The median home price has reached $658,200 in 2025, making Massachusetts a hot market. What’s the secret sauce? Well, the world class education, strong job market and the top-tier healthcare facilities that the state offers make the Bay State a magnet for homebuyers.
If you are looking forward to selling your home, lace up your boots now! With summer here, selling in Massachusetts can be smooth like a drive down the Mohawk Trail in full bloom.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Prepare your home for sale with enhanced curb appeal, neutral decor, tropical landscaping, and clean outdoor spaces.
- Decide how you want to sell, whether it’s with a local Massachusetts Flat Fee MLS service, a discount broker, or a full-service Realtor.
- Houzeo, Massachusetts’ #1 home selling website, can save you thousands in agent fees. Your home will also be on the MLS within 48 hours.
- Before you price your home in Massachusetts, check the current median home price, recent sales, and mortgage rates.
- Conduct showings to attract buyers. Also, review offers quickly and negotiate smartly.
- Finally, schedule utility transfers, pay your closing costs, and prepare to move out.
7 Easy Steps to Selling Your House in Massachusetts
If you’re looking for the best ways to sell a house, begin by getting familiar with the process to sell a house. Whether you live in the heart of Cambridge or away in the Berkshires, these 7 steps to selling your home in Massachusetts will ensure that you’re good to go:
Step 1: Prep Your Home for Sale
First impressions matter—particularly in a state known for the timeless Cape Cod cottages and ivy-covered townhomes. So, focus on your home’s curb appeal to make your home look more presentable. Here are 3 tips to make homes for sale in Massachusetts stand out:
- Redo the Landscaping: Spruce up your home’s front and back yards to showcase Massachusetts’ coastal charm. Use native plants like bayberry-bushes, hydrangeas, and Black-eyed Susans to make your home look appealing.
- Repaint the House: A fresh coat of paint can change the whole look of your home. Think of tones like deep navy, colonial white, and cranberry red—something that reflects the state’s rich history and coastal spirit.
- Highlight Outdoor Spaces: Buyers love outdoor living spaces—especially those that are a mix of comfort and charm. Stage your porch, deck or patio with comfortable Adirondack chairs, stylish lanterns and warm blankets to make it look welcoming.
Step 2: Stage Your Home and Click Photos
A well-staged home can glow like a crisp autumn day on the Freedom Trail, and attract buyers like tourists to a Boston Bakery. While traditional home staging is always an option, you can try virtual home staging too. Here’s how you can make your house shine:
- Declutter and Clean the House: An organized home makes a good first impression. Empty the garage, clean the windows and pressure-wash the siding and driveway to achieve this look.
- Showcase Practical Features: Homebuyers in MA look for homes that can handle all seasons. If your home has strong roofing, good insulation, and a great HVAC system, flaunt these features!
- Focus on Spacious Living Spaces: Buyers love homes which look warm and inviting. Ensure that your home gives that vibe.
- Include a Home Tour Video: Home listings with videos get 403% more views than those without it. So, make a video that shows your property in the best light!
Step 3: Decide How to List Your House
An important step in the process to sell a home is deciding how to list your house on the local MLS. Here are the 4 options most sellers choose from:
- Full-Service Realtors – Up to 6%: These Realtors provide various services from list to close, but charge a hefty 5% to 6% real estate commission in Massachusetts.
- Flat Fee MLS – $249: If you want to sell your home yourself, you can list on MLS in Massachusetts for a flat fee. With Houzeo, your home can be on the MLS for just $249.
- Discount Real Estate Brokers: These brokers charge a lower fee than traditional agents, and offer services like contract reviews and negotiation assistance. Discount real estate brokers in Massachusetts charge between 0.5% and 2% as commission.
- Cash Buyers: They help you sell your home fast for cash. With cash buyers, you can get competitive all-cash offers and close on your terms.
- For Sale By Owner: You can sell your home FSBO without hiring an agent. This gives you full control over the process and helps you save thousands on agent commissions.
Step 4: Price Your Home Competitively
In Feb 2025, 16.6% of homes in Massachusetts sold with price drops. As a matter of fact, inaccurate pricing forces properties to stay longer on the market. It’s thus important to understand market trends to know how to price your home.
Here’s how to avoid overpricing your property:
- Check the Local Market: If you overprice your home, it can sit on the market like traffic on the Mass Pike before a Red Sox game. Study the Massachusetts Housing Market and then set a competitive listing price.
- Use Online Home Valuation Tools: Use a free home value estimator to calculate your home’s Fair Market Value (FMV). Price your home slightly above your its FMV to attract buyers and have a profitable home sale.
- Get a CMA: Your agent conducts your home’s Comparative Market Analysis (CMA). It helps understand your home’s worth based on its features and location. A CMA helps you easily quote the right price for your home.
Step 5: Handle Showings and Review Offers
Once your listing is active, buyers searching for Massachusetts houses for sale will submit showing requests. Here’s what to do next:
- Actively Manage Showings: Promptly accept and confirm any showing requests. Remember to create a good impression. Don’t cancel scheduled showings at the last moment, communicate clearly about clashes, and be a pleasant host.
- Host an Open House: Even a luxuriously-staged home can get lost like one brownstone in a row along Beacon Hill. Consult your agent and announce an open house to attract buyers.
- Review and Counter Offers: If you get only one offer, you might have to reduce your asking price. But if you’ve got multiple offers, it’s time to negotiate and find the best one.
➡️ Remember: Selling a home in Massachusetts is like navigating Boston traffic—patience, preparation, and strategy will get you there smoothly!
Step 6: Ensure Your Home Is Inspection-Ready
A home appraisal is the fair valuation of a house. Buyers conduct your home’s appraisal to ensure that they aren’t paying more than your home’s FMV.
Your home’s condition largely affects your home’s appraisal. Buyers also conduct a home inspection to examine the structural and functional aspects of your home. Make any needed repairs before these to avoid any surprises.
👉 All Set to Sell Your Home? List on the MLS Now!
Step 7: Prepare for Closing Day
Closing day can be emotional, but don’t overlook the formalities. Just follow these final steps and you’ll be good to go:
- Gather All Documents: Before you sell a home in Massachusetts, keep the paperwork for selling a house by owner ready. This includes the affidavit of title, deed, purchase agreement, tax records, settlement statement, 1099-S tax form, etc.
- Transfer Ownership: You have to sign the escrow paperwork, title deed, and other documents to transfer ownership to the buyer. Then, the title company or escrow transfers their funds to you. The buyer’s name is then registered in the public record.
- Closing Costs: The cost of selling a house in Massachusetts includes taxes on selling a house, like Transfer Tax and Property Tax. Closing costs for sellers in Massachusetts also consist of HOA, real estate attorney, and home warranty fees.
Quick Summary📝
Whether you are near the Cape Cod shore or up in the Berkshires, the right prep and some local know-how can help you sell your home easily. To start, prepare your home for sale, and click photos. Then, decide how to list your home.
Price your home after checking the local trends. When your listing is live, you start getting showing requests. The buyer will conduct your home’s inspection before you can finally close the deal.
» Houzeo Reviews: Read what people say about Houzeo—Massachusetts’ best home selling website.
