Every seller wants top dollar and a fast sale. Houston's market right now will usually give you one of those, and your list price decides which one.
Updated October 2026.
The short answer: Selling a house in Houston comes down to four moves: price it from recent closed sales, prepare it for the photos and the buyer's inspector, disclose honestly on the Texas Seller's Disclosure Notice, and negotiate your full net, not just the price. Houston homes averaged 58 days on the market in September 2026, per HAR.
That's the whole job in one paragraph. The rest of this guide is the detail behind each move, written for Houston, Fort Bend and Harris County sellers, with the sources linked so you can check me.
What does the Houston housing market look like for sellers right now?
Houston is a slower, more balanced market than it was a few years ago: more homes for sale, flat prices and buyers who take their time.
In September 2026, the median price of a Houston single-family home was $325,000, essentially unchanged from a year earlier, according to the Houston Association of REALTORS® September 2026 report. Active listings rose 6.3% to 40,192, inventory climbed to 5.5 months from 5.1, and homes averaged 58 days on the market, up from 56.
If you own a townhome or condo, your market is softer still. HAR reported 9.3 months of townhome and condo inventory in September 2026, with the median price down 9.1% to $209,000.
Here's what that means in plain English: buyers have choices. Your house isn't just being viewed, it's being compared to the three others they toured that Saturday. I break down the numbers every month in my Houston housing market update.
How do I price my house to sell in Houston?
Price your house from homes like it that actually closed nearby in the last few months, adjusted honestly for condition, and then let the first two weeks of showings tell you whether you got it right.
- Start with closed sales. Same neighborhood, similar size, age and lot, sold recently. Closed prices are what buyers paid; list prices are what sellers hoped.
- Study your competition. The active listings near you are what buyers will hold your house up against. If three similar homes are sitting, that's information.
- Look at pending sales. They're the freshest signal of what buyers are willing to pay right now.
- Adjust for condition, not sentiment. A 20-year-old roof, original carpet or an aging AC unit all show up in a buyer's offer, whether or not they show up in your memory of the house.
- Set a check-in date before you list. Agree with your agent on what you'll do at day 14 to 21 if the showings or offers aren't there.
Straight talk: your appraisal district value is not your price. The number from Harris Central Appraisal District or Fort Bend Central Appraisal District exists to calculate your property taxes. Neither is an online estimate, and neither is what your neighbor says they got at the cookout.
Pricing a home a little high "to leave room to negotiate" sounds smart. In a 5.5-month market, it mostly leaves room for buyers to skip you.
What should I fix before listing my house in Houston?
Fix what a buyer's inspector will flag and what shows up in listing photos, and skip big remodels you won't get back at the closing table.
Fix:
- Active leaks, water stains and anything that looks like a past leak
- HVAC that hasn't been serviced (keep the receipt to show buyers)
- Rotted trim, broken windows, loose railings and doors that don't latch
- Electrical items like missing outlet covers and dead switches
Freshen:
- Neutral paint where walls are scuffed or bold
- Mowed lawn, edged beds and fresh mulch for the front photo
- Bright bulbs in every fixture and clean windows
Usually skip:
- A full kitchen or bath remodel right before listing
- Very personal finishes the next owner may rip out
A pre-listing inspection is worth considering on an older home. It lets you fix things on your schedule and your budget instead of during a buyer's option period, when every repair feels urgent.
And you don't always have to fix anything. Selling as-is and pricing for the condition is a real option, especially for an inherited house or one that needs more work than you want to manage. I wrote about that choice in why people sell their homes.
Do I have to disclose flooding when I sell a house in Texas?
Yes. Under Texas Property Code §5.008, most sellers of a single-family home must give the buyer a written Seller's Disclosure Notice, and it asks specifically about flooding.
The notice asks whether the home is wholly or partly in a 100-year floodplain, whether you carry flood insurance, whether the home has flooded, whether you've ever filed a flood claim (including with the National Flood Insurance Program), and whether you've received FEMA or SBA assistance for flood damage.
Timing matters. The notice is due on or before the effective date of the contract. If the buyer gets it late, they can terminate for any reason within seven days of receiving it.
Some sales are exempt, including transfers by an executor administering an estate, court-ordered sales, foreclosures, and transfers between spouses under a divorce decree. If you think yours qualifies, confirm it with a real estate attorney before you skip the form.
My opinion, in a city that knows water as well as Houston does: the flood questions are the first part of the form buyers read. Answer them completely. A buyer who learns about a past flood from you is negotiating. A buyer who learns about it from someone else is leaving.
How long does it take to sell a house in Houston?
Plan on roughly two to three months from the day you list to the day you close in today's Houston market, plus whatever time you need to get the house ready.
HAR's September 2026 average was 58 days on the market, and the closing date you agree to with your buyer comes after that. A home that's priced right and shows well can move much faster than the average. One that's priced for last spring can sit much longer.
Here's how the timeline usually runs:
- Prep (your pace). Repairs, decluttering, photos and a pricing plan.
- Listing and showings. The first two weeks get the most attention, which is why pricing right on day one matters.
- Offer and contract. In Texas, most resale homes use the TREC One to Four Family Residential Contract (Resale), form 20-18.
- Option period. The buyer pays an option fee within 3 days of the effective date and can terminate for any reason before the deadline, according to the TREC 20-18 contract. This is when inspections and repair requests happen.
- Appraisal and loan approval. If the buyer is financing, the lender orders an appraisal.
- Title work and closing. The title company clears liens, prepares documents and handles the money.
How much does it cost to sell a house in Houston?
