agent, closing agent, or title company.
- The seller generally signs their closing documents first.
- The buyer then signs all closing documents, including the loan documents.
- The buyer pays the remaining funds for their down payment and closing costs to either the escrow agent, closing agent, or representative of the title company via cashier's check.
- The deed gets recorded with the appropriate municipality.
The closing process can take a couple of days or even a week.
Once the transaction is complete the buyer receives the keys and officially takes possession of the property, unless indicated differently in the contract.
If you receive the average Texas home value of $300,090 for your sale, expect to pay around $3,554 in closing costs. This amount doesn't include real estate commission, which in Texas is typically an additional 5.59% of the sales price.
» LEARN: How much are seller closing costs in Texas?
Next steps: Sell your Texas home and save thousands
Whether you’re looking to list your home immediately or 6–12 months from now, it's never too early to start looking for a listing agent, getting advice, and making a plan.
💰 Get a lower rate with a top local agent!
Clever Real Estate is here to help guide you through the home selling process — and save money along the way! Clever matches you with a good real estate agent from a trusted brokerage like Keller Williams, RE/MAX, or Berkshire Hathaway.
You'll get guaranteed full service, and you'll save up to $5,132 on a typical Texas home sale. Clever's Partner Agents work for a fraction of the 3% rate real estate agents typically charge. Schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with a top local agent today!
Top ways to sell your home in Texas
- Discount real estate agents in Texas
- We buy houses for cash companies in Texas
- Flat-fee MLS companies in Texas
- iBuyers in Texas
Additional resources for Texas home sellers
- Average cost to sell in Texas
- Average time to sell in Texas
- How to sell by owner in Texas
- Transfer taxes in Texas
- Sell "as is" in Texas
Related links
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The best 2% commission realtors (2023 rankings): Listing with a 2% commission realtor can save you thousands, but what’s the catch? Read on to learn where to find a 2% listing fee and what you’ll get in return.
Negotiating realtor fees: 10 tips for reducing commission: Like most things in real estate, your listing agent’s commission is negotiable. This is our expert guide to negotiating realtor fees.