In recent years, more than 77% of people who have sold a house in the United States reported their experience as stressful. Homes that aren’t selling within a preferred time frame or for the expected price can be sources of this stress, which may lead sellers to consider whether it’s time to take their home off the market.
In this article, we’ll guide you through when it may be appropriate to delist your home, the most common reasons for doing so, and alternative strategies that can be used to sell off-market.
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Taking Your House Off The Market
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Can you take your house off market?
Yes, you can take your house off the market if you so choose. You can do this at any time. For homeowners who are selling by themselves, they can simply remove their house’s listing from advertising and marketing platforms (note that it won’t be possible to recoup the costs already paid).
Removing your house from the market may be slightly more complicated if you are selling with an agent, given that you will be subject to the contract’s terms. For example, an early termination fee may apply (though this will vary from agent to agent and may also depend on the reason you are delisting, such as getting cold feet).
It isn’t an unusual thing for homeowners to take their houses off the market. According to one report, around 29% of sellers at least temporarily take their house off the market. Millennial sellers are most likely to delist their houses (45% do so).
Common reasons to take it off the market
There are many different reasons why a homeowner would choose to take their property off the market. Let’s look at some of the most common reasons here.
Stale listing
If a listing stays on the market for too long, it can become stale. In these cases, it can be a good idea to remove it from the listing for at least a little while. That way, once it has been relisted, you will be able to start fresh with a new pool of prospective buyers.
Buyers who see that a listing has been on the market for a long time may regard this as a red flag and assume that there is something wrong with it (which isn’t necessarily going to be the case). Of course, there are other alternatives to relisting a deleted house, such as selling it for a guaranteed cash payment (more on that below).
Financial circumstances
Plans change all the time and there are certain events that will result in homeowners deciding to temporarily or permanently delist their house from the market. As we have highlighted in the introduction, selling a house on the market is a stressful process. Trying to do so while dealing with another issue, such as a medical emergency or a job layoff, can be too much.
In other cases, homeowners may be put off by the price tag of a new house or higher interest rates. There are financial circumstances that simply mean that now isn’t the best time to sell an existing property.
Change of heart
Of course, sometimes it’s as simple as a change of heart. Many people are set on selling their houses for a concrete reason, such as relocating for a new job or upgrading to a larger property. However, others may decide that there isn’t a good enough reason to ultimately sell their house.
Homes are full of memories and many people are surprised by how strong their attachment is to their homes. This often only becomes apparent when they list it on the market. Father of the Bride 2 springs to mind as an example of this sentiment!
Remodeling
If your listing has gone stale, it may be because prospective buyers don’t regard it as an attractive place to live. Sometimes, it can be worth taking it off the market and completing some renovation work in order to make it more appealing to buyers.
Be careful with this approach, however, as you want to avoid spending too much on this remodeling work. You may be able to list it at a higher price, but it’s not always worth it if the cost of the remodeling work was significant.
Fees related to taking a home off the market
Any fees related to delisting a property depend on whether or not you were selling it privately or listing it with an agent. You will have more flexibility to take a house off the market if selling privately, as noted above.
If you have been listing it with an agent, they may or may not charge a fee to delist it. Most reputable agents won’t charge a fee. However, some may do so if the seller took advantage of their services or expressed plans to relist with another agent.
In some cases, if an agent brought strong offers to the owner of the property but they refused to accept any of them, the agent may decide to pursue compensation for the full commission. In other cases, they make seek reimbursement for marketing expenses.
When to take a house off the market
The answer to this question depends on a number of factors, such as the strength of the market. If, for example, you are in a strong sellers’ market and yet your home is still unable to get any offer after 30 or so days, the most common cause is the high listing price. At this point, you may need to adjust the price and relist the house at a sale price that is more likely to attract offers.
Your house may have a smaller pool of prospective buyers, too. A luxury property that commands a high sale price is going to be out of most people’s budget, so it may take longer to sell given that fewer people will be genuinely interested.
You may also need to consider delisting your house during the slow season, which is typically during the winter months. The best time of year to sell a house is in the spring/summer (May is an excellent time). So, it may be a good idea to temporarily delist your property during the leaner winter months when fewer people are looking to buy.
What to do if you are struggling to find a buyer?
If you can’t seem to attract any genuine interest on the open market, one great alternative option is to sell it for cash. It’s a hassle-free solution that is as easy as 1, 2, 3!
Here at iBuyer, we follow a simple 3-step process for homeowners who wish to sell their homes for cash. The first step is to get an accurate estimate of the property’s value by entering the address here.
Next, we will connect you with iBuyers across the United States who buy houses unseen. You will be able to get an offer price for your house as soon as today.
Once you have a cash offer in hand, all you need to do is decide if you wish to proceed with the sale. Closing dates are fast and flexible, you can move on your terms, there are no hidden fees, and you won’t have to deal with the complicated closing process.
We have iBuyers in 41 states and counting, making it easy for you to find an interested buyer with a cash offer. The closing process takes as little as 2 weeks when you sell through iBuyer, meaning you will be able to focus on starting the new, exciting chapter in your life.
Should I take my home off the market?
Sometimes the answer to the question—should I take my house off the market?—is a definitive yes. If your property is struggling to attract any serious offers, it may be best to delist it from the market. The good news is that there is another way to sell your house (and avoid all the stress and hassle in the process).