How to Sell a House, Step by Step
Published by Cash Flow Deals · Last updated 2026-08-04 · Published and reviewed for compliance by Camilo Palacio, a Florida Licensed Realtor
Selling your house means marketing it to buyers, pricing it against real comparable sales, and carrying it through inspection, appraisal, and closing until title transfers. A typical home marketed to the public takes 55 to 70 days start to finish. With Cash Flow Deals, you choose between the Fast Cash Offer, where we buy your house as-is and close, and the Premium Cash Offer, where a pre-approved FHA or conventional buyer we already have, ready to go, pays more and buys directly from you.
| Factor | Traditional Route | Cash Flow Deals |
|---|---|---|
| Timeline | 55 to 70 days on average, from prep to closing | Your number is agreed before any work starts, and it changes only if you agree. The one exception: if something structural surfaces that was not visible or disclosed before we signed — foundation issues, hidden moisture, old wiring, cast-iron drain failure — we re-cost it and bring the number back to you. You decide. You can walk away. We disclose what we know at offer time so this almost never happens. Premium closing follows the buyer's own financing timeline. |
| How the price is set | Priced against comps, then subject to negotiation and appraisal | Your number is agreed before any work starts, and it changes only if you agree. The one exception: if something structural surfaces that was not visible or disclosed before we signed — foundation issues, hidden moisture, old wiring, cast-iron drain failure — we re-cost it and bring the number back to you. You decide. You can walk away. We disclose what we know at offer time so this almost never happens. |
| Commission | Negotiated directly with agents since the 2024 NAR settlement, no longer posted on the MLS | Paid as a separate line item on the closing statement, not a markup on price |
The Real Steps to Selling a House
Selling starts well before a listing goes live. Most sellers spend 2 to 4 weeks on prep: decluttering, handling required disclosures, and deciding which repairs are worth making before buyers walk through. From there, a typical home spends a median of about 54 days on the market before going under contract, though the current national average runs closer to 66 days. Once under contract, inspection, appraisal, and underwriting add another 4 to 6 weeks before closing. Add it up and a listed home typically takes somewhere between 55 and 70 days from the first prep step to the closing table.
Pricing Is the Step Most Sellers Get Wrong
Mispricing is the most common reason a listing stalls. Pricing against recent comparable sales, not a renovation budget or an automated online estimate, is what actually predicts how fast a home moves. Homes priced at or below their comps tend to go under contract noticeably faster, while homes that get overpriced and later need a price cut can sit on the market considerably longer, and a price cut itself can signal to buyers that something is wrong with the home, which slows things down further instead of speeding them up.
What a Real Estate Commission Costs in 2026
Commission is negotiated, not fixed. The Sitzer/Burnett settlement's practice changes took effect on August 17, 2024, and since then, offers of buyer-agent compensation can no longer be posted on the MLS, and buyers must sign a written agreement with their agent before touring a home. That means there is no single mandated commission percentage anymore; sellers negotiate directly with their listing agent, and buyers negotiate directly with theirs. As a reference point, average total commission has recently run around 5.70% of the sale price nationally, split close to evenly between the two sides, but that number is a market average, not a rule.
Selling Without a Traditional Listing
If you want a direct path to selling your house, Cash Flow Deals gives you two offers to compare: the Fast Cash Offer, where we buy your house as-is and close, and the Premium Cash Offer, where a pre-approved FHA or conventional buyer we already have, ready to go, pays more and buys directly from you. You choose. With Premium, you give us permission to bring in a buyer in our place, and that buyer signs a new contract directly with you. Title transfers once, directly from you to the buyer, whose lender funds the purchase. Cash Flow Deals is paid as a separate line item on the closing statement. We cover repair costs, and we figure out a way, so nothing comes out of your pocket. With Premium, only what the buyer's lender requires gets fixed; those costs are settled from the sale proceeds, from our share. With Fast Cash, we buy as-is, with no repairs for you to make. For either offer, the number is agreed before any work starts, and it changes only if you agree. The one exception: if something structural surfaces that was not visible or disclosed before we signed — foundation issues, hidden moisture, old wiring, cast-iron drain failure — we re-cost it and bring the number back to you. You decide. You can walk away. We disclose what we know at offer time so this almost never happens. If the Premium buyer's loan falls through, that is our problem, not yours, and you can still take the Fast Cash Offer at its own number.
Common questions
How long does it really take to sell a house in 2026?
The national median is about 54 days on market before going under contract, with the current average closer to 66 days. Add another 4 to 6 weeks to close, and total time from prep to closing typically runs 55 to 70 days.
Do I have to pay a buyer's agent commission?
Not automatically. Since the NAR Sitzer/Burnett settlement took effect on August 17, 2024, buyer-agent compensation is negotiated directly instead of posted on the MLS, so it varies by agent and market.
What's the fastest way to sell without a full traditional listing?
With Cash Flow Deals, you choose between the Fast Cash Offer, where we buy your house as-is and close, and the Premium Cash Offer, where a pre-approved FHA or conventional buyer we already have, ready to go, pays more and buys directly from you. With Premium, the buyer's lender funds the purchase, and only the repairs that lender requires get fixed, with costs settled from the sale proceeds from our share, so nothing comes out of your pocket.
Does pricing above market value give me room to negotiate down later?
Usually it backfires. Overpriced homes sit longer, often need a price cut anyway, and the cut itself can make buyers assume something is wrong with the home.
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What this means for your options
Every path to selling a house has real tradeoffs.
Wait and see
Keep the property as-is and hope conditions improve. The mortgage, insurance, and upkeep keep costing money while you wait, with no set date for things to turn around.
List with a traditional agent
Standard MLS listing, typically 5-6% in commission, and a financed buyer whose deal depends on appraisal, inspection, and lender approval — any of which can fall through after weeks on market.
Sell to Cash Flow Deals
Two offers for your house, Fast Cash or Premium Cash, and you choose. Cash: Cash Flow Deals buys the house as-is and closes. Premium: More money. A pre-approved FHA or conventional buyer we already have buys directly from you.
See your selling options before you decide anything.