— We take our content seriously. This article was written by a real person at BREL.
Let’s be honest: selling a property quickly is easy when you’ve got a perfectly-maintained, designer-renovated house with all the features buyers are looking for, in a hot neighbourhood. Put that baby on the MLS and watch the bidding war unfold.
But what about the rest of us? What if your home:
- Backs onto the train tracks?
- Is steps from a major intersection?
- Has “challenging” neighbours?
- Faces directly into another building?
- Is near ongoing construction?
- Has a less-than-ideal layout?
The good news? You can still sell quickly.
Understanding Quick Sales
First, let’s talk about why you might need to sell fast:
- Job relocation
- Separation or divorce
- Already purchased another property
- Financial needs
- Health issues
- Family changes
While the average Toronto home sells in around 30 days, sometimes you need it sold even faster. Here’s our proven strategy:
Strategic Home Preparation
The key is balancing speed-to-market with proper preparation. Here’s what matters:
Must-Dos (Even When Time is Tight):
- Deep professional cleaning (this is non-negotiable)
- Critical repairs (anything that screams “maintenance issues”)
- Decluttering (focus on surfaces and closets)
- Basic staging (furniture placement and decluttering)
Skip These (When Time is Short):
- Major renovations
- Cosmetic updates that take more than a weekend
- Extensive landscaping
- Non-essential repairs
Pro Tip: Work with an agent who has a team of trusted resources. They can often get a week’s worth of prep done in 1-2 days.
Related: 30 Days to Preparing Your Home for Sale
Strategic Pricing For Speed
Here’s what works:
- Price at or slightly below recent comparable sales
- Be the best value compared to the other, similar properties for sale
- Consider price brackets (dropping even $5K can put you in a new buyer pool)
- Be realistic about your property’s challenges
If you’re looking for a quick sale, you don’t have the time to test different price points, so it’s critical to get your price right at the start. Be ready to adjust your price and strategy if you’re not getting the showings and activity your REALTOR expects.
Related: Determining a House’s Value
Related: Determining a Condo’s Value
Modern Marketing Matters
Today’s buyers find properties online You need:
- Professional photos that make your space look amazing online
- Video tours and floor plans that show the layout
- Strategic digital and social media promotion
- Targeted email marketing to agents with active buyers
- Compelling listing copy that addresses potential concerns up front
Make It Easy to Show
The hard truth? Availability equals sellability.
- Allow showings 7 days a week
- Be flexible with times (9 AM to 9 PM is ideal)
- Use a digital lockbox for easy access
- Always be showing-ready
- Leave during showings (yes, every time)
- Have a plan for pets and kids
Insider Strategies: Beyond the Basics
We’ve covered the basics of preparing, pricing, marketing and showing your home for a fast sale. Now, let’s look at some lesser-known strategies that can help. Here’s what most sellers (and too many agents) don’t know:
Strategic Commission Structure
Typical buyer agent commissions vary across Toronto. Want more agents showing your property? Consider offering a higher commission. While it might seem counterintuitive to pay more when you’re trying to sell quickly, incentivizing buyer agents can significantly increase showing activity. Does this guarantee a sale? No. But more showings often result in a faster sale. If 2.5% is what your competitors are offering buyer agents, consider incentivizing agents with a 3% commission if sold within X days.
The Power of Agent Education
Most people don’t realize that 90% of Toronto sales happen with two agents involved – and the listing agent is almost never present at showings. Buyer agents can be great – but they don’t really know your house or neighbourhood, and if you live in a condo, they may never have even been inside your building. When we list a home for sale, we create detailed Showing Notes for buyer agents, highlighting:
- Hidden features they might miss
- Recent upgrades and renovations
- Parking instructions
- School district details
- Condo amenities
- Neighbourhood highlights
This simple strategy ensures buyers get all the important information about your home, even when we aren’t at the showing with the buyer and their agent. People love our showing notes!
Strategic MLS Listings
When it comes to your MLS listing, it’s important to know there are two places where your agent can include remarks:
- Public remarks (what buyers see)
- Broker remarks (agent-only view)
Use both strategically. That means you should consider:
- Being transparent about motivation in broker remarks (“Motivated seller!”)
- Highlighting urgency in public remarks (“Priced for quick sale!”)
- Including key information that will attract your target buyer
Timing Matters
Don’t just list when you’re ready – list when buyers are looking. Here’s what works in Toronto:
- List Tuesday-Thursday for maximum weekend exposure
- Avoid holiday weekends
- Time your listing to hit the market before competing properties
Choose Your Agent Strategically
When speed matters, look for an agent or team who:
- Has a network of active and motivated buyers
- Maintains strong relationships with other agents
- Has a team to handle quick preparation and staging
- Provides regular updates without being asked
- Has experience selling properties similar to yours
- Has resources ready to deploy (stagers, photographers, cleaners)
The BREL Bottom Line
Selling your home quickly isn’t just about price and presentation – it’s about using every tool available to attract the right buyers. When you need to sell fast, choose an experienced agent with the skills, services and strategic mindset to get your home sold.
Need to sell your home quickly? Let’s talk about creating a custom strategy that uses all these tools – and more – to get your home sold.