Selling a home is a major financial decision. It requires clear planning, market awareness, and the right selling strategy. Whether you’re moving across town or across the country, one question always comes up: how long does it take to sell a house? The answer depends on market conditions, your pricing strategy, and the method you choose to list your home.
Today’s real estate landscape offers more options than ever. You can work with a traditional full-service agent, sell For Sale By Owner (FSBO), hire a discount broker, or use a flat fee MLS service. Each path affects your time on market, your stress level, and your bottom line. This guide explains how each method works and what impact it has on your timeline.
Understanding How Long It Takes to Sell a House: What Influences the Timeline?
Time on market is a critical measurement for any home seller. It defines how fast you can transition out of your property and onto your next phase—whether it’s upsizing, downsizing, or relocating. The national average to sell a home in the U.S. typically ranges from 55 to 70 days. This includes approximately 25 days to receive an offer and 30 to 45 days to close. Yet this average can vary significantly depending on the method used to list the property, the local real estate climate, and how the home is priced and marketed.
The primary real estate selling methods differ not only in cost structure and support but also in their impact on your timeline. Listing with a traditional agent may result in more exposure but often includes delays tied to scheduling, fees, and agent dependency. FSBO sellers might find themselves stalled due to lack of buyer access. Discount brokers offer affordability, but may compromise service. Flat fee MLS services offer fast listing advantages, giving sellers direct platform access with greater control.
Homeowners must weigh how urgency affects their sales strategy. If you’re aiming to move quickly or reduce carrying costs, shortening your time on market by selecting the most efficient listing option is not optional—it’s essential. As we dive deeper into individual methods, keep this in mind: the method you select can increase—or reduce—your home’s visibility, perceived value, and ultimately, how long it typically takes to sell a house.
For Sale By Owner (FSBO): Freedom Meets Reality
For Sale By Owner is often a first consideration for those focused on full control and commission savings. It’s easy to see the appeal—no listing agent means no listing agent fee. However, what many homeowners gain in independence, they may sacrifice in exposure, strategy, and legal compliance. Most buyers search for properties using large listing platforms like Zillow or Realtor.com, and FSBO sellers often have limited access to these—especially without an MLS.
Marketing your home solo demands extraordinary dedication. It’s not just about snapping photos and writing a description. Sellers must schedule showings, negotiate pricing, manage contracts, and deal with buyer agents. If you’re unfamiliar with these steps, mistakes could cost more than the savings provided by skipping a realtor. Additionally, FSBO listings tend to stay on the market longer due to limited visibility and a reduced buyer pool.
Although FSBO can work well in hot markets or with highly experienced sellers, national trends show a far lower success rate compared to listed homes. More importantly, homes sold without MLS access are often undervalued due to presentation gaps. For sellers calculating how long it typically takes to sell a house, FSBO could slow progress if done without support or modern tools.
Discount Real Estate Brokers: Measuring Cost Against Service
Discount brokers offer flat fees or reduced commissions for basic MLS listing services. They’re designed to undercut traditional agent fees while still providing some level of support. Often, these brokers help list on the MLS, snap professional photos, and offer limited agent guidance. But the keyword is “limited.” Most don’t provide comprehensive marketing, strategic pricing advice, or negotiation support.
If you’re a homeowner with some selling experience, these services may suit your needs. However, they can compromise where it counts—visibility, responsiveness, and depth of service. Discount realtors may manage more listings at once, stretching their availability. That lack of direct attention can leave you without essential insight into staging, positioning, or handling complex buyer inquiries.
Time-wise, these services may or may not speed up your sale. If a property is competitively priced and in excellent condition, it might sell quickly. Yet homes in competitive markets often require nuanced attention to stand out. This is where discount brokers may fall short. The timeframe for selling might elongate—not due to poor property quality, but due to a suboptimal approach in competitive environments.
Traditional Full-Service Agents: Reliable Yet Costly
Using a full-service real estate agent remains a go-to for many sellers. These professionals typically manage everything from staging consultations to negotiations, and they come equipped with both network access and local market data. In exchange, they take a commission—usually around 5% to 6% of the home sale price, split between buyer and seller agents.
While the expertise is valuable, the cost can be substantial. For a $400,000 home, a 6% commission totals $24,000. That amount eclipses what most sellers would willingly give up without hesitation. For many, convenience overshadows cost sensitivity. That said, one must weigh whether the extra hands-on support translates to quicker sales or just added comfort with a steep price tag.
Selling with an agent doesn’t guarantee shorter timelines. It still largely depends on market conditions, pricing strategy, and how well your agent markets your home. For sellers still asking how long does it typically take to sell a house, keep in mind that even with an agent, typical time from listing to closing commonly extends beyond two months.
Flat Fee MLS Services: Efficiency and Control Combined
Flat fee MLS services, like those offered by beycome, give homeowners the critical visibility of the MLS without handing over large commissions to agents. For a one-time affordable fee, your listing is syndicated to platforms such as Trulia, Zillow, and more—dramatically increasing buyer exposure while maintaining full seller control.
Time to market is typically faster with this method because you’re not dependent on agent schedules. You handle showings, receive direct buyer inquiries, and manage your own transaction. That said, reputable services like beycome offer step-by-step guidance, helpful tools, and optional add-ons, allowing sellers to scale control and support as needed.
So how long does it typically take to sell a house with a flat fee MLS service? In many cases, faster than traditional methods. Beycome homes, for instance, close rapidly because sellers are empowered with listing control and real-time insights. With over 18,000 homes successfully closed and an average savings of $13,185, beycome delivers professional results without the premium.
The True Cost of Time: How Decisions Impact Timeline
When evaluating time on market, financial cost isn’t the only factor. Every additional month your home sits unsold adds carrying costs—mortgage, utilities, maintenance, and potential price reductions. Overpricing in particular can extend time on market significantly, especially in uncertain or seasonal markets. Buyers are savvy; they notice how long listings remain active, drawing assumptions about value or condition.
That’s why platforms that empower sellers to adapt instantly—adjusting price, scheduling open houses, handling feedback—end up outperforming slower-paced processes. Flat fee MLS services give you those tools. Compared to rigid agent-dependent schedules, you can act decisively, pivot when necessary, and avoid costly delays.
In short, speed comes from control. Sellers willing to invest effort into marketing, accurate pricing, and responsiveness will sell faster using a platform that enables quick decision-making and broad exposure. That’s where beycome clearly excels.
Why Beycome Is the Smartest Way to Sell Your Home—Fast and Profitably
Beycome is redefining the modern home-selling process. Sellers who prioritize exposure, speed, savings, and support are turning to beycome in record numbers. With flat fee MLS access starting at a low operational cost, homeowners enjoy premier visibility on national real estate websites without sacrificing control or hiring a full-commission agent.
Time on market shrinks with beycome. On average, a beycome-listed home sells every 30 minutes. That speed stems from systematized efficiency paired with intuitive seller tools. Whether you’re pricing with a free home valuation tool or fielding an offer directly via platform prompts, beycome scales with your pace.
When comparing beycome vs competitors, results speak volumes: $213 million in commissions saved, thousands of 5-star reviews, and accelerated closings. For homeowners still weighing options or asking how long does it typically take to sell a house, the statistics provide clarity. Sell smarter. Sell with strategy. Sell with beycome.
Take control of your home-selling journey today. Discover how flat fee MLS access through beycome can help you sell faster, keep more profit, and navigate confidently. Start your listing experience now by visiting beycome.com — your smartest choice for modern, empowered home selling.