Montana’s home prices are already at $508,300. With top-rated schools, a booming job market, and wide-open skies, Montana is turning heads. Buyers are lining up for a taste even though Montana homes spend about 64 days on the market!
Big Sky Country’s small-town charm comes with a big-time opportunity! With summer’s arrival, the prices will keep rocketing. So, get in on the action because now is the best time to sell a house in Montana.
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 Montana Flat Fee MLS service, a discount broker, or a full-service Realtor.
- Houzeo, Montana’s #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 Montana, 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 Steps to Selling Your Home in Montana
Selling a home can be tricky for first time home sellers. But it doesn’t have to be for you. Follow this guide for the steps to easily sell a house in Montana.
Step 1: Prep Your Home for Sale
First impressions matter—especially when you’re selling a home in Montana, where buyers are eyeing scenic mountain views, ranch-style spreads, and peaceful small-town living. So, focus on curb appeal to make your home look more presentable. Here are 3 tips to make homes for sale in Montana stand out:
- Redo the Landscaping: Refresh your yard with low-maintenance native plants like wild sage, juniper, and bunch grass. Gravel paths and rustic rock features can add a rugged, natural charm that fits right into Big Sky Country.
- Repaint the House: Go for earthy tones that blend with Montana’s landscape—like forest green, barn red, or soft taupe. These colors nod to the state’s rustic roots and look great against wide-open skies.
- Highlight Outdoor Spaces: Stage porches, fire pits, or wraparound decks with cozy furniture and warm lighting. Montanans love their views—make sure buyers can picture themselves enjoying them.
Step 2: Stage Your Home and Click Photos
A well-staged home can shine like a Big Sky sunset and draw buyers in like huckleberry pie at a summer fair. While traditional home staging is always an option, you can try virtual home staging to stage your home digitally and speed up your home selling process.
Follow these tips to stage your home:
- Declutter and Clean the House: A tidy home shows better—especially in Montana, where mudrooms and garages tend to collect the seasons. Clear out the clutter, sweep porches, and hose down walkways for that fresh, open-sky feeling.
- Showcase Practical Features: Buyers here value resilience. Highlight insulated windows, wood-burning stoves, energy-efficient systems, or even a sturdy metal roof—Montana-ready features matter.
- Focus on Spacious Living Spaces: Montanans love big, open views. Use light tones, natural textures, and minimal furniture to show off large windows, vaulted ceilings, or any connection to the great outdoors.
- Include a Home Tour Video: Not every buyer can swing by in person. A good home tour video helps out-of-state buyers fall in love from afar—especially when your backdrop is Big Sky Country.
Step 3: Decide How to List Your House
If you’re wondering how to list your house on the MLS in Montana, you have multiple options! Here are 3 choices most sellers go for:
- 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 Montana.This can increase your overall cost of selling a house in Montana. It’s also excessive, especially when most tasks can be handled independently in today’s digital age.
- Flat Fee MLS – $249: If you want to sell your home yourself, you can opt to list on MLS in Montana 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 Montana charge between 0.5% and 2% as commission.
- Cash Buyer Companies: If you’re interested in selling a house as is in Montana. Cash Buyer Companies can 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
Inaccurate pricing forces properties to stay longer on the market. In fact, in Jan 2025, 17.5% of homes in Montana sold with price drops. So, it’s important to understand market trends to know how to price your home. Here’s how to avoid overpricing your property:
- Check Local Housing Market Trends: If you overprice your home, it can sit on the market for longer than than a line for huckleberry ice cream in July. Review the latest trends of Montana home prices to set a competitive listing price that aligns with the market conditions.
- 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: If you choose a traditional sale, your agent creates a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA). The CMA compares your home to similar nearby ones to determine your home’s value. It helps you set the right price.
Step 5: Handle Showings and Manage Offers
Once your listing is active, buyers searching for Montana houses for sale will submit showing requests. Here’s what to do next:
- Actively Manage Showings: Always accept and confirm showing requests quickly to make a good impression. Never cancel last minute, and if a clash happens, communicate clearly and promptly.
- Host an Open House:No matter how luxuriously staged your home is, it can still get lost like a trout in a rushing river. So, consult your agent and host an open house to attract buyers.
- Review and Counter Offers: If you only get one offer, you might have to reduce your asking price. But if many buyers show interest in your home, you can either negotiate or choose the highest and best offer.
➡️ Remember: Selling a house in Montana is like scoring a parking spot downtown during First Friday — you need patience, the right timing, and a bit of luck!
Step 6: Ensure Your Home Is Inspection-Ready
Usually, buyers will schedule a home inspection to check for any issues, while the lender orders an home appraisal to figure out the market value. So, fix up any small repairs ahead of time—no one likes nasty surprises!
Being ready for both keeps things smooth and your home’s value strong. It’s all about making sure the buyer feels good and the lender feels confident, so your sale stays on track.
👉 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 house in Montana, 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. The title company transfers their funds to you and the buyer’s name is then registered in the public record.
- Closing Costs: The closing costs in Montana for sellers includes taxes on selling a house, like Transfer Tax and Property Tax. It also consist of HOA, real estate attorney, and home warranty fees.
Quick Summary 📝
Whether you’re in downtown Bozeman or near the edge of Glacier National Park, having the right game plan is key to selling a home in Big Sky Country. To start, prepare your home for sale, and click photos. Then, decide how to list your home.
Remember to price your home after checking the local housing market 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—Montana’s best home selling website.
