Steps to list ‘as is’ with the help of a real estate agent

Find an agent willing to list the home ‘as is’

Your choice of real estate agent always matters, but especially when selling a property “as is.” It’s important to find the right match. You’re looking for an agent who doesn’t shy away from listings that need a little TLC and maybe has a strong network of investor connections.

Your agent should also be willing to go the extra mile on marketing. Considering 80% of Americans say they would prefer to buy a move-in ready home, an “as is” sale likely has a reduced buyer pool from the start.

Billings says disclosing any defects or issues with the property is important, but for sellers who inherited the property, this can be difficult, as they may not know the full extent of the problems within the home.

“Sometimes the sellers have been given the home when someone passes, and they don’t know much about the house,” he says.

“We usually recommend that they put in there that they don’t really know about the property, they’ve never lived in it, and to fill it out to the best of their knowledge,” Billings adds.

Consider a pre-listing inspection

A pre-listing home inspection is the same as a standard one except that the seller pays for it before listing their home on the market. It may sound like a counterintuitive step for an as-is sale, but getting the inspection results upfront can illuminate any issues that could impact the home’s value and inform an accurate pricing strategy. If a buyer requests further deductions to the price based on their inspection, you may be able to point to how the estimated cost of certain repairs was already baked into the list price.

Billings says pre-inspections ultimately give sellers more tools to entice potential buyers better.

“They know what the issues are ahead of time that they can resolve before selling the property, so it’s in moving condition for the buyers. More buyers want that move-in condition with high prices,” he says.

Price to reflect ‘as is’ condition

The median sale price for homes in Arizona hit $430,990 in the fourth quarter of 2023, a 1.8% decrease over the year prior.

Billings recommends dropping the price, particularly if it’s a home that needs a lot of repair.

“Usually, if it says it needs a ton of work, we’ve tried to reduce the purchase price or the list price by 10% to 15%.”

You can start with a free estimate from HomeLight’s Home Value Estimator (HVE).

Our HVE combs public data, including tax records and assessments, and pulls recent sales records for other properties in your neighborhood. Using a short questionnaire, we also factor in specifics about your home, such as the property type and described condition. Input your address, and we’ll give you a preliminary home value estimate in under two minutes.

Do ever-so-light preparations

Even for as-is home listings in Arizona, Billings typically recommends sellers complete basic tasks, such as ensuring the roof or major appliances like the air conditioner are in working order.

He suggests “taking care of the main parts of the home like the roof, the air-conditioning, water heater, and appliances, making sure those are all in good shape and repairing those if needed.”

There are several other ways you can spruce up your home’s curb appeal on a budget, including taking care of the lawn or cleaning the windows. It’s important not to spend too much time or money, however, as making extensive repairs defeats the purpose of selling the home “as is.”

Photograph to show potential

Your home listing warrants professional photography no matter the property is condition. A professional photographer will take steps to shoot each room from the best angle, ensure optimal interior and natural lighting, and edit for the ideal brightness and exposure.

A high-quality camera with a wide-angle lens is also essential to showcasing entire rooms rather than half or three-quarters of what’s there. For these reasons and more, professionally photographed homes can help earn homeowners up to a 47% higher asking price per square foot compared to houses marketed without professional photos.

Your real estate agent will almost always arrange for professional photos as part of the listing process.

Highlight the surrounding area

A home’s location will be important to buyers seeking out a home with potential. Mention in your as-is listing if your home is close to any of the following:

• Downtown areas
• Major employers
• Parks and green spaces
• Sports venues and entertainment districts
• Waterfront views or access (ocean or a lake)
• Highly rated schools
• Access to outdoor activities
• Public transportation

Include ‘as is’ in the listing

Unless you explicitly mention that your house is being sold “as is,” buyers will have no idea of your intentions with the listing. Other common descriptors mentioned in as-is listings in Arizona include priced to sell, fixer-upper, handyman special, or a “call for investors.”

To balance the focus on as-is condition, work with your agent to craft a property description that highlights the best features of the home,

Understand buyers may still negotiate

Listing “as is” provides no guarantee that buyers won’t try to negotiate savings on their purchase, even on an asking price you felt was already reduced to reflect the home’s condition. One of the best defenses you can have is an agent who takes a hard stance to prevent a deal from going south for the seller.

Be aware of minimum property standards for certain loans

When you place your home on the market, it’s hard to predict if your top offer will come from a cash buyer or a buyer pre-qualified for a home loan.

But if you do end up working with a financed buyer, be aware that different mortgage types (such as conventional loans or government-backed FHA, USDA, or VA loans) have different minimum property standards. These are standards related to the overall condition of a property, which will play a role in the willingness and/or ability of a lender to finance a buyer’s loan.

Before properties can be financed, their value and condition are typically examined by a state-licensed, independent appraiser contracted by the buyer’s mortgage company.

If you’re unsure whether your home will meet appraisal requirements, you can start by taking a look at the FHA minimum property standards. If your house complies with FHA, then it complies with most other lenders’ requirements.

Prioritize a cash offer if you receive one

On occasion, conventional lenders may even finance a fixer-upper property sold “as is,” it’s not impossible to finance a fixer-upper with an FHA loan. However, if you’re selling a house “as is” — especially one that needs heftier repairs — you may want to consider accepting a cash offer if you receive one. Cash eliminates the lender-ordered appraisal and the time it takes to close on the buyer’s loan, creating a faster and clearer path to settlement.