The main costs of selling a house in Houston are the brokerage fees you agree to, title and escrow charges, your prorated property taxes, paying off your loan, and any concessions or repairs you negotiate with the buyer.
The TREC contract lists the seller's typical expenses: releasing existing liens, preparing the deed, tax certificates, half of the escrow fee, and the brokerage fees you agreed to pay. Other costs depend on what you negotiate:
- Owner's title policy. The contract has a checkbox for whether the seller or buyer pays. For a $325,000 policy, the basic premium is $1,892 under Texas Department of Insurance rates effective March 1, 2026.
- Property taxes, including MUD taxes. Taxes for the year are prorated through the closing date, so you'll typically credit the buyer for your share if the bill hasn't been paid yet. In much of suburban Houston, that includes a municipal utility district (MUD) tax on top of county, city and school taxes.
- HOA items. If you have an HOA, ask about resale certificate and transfer fees early, and expect dues to be prorated like taxes.
- Concessions. Closing-cost help, a rate buydown or repair credits you agree to.
- Survey. If you have an existing survey, the current TREC contract lets you provide it with a T-47.1 Declaration instead of ordering a new one, if nothing has changed.
Before you list, ask your agent for a net sheet: your likely sale price minus every one of these. That's your actual number, and it's the only one that matters when you're deciding on an offer.
Who pays the buyer's agent when selling a house in Houston?
Commissions are negotiable, and since August 17, 2024, offers to pay the buyer's agent can no longer be posted on the MLS, according to the National Association of REALTORS®.
Sellers can still choose to contribute to the buyer's agent fee. They just do it off the MLS or in the contract itself. The current TREC resale contract has a line for a seller contribution toward the buyer's brokerage fees, separate from other seller contributions.
Buyers now sign written agreements with their agents before touring, and those agreements state what the agent will be paid. That means many buyers will ask you to cover some or all of it in their offer.
My advice: decide your concession budget before the first offer arrives, not while you're staring at one. Look at it as one number, whether it's labeled agent fee, closing costs or repairs. What you net is what counts.
Should I lower my price or offer concessions?
If you're getting showings but no offers, a targeted concession like a closing-cost credit or a rate buydown can solve the buyer's problem. If you're getting no showings at all, the price is the problem.
Mortgage rates averaged 6.86% in September 2026, up from 6.35% a year earlier, according to Freddie Mac figures cited in HAR's September report. For a buyer, a seller-funded rate buydown can lower the monthly payment more than the same dollars off the price. A licensed lender can run both options side by side for a specific buyer, and I'd always have one do that before you decide.
A price drop is not a failure. Waiting too long to make one usually costs more than making it on time. The longer a home sits, the more buyers wonder what's wrong with it.
What happens after I accept an offer on my Houston home?
Once you accept, the buyer's option period starts, followed by inspection and repair negotiations, the appraisal if they're financing, and title work before closing.
- Earnest money and option fee go to the title company.
- Inspection. Expect a repair request. You can agree, counter, offer a credit or decline.
- Appraisal. If it comes in below the contract price, the usual paths are renegotiating the price, the buyer covering the gap, or meeting in the middle.
- Title work. The title company looks for liens, judgments and anything else that needs to be cleared.
- Closing. You sign, the loan pays off, and you hand over the keys at the agreed time.
The current TREC contract, updated in January 2025, also added a line about providing any mold remediation certificate issued in the five years before the sale. If you've had mold work done, find that paperwork now.
Will I owe taxes when I sell my house?
Maybe not. Under IRS Publication 523, you may be able to exclude up to $250,000 of gain from the sale of your main home, or $500,000 for a married couple filing jointly.
To qualify, you generally must have owned and lived in the home for at least two of the five years before the sale. Rentals, inherited homes and homes with a home office have their own rules, so bring this question to your CPA before you list, not after you close.
Selling after a life change, or selling land?
Not every sale starts with "we found a bigger house." Divorce, inheritance, downsizing and relocation each change the timeline, the paperwork and who has to sign.
I hold the Certified Probate Real Estate Specialist (CPRES) designation because inherited homes are a big part of my work, and I coordinate with the family's attorney and the title company so the house doesn't become the reason everything stalls. If your property is acreage rather than a subdivision lot, the pricing and the buyer pool are different, and I walk through that in buying and selling acreage near Houston.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to sell a house in Houston?
It depends on the brokerage fees you agree to, title and escrow charges, prorated property and MUD taxes, and any concessions. Ask your agent for a net sheet on your specific home before you list.
Can I sell my house as-is in Texas?
Yes. You can sell as-is and price for the condition, but you still have to complete the Seller's Disclosure Notice unless your sale is exempt.
Do I have to pay the buyer's agent in Houston?
No. Compensation is negotiable, and offers can no longer be posted on the MLS. Many sellers still contribute through the contract, so decide your budget before offers come in.
What happens if my house appraises low in Texas?
You and the buyer can renegotiate the price, the buyer can pay the difference, or you can meet somewhere in between. If no one agrees, the contract and its addenda decide what happens next.
How long is the option period in Texas?
It's whatever number of days you and the buyer write into the contract. The TREC form leaves it blank, and the buyer must pay the option fee within 3 days to keep that right.
More answers on everything from listing to closing are on my buying and selling FAQ.
If selling is on your mind, even a year out, let's sit down with your actual number: what the house would likely sell for, what you'd walk away with, and what the next move costs. No pressure, just a plan you can decide on.
If you have any questions, call me — 281-944-5484 or team@lashambra.com. LaShambra Ewing, MBA, CLHMS, CPRES, Broker Associate, Keller Williams Realty Southwest.
