Three ways to sell a house in Pittsburgh
Every way to sell has a trade-off between speed, price, and effort. Most owners choose among three.
- List with a real estate agent. The agent prices and markets the house, holds showings, and negotiates with buyers. Listing often brings a price closer to full market value, and it takes the longest: preparing the house, finding a buyer, and waiting for that buyer’s mortgage.
- Sell it yourself. A for-sale-by-owner listing saves the listing agent’s commission, but you handle the pricing, showings, paperwork, and negotiation. Our article on selling with an FSBO listing covers what that involves.
- Sell directly to a cash buyer. A cash buyer purchases the house as it is, with its own money, so there are no showings and no lender to approve the sale. You trade some of the price for speed and certainty.
If speed matters more than squeezing out the last dollar, a direct sale is usually the shortest path. If the house is in good shape and you have time, listing may bring you more. Both are good choices for different sellers.
What slows a listed sale down
A listed sale moves through several stages, and each one can add weeks:
- Getting the house ready. Repairs, cleaning, painting, and photos come before the listing goes live.
- Finding a buyer. Showings and open houses continue until someone makes an offer you accept.
- The buyer’s mortgage. Most buyers borrow, and their lender orders an appraisal and reviews their finances before closing. If the appraisal comes in low or the loan falls through, the sale can stall or start over.
- Inspection and renegotiation. The buyer’s inspector may find problems, and the buyer may ask for repairs or a lower price.
A direct sale to a cash buyer skips the first three stages, and an as-is buyer prices the condition into the offer up front.
What a fast sale to Citylife looks like
- You call or fill out the form. Tell us the address, the condition, and when you need to be out. There is no cost and no obligation.
- We see the house. We set up a short call and a time to walk through the house with you.
- You get a written offer. We usually make a written cash offer within 24 hours of seeing the house, and we explain how we got to the number.
- A local title company closes the sale. If you accept, you choose the closing date, from as little as seven days to a later date that fits your move.
You do not have to clean out the house, make repairs, or keep it ready for showings while you wait.
What selling fast costs
When you list, the price is not what you keep. The costs that come out of it usually include:
- Agent commissions, set in the listing agreement.
- Seller’s closing costs, including the seller’s share of Pennsylvania’s realty transfer tax and the title and settlement charges.
- Repairs and preparation before the listing, and any repairs the buyer asks for after the inspection.
- Carrying costs for every month the house sits: the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, and utilities.
When you sell to us, there are no commissions or fees, and we often pay the closing costs. Our price is usually below full market value, because we pay for the repairs and take on the costs and the risk of reselling. Our guide to how much cash buyers pay shows how to compare what you would keep each way.
When a fast sale may not be the right choice
If your house is move-in ready, you are not facing a deadline, and you can wait for a buyer, listing with an agent may bring you a higher price. Ask a local agent what they think the house would list for, then compare that with a cash offer, after the costs above. We would rather you choose the option that fits you than sell to us and wish you had not.
Selling fast because of a deadline
Many sellers who call us are working against a date:
- A foreclosure or a sheriff sale. Our guides explain the foreclosure process in Pennsylvania and how sheriff sales work in Allegheny County. If you have a sale date, call us right away.
- An inherited house. The estate’s personal representative usually handles the sale. Our guide to probate in Pennsylvania explains the steps.
- A move or a new job. Pick a closing date that matches your move.
- A rental you no longer want to manage. We can buy with tenants in place.