Need to Sell Your House in Athens? 9 Steps to Sold
Jul 7, 2025
Athens is full of charm, but that doesn’t mean you must stay forever. Whether your college student has just graduated or you’re relocating for a new opportunity, there are plenty of reasons to move on.
“Athens sellers have to be strategic,” says Leah Dukes, Director of Sales for Mark Spain Real Estate in Athens. In the current market, there’s plenty of opportunity to sell for a competitive price and on your desired timeline, as long as you make informed, intentional decisions.
Below, we’ll outline the nine steps for selling your home. At Mark Spain Real Estate, our agents know that every seller and circumstance is unique, so we’ll use these steps as the starting point to make a plan that’s customized to your goals.
Ready to sell your house fast? Get a strong cash offer today.
Your first decision is whether you want to list your home traditionally or pursue a cash offer off-market.
If you know you need to sell quickly and with minimal hassle, a cash offer is the way to go. Selling off-market to an investor will simplify the process for sellers managing inherited properties, facing tight financial timelines, or selling a home that needs major renovations.
Cash offers tend to come in a little lower than market value, but the convenience can be well worth it. Since you’re not going with a public listing, that means no showings. You’ll get more privacy, and you won’t need to make any updates or renovations.
The Mark Spain Real Estate Guaranteed Cash Offer program makes the process even simpler, which is why many of our Athens sellers choose this option. We’ll source multiple competitive offers from our network of pre-vetted institutional buyers so you can get a higher price for your home and close fast.
At the same time, we’ll take professional photographs and put together a marketing package, so if you decide not to accept the cash offer, we can move forward with a listing right away.
If your priority is price over speed, then it may be worth it to list your home on the open market. This route takes more time and effort but generally leads to more competitive offers. We’ll walk you through our pre-listing checklist and work with you to make a plan for pricing, timing, getting your home ready for sale, and marketing to showcase your property’s best features. No matter how you decide to list, our priorities are maximizing your offers and minimizing your headaches.
You’ve decided to list your home, and you’re ready to make a plan. That means knowing your audience. “Athens is a college town,” Dukes says, so a lot of buyers are looking for a home that their child can live in while they attend UGA. Because of the school and arts scene, it makes sense that Athens is a top town in the country for Gen Z to relocate to, but Georgia’s tax benefits also attract retirees.
The needs of these new residents are diverse, which means lots of opportunity for people selling homes of all kinds in different neighborhoods. Students may be interested in the arts and university proximity offered by Boulevard, for instance, while the charming historic buildings and restaurant scene may attract older buyers to Cobham.
The university schedule significantly impacts the timing of the Athens real estate market, creating what Dukes describes as “spring fever.” For sellers, listing in the spring is a smart move since parents want to get their young scholars settled in before the start of the fall semester.
Dukes points out another contributing factor: the Master’s Tournament, which she says usually kicks off the spring selling season. “That's when we have the most visitors coming into the area,” Dukes says. The tournament in nearby Augusta draws visitors year after year, many of whom discover neighborhoods they love and eventually decide to call home.
The biggest tool in your seller’s arsenal is your pricing strategy. Dukes recommends pricing slightly below market value to get more eyes on your listing. She endorses this strategy so fully that she used it to get her own condo under contract in just a week. She says that while many sellers are afraid of leaving money on the table, the opposite can often be true. Pricing aggressively can create competition among buyers and even lead to a bidding war.
“Our whole model at Mark Spain Real Estate is simplifying the home-selling process. And part of simplifying it is to make it more efficient. Our goal is not to go out there and price too high and find ourselves chasing the market. Our goal is to price the home strategically so we get offers fast,” Dukes explains.
The right price point depends on your property and its location. For instance, the right pricing for a home in Forest Heights, where median prices hover between $300K and $400K, will be different from that for homes in the more expensive Five Points. Your agent will conduct thorough market research, comparing similar homes in your area to find a price point that optimizes dollar amount and speed.
You’re ready to sell, now it’s time to make sure your home is too. Many expensive renovations, however, don’t achieve a worthwhile return on investment. Instead, focus on decluttering and neutralizing the space by packing up personal decor, or even painting in a neutral color.
The idea is to create a blank canvas for potential buyers to imagine themselves living in the space. That emotional connection can drive competitive offers. Dukes says that “even homes that are in less-than-perfect condition can still attract a buyer who goes, ‘I love the home. I don't care that the roof is 30 years old. I want this home.’"
Speaking of, older roofs are one of the top inspection issues in Georgia, along with plumbing and electrical issues, structural problems, and mold. Older homes, like those in historic neighborhoods, Cobham and Pulaski Heights, may face these issues at higher rates.
Buyers often include an inspection contingency in their offer, which means the deal hinges on the results of the home inspection. If issues come up, they may ask for repairs, a credit, or even walk away entirely. Addressing known concerns ahead of time can help you avoid last-minute negotiations or surprises that could delay your closing.
Georgia is somewhat unique in that sellers are not required to fill out a disclosure form. The state follows a “buyer beware” approach, which means it is the buyer’s responsibility to seek out information about a home’s defects and history. That’s why many buyers will include that inspection contingency in their offer, as a way of protecting themselves.
However, remember that Georgia sellers can still be sued if they intentionally withhold information or mislead a buyer. To avoid legal issues and stress, it is still best to be open and honest with buyers about the known conditions of your home.
You can’t sell a home without buyers. To get eyes on your listing, especially as that competitive spring market heats up, you need a strong marketing plan. At Mark Spain Real Estate, we recommend a multichannel approach. We’ll leverage social media marketing, attractive professional photos, and our not-so-secret weapon: brand recognition. Between billboards, radio spots, and TV ads, “I don't think anybody can beat our reach,” Dukes says. “Our name and our brand are out there.”
We can also use the “coming soon” MLS feature. While we help you prepare your home for showings, we’ll already be generating buyer interest, so when you are ready to show, buyers are ready to make offers.
Once offers start coming in, the process isn’t over yet. You still have perhaps the most critical decision ahead: choosing an offer. Your agent will review each one with you, breaking down the terms so you can make an informed choice based on your goals. If there’s strong buyer interest, your agent may even be able to negotiate for better terms or a higher price.
Dukes emphasizes that seller advocacy is central to the Mark Spain Real Estate approach, especially when it comes to negotiations and closing: “My sellers know when they’re negotiating, I represent them. I stand between them and whoever is going to buy their house.”
Once you choose an offer, the closing process will likely take about 30-45 days. Be prepared to pay certain closing costs, including Georgia’s real estate transfer tax, which is $1 per $1000 of the home’s sale price.
Whether you decide to list traditionally or pursue a cash offer, you deserve the ability to make informed, strategic decisions. At Mark Spain Real Estate, our agents know that every seller’s goals are unique, and your selling experience should reflect that.
Connect with a local Mark Spain Real Estate agent today and help us make your home sale as smooth and successful as possible.
Need to sell now? Get a strong cash offer on your home today.
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