Selling a House in Arizona: Expert Tips to Attract Buyers
Selling a house in Arizona? Learn expert tips from a top Phoenix-area agent on pricing, preparation, and strategies to attract buyers in today’s market.
If you’re selling a house in Arizona, you may have concerns about how long it will take to find a buyer. Higher interest rates and rising home prices are slowing sales, with many Arizona homes now taking two to three months or longer to go under contract
To help guide you through today’s market, we spoke with Shannon Gillette, one of the highest-rated real estate agents in the Phoenix metro area. With 19 years of experience and over 200 home sales annually, Shannon offers expert insights on how to price, prepare, and market your Arizona home to attract serious buyers.
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What Arizona’s housing market looks like right now
“Our team has a really great pulse on the market,” says Gillette, who works with nearly 90% more single-family homes than the average Phoenix-area agent. “In the Phoenix metro area right now, it is more of a buyer’s market. The average home is taking sixty to ninety days to sell.”
This slower selling pace holds true throughout the state, with some cities averaging even higher days on market, such as Coolidge (154 days) and Scottsdale (217 days).
“With homes sitting on the market, it’s making sellers more motivated to sell,” Gillette says. “But we’re noticing that buyers are nervous right now; concerned with the high interest rates and everything happening in the economy.”
Gillette explains that buyers are taking their time. “As a listing agent, I am noticing that a buyer will tour a home, come back a second time, and three weeks after their first showing, they submit an offer. They’re taking longer to make their decision.”
As a result, sellers need to be patient but also proactive in positioning their homes to compete.
Why pricing a home correctly matters more than ever
In a market where buyers are cautious, pricing your home right from the start is critical. Overpricing can lead to a stale listing, which makes buyers question the home’s value and gives them leverage to negotiate harder later on.
“It’s very, very dangerous to overprice your home,” warns Gillette. “The most important time is that first week on the market. As a listing agent, I can tell quickly if a home is overpriced — you simply don’t get any showing requests. That’s the market speaking to you.”
Gillette recommends pricing slightly below market value to generate early interest and create a sense of urgency. “If I were listing my own home today, I’d price it a little under market value just to get that initial buzz.”
One common mistake Arizona sellers make is basing their list price on how much they need to net for their next home purchase. “That’s not how you price a home,” says Gillette. “You price based on what’s selling and closing in your area — your neighbors’ sales determine your market value.”
Learn more: How to Set Your Home’s List Price: 5 Factors That Matter Most
How to prepare your home for a faster sale in Arizona
In Arizona’s current market, where buyers are taking longer to make decisions, first impressions matter more than ever. One of the best ways to make your home stand out is through proper preparation, specifically, decluttering and deep cleaning.
“The best return on your investment as a seller is hiring a company to come in and deep clean your home and clean your windows,” says Gillette. “You can hire a professional for around $500, and that investment may bring you thousands more at the closing table.”
Gillette also recommends going a step further by organizing closets and clearing out clutter. A fresh, clean scent can also make a big difference when buyers walk through the door.
“Sometimes sellers rush to get their home on the market without taking time to prepare,” she explains. “But buyers are looking for a home that feels move-in ready.”
Expert tips to attract homebuyers in Arizona
Here is a list of preparations and incentives to consider that can help you attract buyers and sell your Arizona home sooner:
- Take down personal photos: Create a space where buyers can visualize themselves living in the home.
- Make curb appeal improvements: Paint the front door, mow the lawn, plant flowers, or consider professional landscaping.
- Focus on the right repairs: Fix chipped paint, fill holes in walls, repair leaky faucets, replace broken fixtures, and straighten sagging gutters.
- Paint with neutral colors and decor: Opt for neutral colors and decor to make the home more versatile and appealing to a wider range of buyers.
- Highlight what buyers want: Focus on showcasing the home’s unique selling points, such as updated kitchens or bathrooms.
- Consider pre-listing inspection: Address any issues identified early on, showing buyers you have maintained the home well.
- Hire a professional photographer: High-quality photos are essential for attracting buyer interest, especially in a market where nearly all home searches start online.
- Write an engaging listing description: Highlight key features and create a vivid picture of the lifestyle the home offers.
- Leverage online platforms: Along with the multiple listing services (MLS), post your home sale details on social media and other online platforms like Nextdoor.
- Employ offline marketing: Consider traditional methods like distributing color flyers or postcards in the local area.
- Consider video or 3D tours: These can enhance the online listing and give potential buyers a better virtual tour.
- Be flexible with showings: Be accommodating with scheduling showings to fit potential buyers’ schedules, even on weekends and evenings.
- Highlight local attractions and lifestyle: If you are marketing to out-of-state buyers, promote your location’s unique benefits.
- Offer buyer incentives: In some cases, offering incentives can help secure a better offer, such as paying the buyer’s agent’s Realtor fees, providing a home warranty, or offering a rate buydown.
Learn more: What to Do to Sell Your House: A 14-Tip Home Selling Checklist
Features that help Arizona homes stand out
While proper pricing, preparation, and targeted repairs are key, certain features can give your home an extra edge, especially in Arizona’s climate. A standout feature that draws buyer attention? A backyard pool.
