Selling a house is no easy task, especially, in a vibrant, diverse, and dynamic city like Chicago. And if you’re planning to sell your house in this bustling metropolis, be prepared to face its ever-changing real estate market. You can’t really determine how long your house will stay on the market, what offers you’ll receive, or even the right time to list your house.
However, with the right approach, you can improve your chances of a quick and profitable sale. In this first time home seller guide, we’ll break down all the factors you need to consider and all the steps you should be following to sell your house faster with the best possible deal.
But if you’re looking to avoid all of this hassle and you need the money fast, request your offer at Windy City Home Buyers Now! And we’ll buy your home with no work at your side.
No closing cost, no agent commission, and no repairs. We’ll buy your house as-is. Request your no obligation offer today and walk out with cash in as little as a week!

Understanding the Chicago Market Dynamics
It’s not wrong to say that the Chicago housing market is one of the most competitive markets in the U.S. It’s buzzing with activity right now. And if you’re looking to sell your house successfully in this dynamic real estate market, you need to be careful about various factors.
Some of these include peak selling seasons, current market trends, changing interest rates, and local economic factors. For instance, the city remains the hub for various American Industries.
And whenever a company decides to expand or relocate, it can drive the housing demands in nearby areas. So, keeping an eye on these economic developments can help you anticipate how local conditions may affect buyer activity in your area.
A Step-by-Step Guide to Selling Your House in Chicago
Here’s our step-by-step home seller guide to help you sell your house faster:
Step #1: Pre-Selling Preparations
Once you’ve finally decided to put your house up for sale, your first step should be to stage it for potential buyers. It’s the smartest investment you can make to upgrade your home’s sale price.
This will include all the minor repairs and renovations, deep cleaning, and depersonalizing of your space, plus some small DIY projects.
For instance, you can fix the garage door, repair the windows, declutter your basement, mow the lawn for curb appeal, or spruce up the house with a fresh coat.
Step #2: Pricing Your Chicago Home
This is the most critical part. You have to make sure you’re neither overpricing your house nor underpricing it, which demands thorough market research. You have to do your own research, even when you’re eventually going to hire an agent.
We recommend Looking at the recent home sales in your area and setting a realistic price. Make sure you know the value of your house and the current market conditions because market conditions can vary in different neighborhoods, and so does your house’s value.
Step #3: Understand Your Selling Options
Now when it comes to finally selling your house, it’s important to understand your options. You can either list your property on a local real estate website, hire a real estate agent to help you with the process, or choose to directly sell your property to the investors.
So, it’s the traditional sale method vs. directly selling your house to investors.
Traditional Sale Method: The most popular, traditional sale method of selling your house in Chicago involves hiring a professional real estate agent. The agent will do the rest, from listing your property to negotiating the price and then closing the deal.
You just have to pay the agent a set commission fee at the end, which is usually 5-6% of the sale price. However, you can also choose to sell your house without a real estate agent. It really depends on your circumstances and whether you can do it all on your own.
Direct Sale to Investors: In the direct sale method, reputable companies like Windy City Home Buyers offer to purchase your house as-is, with no repairs or closing costs involved. Nor do you have to pay the estate agent fee.
It’s a pretty quick process that helps those looking to sell their house quickly with no work on their side. You can just hand over the process to the buyer company’s team and walk out with cash in just a week.
Step #4: Different Ways to Market Your Property
You have to work on your marketing tactics, if you’re looking to sell your house quickly. That’s why, in our first-time home seller guide, we’re recommending to go both ways: digital and traditional marketing techniques.
Digital Marketing: List your house on all popular real estate websites and apps. Plus, use social media to attract a wider audience. And make sure to add clear and beautiful photos of your house.

Pay attention to the lighting. Use soft lighting in areas like bedrooms and living rooms to make them look cozy and highlight the true colors of your space. It will be even better if you hire a professional photographer for this purpose.
P.S: Now you can even give virtual tours to home buyers.
Traditional Marketing: Above all, you can always include open house showings and private tours as part of your marketing process to attract some serious buyers. You can also use yard signs and flyers. Both of these marketing techniques complement each other well.
Step #5: Negotiate Offers
Once you receive an offer, it’s time to review it and negotiate with the buyer. For instance, if you find the proposed offer too low, you can make a counter-offer, or propose other ways to bridge the gap, such as asking them to pay the closing costs or for a down payment right away.
It all depends on your situation. However, you need to know your limits while negotiating, as only a flexible negotiation from both sides can lead to a successful closing.
More, it is always better to not just review the offered price, but other factors as well, such as repairs you’re required to make or the buyer’s contingencies. This way, you’ll be able to choose the best offer for you.
Step #6: Legal Considerations
At this point, you’re very close to finalizing a deal. Make sure you’re aware of all the closing costs involved to factor these into your budget and avoid any last minute surprises. For instance, you have to pay the agent commission of both sides, the buyer and the seller.
Depending on your situation, you may have to pay taxes on the sale as well. Plus, there are other fees involved too. Hire an attorney to handle all of these legal matters. It’s in your interest, as it helps you avoid any unnecessary legal risk, and makes sure all your legal paperwork is filled out properly.
Step #7: Final Steps to Closing
The last step in our home seller guide Chicago includes giving a final walkthrough of your selling process. Make sure you’ve fulfilled all the terms your buyer added to the contract.
You’ve made all the repairs and renovations they’ve asked for, changed the name on the accounts they’re going to retain, and moved all your personal items before handing over the keys to them.
Then, organize all your paperwork, including purchase contracts, inspection reports, and disclosure forms. Now finally, sign the papers, transfer ownership, and move towards the next great chapter in your life.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
Now that you’ve made your way through our step-by-step home seller guide Chicago, you must know about some of these common pitfalls to avoid. It’ll help you make a successful deal:
Overpricing Your Property
The most common mistake you can make while listing your property is setting an unrealistic price. In fact, this is one of the reasons why your Chicago house can sit on the market for too long. Buyers have easy access to data these days, and they won’t go down for something too high.

Poor Timing Decisions
The real estate market in Chicago is thriving in the summer. But if you choose to sell your house in autumn or winter, you’ll likely get fewer or no buyers.
This is mainly because in spring and summer, the schools are off, and festivals are happening in the neighborhoods with higher foot traffic and more chances of potential buyers.
Neglecting Necessary Repairs
Throughout this home seller guide, we’ve put pressure on prioritizing the necessary repairs and renovations. That’s because it enhances the curb appeal and gives you a plus point over other sellers.

For instance, if you’ve done an insulation upgrade, you can add that to your property’s description, letting buyers know what they’re getting. But you’ll surely push a potential buyer away from your property with leaky issues and damaged windows.
Poor Marketing
Even if you’ve set a realistic price, chosen the peak selling season, and made all the necessary repairs, your house won’t sell fast unless it reaches a good number of audience.
And in today’s world, you can’t just rely on traditional marketing techniques; you need to reach potential buyers through online apps and virtual tours.
Hire a professional photographer to help you click your house at its best angles. And get help from a realtor to combine both marketing techniques strategically.
Conclusion
While selling a house in Chicago is challenging, it can be made easy with our first-time home seller guide where we’ll let you know how you can sell your house faster with steps to follow and factors to consider.
But you always have an option to leave everything to our team and just walk away with your cash. At Windy City Home Buyers, we buy your houses for cash. It’s a simple 3 step process, where we evaluate your property, offer a fair price, and pay in cash.
No cleaning, repair, or closing cost is required. You can just leave the house to us in its original condition. Request your fair cash offer today!