10 Tips to Sell a House Fast in Milwaukee

Who else will buy your Milwaukee house for cash?

Patrick Johnson, who completes 36% more sales than the average Milwaukee agent, says he typically sees a mix of investors and “regular everyday buyers using cash offers.” Often, according to Johnson, these buyers “have maybe sold their house in the last couple of months to a couple of years, and they have a pretty good chunk of change.”

Investors in Milwaukee often offer cash and forgo contingencies which can help facilitate a faster sale. But in this market, Johnson says he’s seen cash offers get beat with a financed offer, especially if the home is “in good shape, updated, and move-in ready.”

Cash buyers in Milwaukee

Another option, if you need to sell your house fast, is to work with a Milwaukee “we buy houses for cash” company. These companies make a cash offer on your home and can facilitate a fast home sale, but it’s important to do some research to make sure they are trustworthy and have a positive track record.

These are a few examples of house-buying companies that may offer cash for your Milwaukee home:

• We Buy Ugly Houses® / HomeVestors® is one of the longer-standing house-buying companies in the U.S. HomeVestors was founded in 1996, and We Buy Ugly Houses is one of their subsidiaries. They boast clear and firm cash offers and visit the property before making an offer. The Milwaukee franchise, L7 Investments LLC, has been BBB accredited since 2018 and has an A+ rating.

• Metro Milwaukee Home Buyer is a locally owned, family-run business that’s been around since 1999. They buy distressed properties regardless of the condition that they then sell or rent. Their A+ BBB rating, which they’ve maintained since 2018, and customer reviews note the professionalism of the owner and the company’s ability to explain its plans for investment in the property.

• Cream City Home Buyers was founded in 2016 and has consistent 5-star reviews from their clients. The co-owners are committed to walking their customers through the home-selling process and explaining their offer generation formula. They have been BBB accredited since March 2018 and hold an A+ rating.

• Captain Save-A-Home will respond to new customers in 24 hours or less and can be ready for the closing process in as few as seven days. This company has been BBB accredited since 2016, has an A+ rating, and receives consistently positive reviews.

• Plan B HomeBuyers is an investment company that is used to handling distressed homes and makes fair, all-cash offers within 24 hours. They often cover closing costs and don’t collect any fees or commissions. They have an A+ rating through the BBB and have been accredited since 2010.

Pros and cons of selling your Milwaukee house for cash

If you want to achieve a fast home sale, selling for cash is often the way to go. But it does come with cons that should be weighed along with the pros to make sure you’re making the right decision for your specific situation.

Here are some of the pros and cons that come with selling your home quickly for cash.

Option 2: Work with a top agent to sell fast in Milwaukee

Working with a top agent in Milwaukee can be a good option for sellers who would like to sell faster than average, but who have some time to devote to a traditional sale vs. an instant cash offer.

Data from HomeLight reveals that leading agents are able to sell homes 10%-50% quicker than average agents, and they also secure an additional 4.8% in value for their clients.

Monique Simmons, an experienced Milwaukee agent who sells properties 48% faster than the average agent in her market, explains that “pricing correctly is the number one thing” for a fast sale. (More on this coming up in our “10 tips” section.)

“Agents have access to accurate market data that can help you price your home the right way,” Simmons says, adding that pricing correctly is “absolutely critical.”

Your best bet for balancing price and speed is to hire a top real estate agent. An agent will conduct a comparative market analysis (CMA) and compare your home to recently sold properties in the area of similar age, square footage, and condition to land on the most effective selling price.

What’s happening in the Milwaukee housing market?

In 2023, the Metropolitan Milwaukee housing market experienced a decline in existing-home sales that was largely driven by an inventory shortage and high mortgage rates.

During the fourth quarter of 2023, home sales dropped 18.6% compared to the same quarter the previous year, with a 10.5% decline in December on a year-over-year basis. This is according to data from The Greater Milwaukee Association of REALTORS® (GMAR), who emphasize that “home sales were down because of a lack of inventory not a lack of buyer interest.”

Jeremy Rynders, a top Milwaukee agent who works with over 81% more single-family homes than the average agent in the market, says “buyer demand is huge,” making it a promising market for sellers who saw home prices jump 5.9% through the fourth quarter. The typical home in Metropolitan Milwaukee sold for $417,800, a $23,358 year-over-year increase.

The lack of inventory is being exacerbated by a “historically low level of new construction” and fewer new listings, according to GMAR. Fourth-quarter listings dropped 14.2% over the same period a year earlier, however, December listings were up 1.1% on an annual basis. There were only 2.4 months of supply (a measure of the time it would take to sell all the homes on the market at the current pace of sales) — far below the 5–7 months of supply needed for a balanced market.

Interest rates have started to decline gradually since peaking at 8.3% in October 2023, and are hovering around 6.6% as of February 2024. The Fed is expected to make three cuts to the federal funds rate this year, likely starting in May or June, which could lower mortgage rates and improve affordability.

Johnson is seeing a backlog of qualified buyers who stayed out of the market during rising interest rates. As these buyers reenter the market, they’ll be affected by the low inventory, which means there may be more opportunities for a fast sale. 

How fast are homes selling in Milwaukee?

Here’s a snapshot of current housing market indicators in the Metropolitan Milwaukee market:

*Data point for Milwaukee County, not Metro Area

**Data point for Q4 2023

Data source(s): Metro MLS, FRED, Ice Mortgage Technology 

Data points from a monthly report can provide insights into current market conditions, but working with an experienced agent offers unmatched advantages.

