Getting ready to sell your Illinois home? Here’s how long you can expect it to take — and some tips on how to speed things up (and still get a great price).
- In 2024, the average time it takes to sell a home in Illinois — from listing through closing — is approximately 77 days. That’s 42 days to get an offer, plus the typical 35-day closing period.
- Key factors that impact Illinois home sale timelines include local market conditions (e.g., buyer demand, job market, rising home values, etc.), time of year, and your property’s type and condition.
- Your agent’s listing strategy (pricing, marketing, networking, etc.) and the buyer’s financing situation — i.e., the amount of time it takes for them to secure loan approval — will also influence how long your sale ultimately takes.
Read on to learn more about how long it takes to sell a house in Illinois and get some pro tips on how to speed up your sale, get better offers, and save thousands in the process.
| Editor’s Note: The data in this article may be slightly skewed because of COVID-19’s disruptive effect on real estate trends. See the table at the end of this article to compare data from before and after the pandemic and see how drastically trends were affected in your state. |
JUMP TO SECTION
- What’s the average time to sell a house in Illinois?
- Best time to sell a house in Illinois
- Best month to sell a house fast in Illinois
- Best month to sell a house in Illinois for price
- Tips to get your Illinois home sold
- Next steps for Illinois home sellers
- Additional resources for Illinois home sellers
What’s the average time to sell a house in Illinois?
The average time it takes to sell a house in Illinois is 77 days — 42 days to get an offer and an additional 35 days to close. This is approximately 10.5% faster than the national average.
Keep in mind that these are annual averages and the numbers will vary by month and/or season.
👋 Don't want to wait 77 days to sell your house?
Selling to a Illinois cash home buyer could put money in your bank account in as little as 7 days.
Clever Offers makes it easy to compare offer from top cash home buyers in Illinois. Just fill out the form below to get matched with a top local realtor, who will request offers on your behalf from trustworthy local companies. You'll also get a free home valuation, so you can see what your house is worth on the open market and be confident you're making the right decision.
You can request cash offers without any risk or obligation — if you're not happy with an offer, you're free to walk away.
Compare offers from top cash buyers, plus get an expert realtor's opinion on what your house is worth.
Best time to sell a house in Illinois
In addition to the average days on market and list price data, we’ve compiled data on the BEST (and worst) times to sell your Illinois house based on what’s most important to you:
- Fastest Time to Sell: When should you list your home if you’re looking to sell quickly?
- Highest Sale Price: What month should you list in to get the best possible price for your home?
Best month to sell a house fast in Illinois
The best month to sell a house fast in Illinois is March. The median time it takes for Illinois homes listed in March to sell is 37 days, which is 5 days faster than the annual average.
» READ: How to sell your house fast
Best month to sell a house in Illinois for price
The best month to sell a house in Illinois in terms of sale price is July. The median sale price in July is $329,900, which is 5.3% — or $16,642 — more than the annual average.
Tips to get your Illinois home sold
1. Price It Right
As we noted above, the time of year that you list your home can have a big impact on the final sale price.
Clearly, the summer is the best time to sell property in the state. Sellers get their biggest return and sell their homes fastest in June and July. In fact, they sell 36 days faster than in February.
Clever Partner Agents have full knowledge of the monthly trends in your local market. They can bring in the largest possible buyer pool no matter when you sell your home.
2. Make Repairs
It’s often difficult to assess what repairs and renovations you should make. After all, you will be moving out of your home and won’t be able to enjoy the upgrades. But that doesn’t mean that they aren’t important.
The right repairs can add thousands of dollars to your sales price and they don’t have to cost too much. Think of what your rate of return will be on your investment when considering which repairs to make.
A new paint job is one of the easiest and least expensive ways to update your home’s look. Also make minor repairs in the kitchen, if needed, and fix any broken appliances.
Buyers are turned off by broken light fixtures and a dark room detracts from the overall image you want to present for your home. You will also want to refinish scratched hardwood floors or give the carpet a good clean.
A good realtor will be able to tell you about improvements you can make to help your home sell for more and faster. If you leave repairs to potential buyers, you may lose some buyers who would have otherwise bid on your home. If they do make an offer, the bid won’t be as high because the buyer will likely be thinking of the future renovation costs.
In the end, bright rooms, shampooed carpets, and a clean home will go a long way in selling your home quickly.
3. Stage and Market Your Home to Attract Qualified Buyers
When you put your home up for sale, you want to make sure that it is as presentable and marketable as possible. If your furniture or home’s décor is out of date, you should consider staging.
While it’s on the market, you would replace your home’s furniture with rented items for the duration of the sales period. Your realtor may even suggest upgraded lighting.
Staging is an investment, but it can bring a huge return. It usually costs under $1,500, but the return on investment can be tens of thousands of dollars.
4. Work with a Top Negotiator
When you’re selling your Illinois home you need someone on your side who knows how to negotiate like a pro. A Clever Partner Agent knows the state’s real estate sector inside and out. They also understand its unique pool of buyers, so they can price your home for its highest value.
In most cases, house hunters will have a buyer’s agent working on their side. They make offers and counter offers for a living. That means you should have someone on your side who is also an effective negotiator.
Clever Partner Agents have the latest statistical information and market trend data to help you make the right deal. They will be able to help you with any counter offers to ensure that you get the most for your home as possible.
5. Share your listing on social media
With over 2 billion people worldwide using Facebook, the social media site is one of the strongest platforms for marketing. Most Facebook users have an average of 200 or more Facebook "friends" with whom they share photos, news articles, and personal information.
Tapping into this wealth of potential buyers is almost a no brainer, if you ask us. By "sharing" your listing, you’re showing it to hundreds of people. If somebody else shares your post, you’re in even better standing to cook up buyer interest, and ultimately sell fast.
Next steps for Illinois home sellers
If you’re looking to sell your home fast in Illinois and get a great price, Clever Real Estate can match you with a top local realtor from a trusted brand like Keller Williams or RE/MAX.
Clever also negotiates reduced 1.5% listing fees on your behalf. You'll get guaranteed full service and support from your agent, but pay half of the 3% listing fee most realtors charge.
Importantly, home sellers who list with Clever get their first qualified offer in an average of 24.1 days* — that’s 18 days faster than the average time to offer in Illinois. Find a top local agent and get a 1.5% listing fee now!
Want to find a top local agent without overpaying on realtor fees? Clever negotiates 1.5% listing fees with top-rated realtors from name-brand conventional brokerages like Keller Williams, RE/MAX, and Berkshire Hathaway.
Get guaranteed full service for half the rate these agents typically charge. Schedule a free, no obligation consultation with a top local agent today!
*Average time to offer for Clever home sellers
