Need to Sell Your House in Dallas? 9 Steps to Sold
May 23, 2025
Whether you're dreaming of more space for your growing family, seeking a cozy nest after the kids have flown, managing an inherited property, or simply craving a fresh start, Dallas's booming real estate market offers incredible opportunities for sellers just like you.
As more buyers relocate from across the country, the Dallas-Fort Worth market is thriving, with no signs of slowing down. “We're starting to move into more of a seller's market,” says Chelsey Lewis, Director of Sales at Mark Spain Real Estate in Dallas. “We have a lot of people who are moving here to DFW.”
Ready to turn your ‘what if?’ into ‘what’s next?’ This guide will walk you through nine steps to sell your Dallas home on your terms and timeline.
Ready to sell your house fast? Get a strong cash offer today.
Your first step: Decide whether you want to list your property on the open market or accept a cash offer from an institutional buyer off-market.
If you go the cash offer route, that means no listing, no showings, and no dealing with buyer financing delays. You can close in as little as 21 days and feel confident that the sale will go through. The trick is finding the right cash buyer. Some institutional investors may offer below market value to account for their profit margins. That means you don’t necessarily want to accept the first offer you can get from a local cash homebuying company.
With Mark Spain Real Estate’s Guaranteed Offer program, you don’t need to choose between sales price and convenience. We’ll source you multiple strong offers from our network of pre-vetted Dallas institutional buyers. There’s no need to spend time finding and reaching out to cash buyers on your own. Your agent will take that on for you while advocating for your best interests every step of the way.
Plus, while we’re connecting you with trusted institutional buyers, we’ll also handle the photography and get your home ready for listing. So if you decide that the cash offers aren’t right for you, you’ll be ready to hit the market right away.
Maybe you’d like to see how your property will do on the open market. This option does take more prep work, since you’ll need to get the house ready for showings and attract potential buyers, but it can also bring in a higher offer. This is especially true if your home has desirable features like outdoor space, or if it’s in a popular neighborhood like Lantana or Oak Leaf.
Your Mark Spain Real Estate agent will walk you through every step on the listing checklist and use hyper-localized market data to price and advertise your home effectively to bring in competitive offers.
The most effective strategy starts with knowing your audience. Dallas is one of the most popular cities in the U.S. for cross-country migration, particularly from areas like California and Chicago. Lewis points out that many people move to Texas in part because there’s no state income tax. Plus, Dallas offers ample employment.
“We have big corporations that are bringing people here. Plus, a lot of tech jobs,” Lewis says. Plus, schools in the DFW area are among the top-ranked in the country. That means many potential Dallas buyers will be professionals moving to the area with their families.
These buyers tend to look for homes with office spaces and outdoor areas. “A lot of people are still working from home,” Lewis explains, so it’s important that their homes have lots of space and plenty to do. It stands to reason that many of the fastest-growing suburbs in the area, like Celina and Prosper, are full of homes that fit the bill.
If you have a little flexibility, it’s worth timing your home sale with the area’s trends. The hottest selling season is generally the spring, and Dallas is no exception. The first two weeks of April tend to be particularly beneficial for sellers. It’s no secret that Dallas summers are hot, so families are looking to get settled in not only before the school year starts, but also in time to beat the heat.
Seasonality has a significant impact on time on the market. In the winter, homes could sit for upwards of 70 days, but that average drops to 30 to 45 days in the spring.
To sell your house in a reasonable time frame, you’ve got to price it right. Your dedicated Mark Spain Real Estate agent will collaborate with you to establish strategic pricing based on current market data and your specific selling objectives.
Market values vary dramatically across Dallas neighborhoods. Properties in emerging areas, such as The Cedars, typically sell in the $200,000-$300,000 range, while established neighborhoods like Old East Dallas command higher prices, between $500,000 and $700,000.
The Dallas market fluctuates between being a seller’s market and a buyer’s market. When inventory is higher, buyers have more options. If that’s the case, pricing your house slightly below market value brings control back to the seller. While it may sound like a path towards accepting a lowball offer, Lewis explains that “with this pricing strategy, you're going to be able to get more eyes on your home, and then you can create a bidding war.”
The “coming soon” listing status can further generate early interest. While you cannot show the house during this period, you can (and should!) be marketing it.
The “coming soon” period is a great time to get your house ready for showings. Don’t worry, that doesn’t mean major renovations. In fact, a lot of updates won’t help you sell, since buyers may want to make specific adjustments after they buy. Instead, Lewis recommends focusing on “just making it clean and inviting. The biggest thing is just decluttering.”
Since outdoor spaces are popular, make sure any lawns, patios, or decks look their best. First impressions are important, so it can be worthwhile to make minor updates to the outside of the home to increase curb appeal. Just make sure you understand any relevant HOA rules before you do.
You’ll also need to prepare for inspections, since getting out ahead of common issues can save you time and headaches later on. In Dallas, Lewis says foundation issues are the most common. In fact, due to its soil type and extreme weather, Dallas is among the top cities in the country for foundation issues like cracks or sagging.
Older homes, like those located in historic neighborhoods like Winnetka Heights and State Thomas, may have additional issues caused by aging electrical and plumbing systems. Before selling your home, you’ll need to either repair these issues, or at least disclose them.
Texas sellers are required to tell buyers about any known property defects, like those pesky foundation issues. Other items on the Seller’s Disclosure Notice include whether there is flood insurance, if there has been any previous water or fire damage, if there is lead-based paint, and more. Your agent can’t fill out the form for you, but they will help you make sure you don’t miss anything.
Even the greatest properties sit on the market if their listing isn’t getting seen. At Mark Spain Real Estate, we leverage prominent marketing and brand recognition to ensure your listing is not only seen, but seen often. Because our team is well-recognized across television, newspapers, billboards, radio shows, and social media platforms, buyer's agents frequently contact us directly about properties before they're even officially on the market.
The other secret to strong marketing? Strong visuals. Professional photography makes all the difference, especially in Dallas. “We get professional photos done,” Lewis explains, “because a lot of people are relocating here, so they’re looking at homes online.” Photos that show off your property’s features will help your listing stand out.
Your home sale isn’t over once offers start coming in. Your agent will help you to evaluate offers beyond whether they’re meeting your asking price. They’ll also negotiate on your behalf, which might involve strategies like extending a counteroffer or even entertaining a bidding war.
The closing process can take upwards of 30-35 days or more. You should also be prepared to pay closing costs, which are taken out of the sale proceeds during the closing process. You may offer to pay a portion of the buyer’s closing costs as a negotiating strategy, but that’s not required. Your agent will work with you, weighing the current market conditions to come up with a strategy that benefits you.
Selling a home can feel daunting, but it doesn’t need to be stressful. Whether you decide to go for a cash offer or list traditionally, you can sell your Dallas home for a competitive price, and on a timeline that works for you.
Our specialized agents stay up-to-date on local market conditions, so no matter when you decide to sell, they’ll be ready with a plan custom-made for your best interests. Reach out to a Dallas-based Mark Spain Real Estate agent today to see how we can help you get from selling to sold.
Need to sell now? Get a strong cash offer on your home today.
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