Need to Sell Your House in Jacksonville? 9 Steps to Sold
May 16, 2025
Selling your Jacksonville home marks the beginning of a new journey. Whether you're ready to embrace a simpler lifestyle after years in a family home, navigating life transitions that require dividing property assets, or simply seeking change, selling your property is a significant milestone. The process brings both opportunities and important decisions that deserve careful consideration.
“The Jacksonville market is heating up for both buyers and sellers. We’re seeing more traction,” shares Dina Pizzuto, Director of Sales for Mark Spain Real Estate in Jacksonville.
That’s good news for homeowners looking to sell in Jacksonville. As buyer activity increases, so do your opportunities for a home sale that meets your goals and desired timeline. Below, we’ll outline the nine basic steps for selling your Jacksonville home.
First, decide whether to list traditionally or pursue a cash offer. The right choice for you will depend on your property, priorities, and timeline.
If you’re prioritizing speed and convenience, a cash offer is likely your best bet. Cash sales are typically made to investors off-market who aren’t relying on financing and are willing to buy as-is.
When properties are in less-than-perfect condition, all-cash is often the simplest solution to sell quickly with minimal hassle. The tradeoff is that cash offers often come in below market value. But thankfully, that doesn’t have to be the case.
The Mark Spain Real Estate Guaranteed Offer program gets you multiple competitive offers from our vetted buyer network while providing personalized guidance from a dedicated agent throughout your journey. That’s why, according to Pizzuto, around one-fifth of Jacksonville sellers who work with Mark Spain Real Estate choose their Guaranteed Offer.
“It’s possible to source a cash offer on your own, but we’re going to be looking out for the seller's best interest and negotiating for a better offer,” Pizzuto adds.
Sellers with more flexibility may prefer to hold out for a higher offer on the open market. While listing does take more preparation and time, it can be worth it if your number one priority is sale price. If you decide to go this route, your agent will walk you through a pre-listing checklist and help you develop an efficient strategy.
When you work with Mark Spain Real Estate, you get the option to pursue both options. Even if you choose not to accept one of your Guaranteed Offer options, you’ll still have the opportunity to list traditionally. While we’re sourcing cash offers, we’ll also have professional photographs taken, so we’ll be ready with an attention-grabbing listing right away.
For a truly effective listing strategy, it’s essential to know who your potential buyers are and what they’re looking for. Fortunately for sellers, Jacksonville has been ranked as one of the U.S. cities with the highest move-in rates, in part because of its strong job market and relatively low cost of living. Pizzuto also shares that some Florida residents are relocating from the state’s west coast due to hurricanes, noting that “they still want to be in Florida, but want to feel that they are not in such a strike zone for storms.”
With these trends in mind, buyers may be looking for homes near one of the many corporate headquarters in the state. Beyond that, Pizzuto says buyers are looking for move-in-ready homes. These market trends should factor into whether to list or go for a cash offer.
Jacksonville, like most of the country, follows a fairly predictable pattern: The best time to sell for both speed and price is in the spring. It’s when the weather is most pleasant, and it allows families to settle into their new homes before the school year starts. Home sales and prices dip somewhat in the winter, but since the weather is mild, the difference is less significant than in colder parts of the country.
While home prices have been trending slightly downward in recent years, several Jacksonville areas are experiencing growth. Up-and-coming neighborhoods Murray Hill, Riverside, and Avondale are attracting families and young professionals thanks to their mix of shopping and dining options, plus schools and aesthetic charm.
The best way to get your property noticed is with a strong pricing strategy. Your agent will conduct thorough, specific market research to see how similar homes in your area are priced, and how long they’ve been on the market.
“We keep a close eye on market trends,” Pizzuto says. “We always give our sellers the option to price their own home, but try to give them enough information, focusing on homes that have sold similar to their home in that specific location.” That way, you and your agent can find a price point that balances speed with maximizing profit.
Once you’ve settled on how and when you’d like to sell and at what price point, it’s time to get your property ready. Buyers may be hoping for move-in-ready homes, but Pizzuto says, “We do try to sell homes as-is.”
If sellers consider particular renovations, Mark Spain Real Estate agents will use a “cost versus value” sheet to determine which updates will lead to a worthwhile return on investment. What’s most important is to help potential buyers picture themselves in the home.
“I try never to get my clients to do any major improvements,” Pizzuto says. “However, neutral color paints make such a big difference.” Decluttering and removing personal decor also help to create a useful blank canvas, so buyers can imagine their decor and families filling the space.
It’s always a good idea to get out ahead of inspection issues. That way, you can either address them or price your home accordingly, which means no surprises for you or your buyer down the road. Since Jacksonville is less susceptible to hurricanes than other Florida cities, there aren’t as many area-specific inspection issues to worry about. Occasional extreme weather, however, can lead to water damage and roofing issues.
If you want to ace your home inspection, work with your agent to decide if any issues need to be addressed and make a plan. Then, ensure your home is tidy to make it easier for the inspector to do their job.
In Florida, sellers must make buyers aware of any known property defects that could impact the liveability or desirability of the home, even those that may not come up during an inspection. Florida also requires a few specific disclosures, such as the dangers of radon gas.
If your home was built before 1978, you must also provide a lead paint disclosure per federal regulations. Your agent cannot fill out these disclosures for you, but they will be familiar with them and can provide help and answer any questions you might have.
As the Jacksonville market heats up, that means more buyer activity, but it also means more seller competition. To stand out from the crowd, you need a strong marketing strategy. At Mark Spain Real Estate, we start with the foundation of brand recognition. “We do so much marketing. We are on the radio, we are on the billboards, and television,” Pizzuto says. “That marketing drives people to our website and social media. That’s where our properties are listed.”
We’ll also leverage the “coming soon” MLS feature to generate interest in your property before you start showings. To make your listing really shine, we’ll have professional photographs taken and may even do a virtual tour.
The likelihood of receiving multiple offers is higher with the correct pricing, timing, and marketing strategy. As exciting as that is, choosing the best offer is a significant decision. Your agent will work with you to look beyond just the top line number at contingencies, closing timeline, and more to ensure you’re getting a fair deal. Your agent can also try to negotiate to source an even higher offer.
Once you choose an offer, closing can take around a month or two, depending on whether there are financing delays. In Florida, either you or the buyer doesn’t need to hire a lawyer, but you may choose to if you prefer to have more legal support. Regardless, your agent will be there to advocate for you and guide you through the process.
No matter how you decide to sell, you deserve to have all of the information you need to make strategic, informed decisions. When you work with a Mark Spain real estate agent, our priority is your experience. You’ll have a trusted, knowledgeable advisor in your corner, supporting you every step.
Connect with a Jacksonville-based Mark Spain agent today to get started on selling your home, your way.
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