“When it starts to get hot out — and we’re reaching a hundred degrees — buyers want to have a pool,” says Gillette. “Homes with pools tend to sell faster than those without.” However, she also notes that homes in master-planned communities with access to community pools can still appeal to buyers seeking that Arizona lifestyle.
Beyond pools, the most desirable homes are those that feel move-in ready, or turnkey homes. Buyers in today’s market are less willing to take on major repairs or updates. “If it’s not move-in ready,” Gillette explains, “buyers are going to want a big discount off the home, and it’s going to be less desirable.”
For sellers, this means highlighting any recent upgrades, ensuring the home feels fresh, and addressing any obvious repair needs upfront to avoid losing buyer interest.
Learn more: How to Focus on the Right Fixes Before Selling Your House
Don’t overlook Arizona’s seller disclosure requirements
Arizona law requires sellers to disclose the full history of their property to potential buyers. Your disclosure statement covers a wide range of issues, from structural problems to environmental hazards, and even pests unique to the region.
“When selling a home in Arizona, you have to disclose everything from fires or floods to whether you’ve ever seen scorpions in the home,” explains Gillette. “We have scorpions here in Arizona, and buyers want to know.”
Beyond pest concerns, buyers are especially cautious about big-ticket items like the roof and HVAC systems. “Buyers want to see that the roof and AC units don’t need to be replaced — especially with Arizona’s summer heat,” she adds. Homes with older or original systems may prompt buyers to request concessions to cover potential replacements.
Making sure these disclosures are complete and transparent can help avoid issues later in the transaction and build trust with buyers from the outset.
Learn more: What Fixes Are Mandatory After a Home Inspection
Consult With a Top-Performing Arizona Agent
It takes just two minutes to match you with the top-performing real estate agents in your Arizona market. Our data shows that the top 5% of agents in the U.S. sell homes quicker and for as much as 10% more than the average agent.
Misconceptions sellers have about choosing an agent
With over 53,000 licensed real estate agents in Arizona, many homeowners know several agents personally. But choosing an agent based on personal relationships, rather than qualifications, can lead to costly mistakes.
“A lot of sellers feel obligated to use a friend or acquaintance simply because they know them, and not because they would do the best job,” says Gillette. “But ask yourself: If you didn’t know that person personally, would you hire them to sell your biggest asset? Most sellers would probably say no.”
Hiring an experienced agent with a proven track record and strong marketing strategies can make a significant difference in how quickly your home sells — and for how much. Agents who rely solely on listing your home in the MLS without offering expert marketing support may leave your property languishing on the market.
Gillette’s advice: prioritize expertise over personal connections. A qualified agent will market your home aggressively and help you price it right, which can ultimately lead to a higher sale price and faster results.
Learn more: 24 Questions to Ask a Real Estate Agent Before You Hire One
A mistake to avoid when selling a house in Arizona
In a slower market like Arizona’s, it’s tempting for sellers to focus on saving money wherever possible, including cutting back on agent commissions, such as using a discount broker or a friend. But this strategy can backfire.
“Sellers sometimes concentrate too much on the seller’s agent compensation,” Gillette explains. “They might think, ‘Oh, I can save one percent in commission by hiring a friend.’ But you may not really be saving that money. You could actually be losing more because your home may sell for less in the long run.”
A skilled agent doesn’t just list your home; they bring in buyers, negotiate better offers, and help you avoid missteps that can lead to costly delays or price reductions. The right agent can also offer advice on timing, marketing to out-of-state buyers (a common audience for Arizona homes), and staging strategies that can elevate your home’s appeal.
In short, Gillette suggests that Arizona home sellers focus on getting the highest proceeds at closing rather than saving money with potentially costly shortcuts.
Learn more: How to Market Your House for Sale
Conclusion: Selling a house in Arizona
Selling a house in Arizona today means facing longer market times, buyer hesitations, and increased competition. But with the right approach — pricing your home strategically, preparing it properly, and hiring an agent who knows how to market it well — you can still attract serious buyers and receive a strong offer.
By following the advice of experts like Shannon Gillette, you can improve your chances of a smooth, successful sale even in a challenging market. Take the time to prepare, price wisely, and partner with a professional who can help guide you through every step of the process.
HomeLight’s free Agent Match tool can connect you with the top-rated Arizona real estate agents in your market.
Learn more: Find more helpful guides in HomeLight’s Arizona Seller Resource Center
Here are search links to some of the top agents in 10 popular Arizona markets:
- Top real estate agents in Phoenix
- Top real estate agents in Tucson
- Top real estate agents in Mesa
- Top real estate agents in Chandler
- Top real estate agents in Gilbert
- Top real estate agents in Glendale
- Top real estate agents in Scottsdale
- Top real estate agents in Flagstaff
- Top real estate agents in Prescott
- Top real estate agents in Lake Havasu City
If you’re buying and selling at the same time, check out HomeLight’s Buy Before You Sell program, which can streamline the entire process so you only move once. Check out this short video to see how it works.
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