Each county is made up of individual cities, and each city is made up of individual neighborhoods, all with their own distinct trends and pricing. An agent who has represented buyers and sellers in these areas comes with specific knowledge of the market that can help you position your home for a fast sale.

10 tips to sell a house fast in Milwaukee

Whether you sell your home for cash or work with an agent on a more traditional sale, there are strategies that can help you position your home for a fast sale in Milwaukee. Here are a few examples:

1. Set your price competitively

Rynders says that pricing your home right and getting it listed on the proper days, typically a Thursday or a Friday, are the first steps in a fast home sale in Milwaukee. It’s even more important when you’re trying to sell quickly but want to balance proceeds with speed. An experienced Milwaukee agent will perform a comparative market analysis to help you set the best price to sell a house fast in your market.

If you’re curious about your home’s current value, try HomeLight’s Home Value Estimator. While it shouldn’t dictate your final pricing strategy, an online home value estimate can give you a ballpark price range. You can get a preliminary estimate in less than two minutes.

2. Highlight a finished basement

Wisconsin weather keeps people indoors for much of the winter, so finished basements are a highly desirable feature, especially those with tall ceilings, according to Johnson. If you have a finished basement, even a partial one, make sure to highlight that in the listing and stage it so it looks welcoming and usable.

3. Focus on current aesthetics

While you may not have the time, inclination, or budget to complete extensive renovations or take on major repairs, Johnson says that buyers are looking for nicer kitchens and bathrooms that fit in with current aesthetics. Clean lines and minimal furniture can reveal the home’s potential without clashing with a buyer’s tastes.

4. Hire a professional photographer and videographer

According to a 2023 survey conducted by the National Association of Realtors, 41% of recent homebuyers said their first step in the home-buying process was searching online for available properties. That means buyers are likely to form an opinion of your property through the photos and videos in your online listing. High-quality photos and videos will give buyers a better sense of your home’s layout and features.

The first six or eight photos of your listing are often the most crucial to engage buyers, so an experienced agent will prioritize the most important features of the house, whether it’s a gorgeous kitchen, a three-car garage, or a wide shot that reveals a green space.

5.  Refresh your home’s curb appeal

Top agents agree that buyers will judge a book by its cover — the outside of the home is a reflection of what the inside is going to look like. It’s important to make you make your home seem “special” before you list it. Add fresh paint where needed, plant some flowers, spruce up your front door and entryway, and do a deep clean to ensure the home is in top condition.

Seasoned agents like Simmons and Rynders offer their clients multiple resources and benefits to help a home stand out to buyers, including photography, social media marketing, staging recommendations, and even help to prioritize which repairs and upgrades will get noticed and give sellers the most bang for their buck.

6. Showcase your outdoor space

Today’s homebuyers are looking for usable outdoor space. While Milwaukee might be cold for five or six months out of the year, the summer is ideal for enjoying the great outdoors. Consider adding a concrete patio with a cozy seating area and fire pit, or staging an outdoor cooking area with a grill gazebo, prep station, and a couple of bar stools.

7. Advertise proximity and walkability

Walkability is important for many Milwaukee buyers. This makes it important for sellers to highlight parks, coffee shops, and local restaurants in the neighborhood. Proximity to other services can also play a role in selling your home. Highlight if you’re near the airport for frequent travelers or close to big offices for those who are commuting to work. If you’re in a great school district, point that out for families.

8. Promote space for extra lodging or a home office

If your property has an accessory dwelling unit (ADU), such as a mother-in-law cottage, emphasize it in your listing. Tell buyers if you have a home office or stage that extra room as an office. If you are selling a home with ample square footage or a large lot, be sure to highlight that, too.

9. Take advantage of market timing

Along with the recommendations above, it can be helpful to know the level of market activity in your area during different times of the year. HomeLight’s Best Time to Sell Calculator uses housing market data for your area to show you the best and worst months to sell your home. See when is the best time to sell a house if you want to make the most money and which months are best to sell your house fast.

10. Have a place to go once you sell

If you’re selling the home you’re living in, you’ll simultaneously be a buyer and a seller. This means that while you’ll command premiums on the sale of your home, you may also be paying a premium on the home you buy (and face buyer competition as well). If you want to sell your home fast, make sure you’re ready to move on once it sells.

Rynders says in rare cases, sellers can sign a post-occupancy addendum with their buyer that may give them an additional 30–60 days. He says, “Because of the low inventory and buyers being so desperate to get a house under contract, many of them are flexible with post-occupancy.” But there’s still no guarantee that you’ll find a place, so he points out that this is a risky solution.

Ready to sell your Milwaukee home?

A top real estate agent in Milwaukee can help you navigate the many nuances that you might not otherwise discover until you’re swamped in the process. Their organization efficiencies and marketing expertise can help you sell your Milwaukee house fast.

If you need an even faster sale, HomeLight’s Simple Sale platform provides cash offers for homes in almost any condition in Milwaukee. If you don’t have the time or the means to prepare your home or move through the traditional listing process, you can skip the repairs and showings and close in as few as 10 days. Complete a short questionnaire and receive a no-obligation cash offer within 24 hours.

Header Image Source: (Wei Zeng / Unsplash)