How to sell a home in North DFW, from pricing to closing
Selling in 2026 takes more strategy than it did a few years ago. Buyers have more homes to choose from and more time to decide. This guide from Melissa Avara, a McKinney-based Texas real estate broker, covers each step in order. For a McKinney-specific checklist, read How to sell a house in McKinney.
Start with your goal, because it shapes every decision after it. Selling to relocate on a deadline calls for a different price and plan than selling to downsize when the timing is right. Decide your ideal move date and whether you need to sell before you buy.
If you are buying your next home too, Melissa can coordinate both closings so you move once. See the downsizing guide for sell-first and buy-first options.
Price from recent sales of similar homes near you, adjusted for condition and upgrades, and check it against the homes you will compete with. In August 2026, Collin County homes sold for about 94% of list price on average, so an overpriced home usually sits and sells for less.
Melissa prepares a pricing analysis for your home, not a generic online estimate. Request a home valuation to start.
Fix what an inspector will flag, clean and declutter, and make the home bright and neutral. Service the HVAC, repair leaks and small defects, touch up paint, and tidy the yard. A few targeted repairs before listing usually cost less than the credits a buyer will ask for later.
Melissa lists your home on the MLS and drives buyers to it with social media campaigns, agent-to-agent referrals, traditional media and online advertising. The heaviest push comes in the first three weeks, when a new listing gets the most attention.
Look at the whole offer, not just the price. Compare the buyer's financing and pre-approval, option period and fee, earnest money, requested closing costs, and closing date. Melissa reviews each offer with you, explains the risk in each, and negotiates counteroffers.
The buyer delivers earnest money and the option fee to the title company and usually inspects during the option period. Expect a repair request. You can agree, offer a credit, negotiate or decline. Then the buyer's lender orders the appraisal, and the title company prepares for closing.
You will also deliver the Seller's Disclosure Notice, ideally before the contract is signed, plus a lead paint disclosure if the home was built before 1978.
Sellers typically pay their loan payoff, half the escrow fee, deed preparation, the owner's title policy if agreed in the contract, any negotiated repairs or buyer concessions, and real estate commissions, which are negotiable. Texas has no transfer tax. Melissa gives you an estimated net sheet before you list.
You sign the deed and closing documents at the title company, often before the buyer's appointment. Once the buyer's loan funds, your payoff is sent and your proceeds are wired or issued by check. Cancel utilities and services after you hand over keys.
Melissa Avara has helped homeowners across North DFW sell since 2016. Call or text (214) 280-4317 or schedule a consultation. Related: Buying and selling in North DFW, Home valuation.