Selling a house is one of the biggest financial moves you'll ever make. This guide covers the full home-selling process step by step, with the Tennessee-specific details you need to know: how disclosures work here, whether you need an attorney at closing, and who typically pays for what.

For informational purposes only. Always consult with a licensed real estate professional before proceeding with any real estate transaction.

How to Sell Your Home in Tennessee: The Short Version

Selling a home in Tennessee comes down to nine steps:

• Find a real estate agent who knows your local market.
• Time your listing around your goals and local market data, not just season.
• Price the home using real comparable sales and fair market value.
• Familiarize yourself with Tennessee's required disclosures.
• Prep and stage the home so it's ready for showings.
• Market it with strong listing photos, a compelling description, and broad exposure.
• Weigh offers on both price and terms, not just price alone.
• Be prepared for negotiations after the inspection and appraisal.
• Get a seller net sheet early on so you're prepared for closing costs.

Save this list. Send it to a friend who's about to list their own place.

Step 1: Find a Real Estate Agent Who Knows Your Market

Start here—not with paint colors, not with a price in your head, but with the real estate agent who's going to help you sell your house.

A good real estate agent will save you money in ways that are easy to overlook. They know which repairs actually pay off. They know how to position your home against the three other listings on your street. And they know the micro-market trends that will impact your asking price and the best time to sell.

Here's what to ask potential listing agents before you sign a contract:

• How many homes have they sold in your specific area in the past year?
• What's their average list-to-sale price ratio?
• Do they have recent, comparable home sales in your price range?
• What do past clients say—not just the five-star reviews, but the details in them?
• Are they licensed in Tennessee and part of a local Realtors association?

Interview more than one listing agent. A 20-minute conversation tells you a lot about whether someone will fight for your price or just take the listing.

Not every seller wants a full-service agent, and that's fine. Some sellers go with a flat-fee Multiple Listing Service option, a discount broker, or a cash-buyer company that closes fast in exchange for a lower sale price. The trade-off is that the fewer services you pay for, the more legal, financial, time, and stress burdens you place on your own shoulders.

Should You Sell Your House Without a Realtor?

It's a fair question, and one worth answering honestly instead of just waving it away.

According to the National Association of Realtors' 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, only about 5% of home sales happened as a sale by owner last year—a record low, and down from double digits a decade ago. The other 91%+ of home sellers used an agent.

The appeal of the FSBO process (for-sale-by-owner) is obvious: skip the commission, save money, and keep more money in your own pocket. And for sellers who already have a buyer lined up, such as a friend, relative, or neighbor, selling without a realtor can genuinely work well, since a lot of the hardest parts of the selling process (finding and vetting a buyer) are already solved.

But if you don't have a buyer lined up, the FSBO process can be challenging. Sellers who go it alone also report more stress, more legal mistakes, and more trouble attracting buyers who aren't already in their network. Many would-be FSBOs end up turning to a listing agent after wasting their best chance at market exposure.

Step 2: Time Your Sale the Smart Way

It's true that seasonality can affect how fast you sell and for how much. Spring and early summer tend to bring more potential buyers and more competition, which can mean a faster sale and a stronger price. Late fall and winter usually mean fewer showings, but home buyers tend to be more serious.

But when you list depends less on the calendar and more on your own timeline. Rushing pre-listing repairs helps no one, and delaying unnecessarily will cause carrying costs to eat into your profits (not to mention how interest rates affect things). A well-priced home can sell in any season.

If you have a move-out date, work backward from it. Homes in Tennessee typically take a few weeks to find a buyer, and once you're under contract, closing usually runs another 30 to 45 days when the buyer is financing the purchase. Add time for prep and photos before you even list.

Ask your real estate agent what's happening in your specific neighborhood right now. Statewide numbers don't tell you much about your street.

Step 3: Price It Right From Day One

Nothing affects how fast or for how much you sell your house like the price you choose on day one. A successful sale starts with a realistic number, not a hopeful one. Overpricing is the single most expensive mistake a seller can make.

Here's why: A home priced above what comparable sales support tends to sit. Most buyers have an agent who will let them know your home is overpriced. They'll move on or wait for the price to drop.

After the first few weeks have gone by, new buyers see the days-on-market count and start wondering what's wrong with the house. The buyers who schedule showings become primed to see the negative. You end up having to lower your price—often below your initial "accurate" price—to motivate buyers to make offers, all while carrying costs keep hitting your bank account.

A comparative market analysis (CMA) is how your agent sets a listing price. It looks at homes like yours that actually sold recently—not listing prices, not your home's estimated value from an online tool, not what your neighbor claims they got, but what someone was actually willing to pay. Your agent will walk through your home and factor in condition, square footage, updates, and location to land on a fair market value you can defend to buyers. Many agents will offer a comparative market analysis for free.

Buyer's agents see an accurate initial listing price as a sign that you're a serious seller who doesn't have unrealistic expectations. And that attitude attracts serious buyers who are willing to pay what your house is worth.

Bottom line: The market sets the value. Your asking price either matches it or fights it, and the market usually wins. Your home sale's success is heavily affected by how closely your list price tracked reality on day one.

Step 4: Handle Tennessee's Disclosure Rules

Under the Tennessee Residential Property Disclosure Act, anyone selling a home with one to four units has to give the buyer one of three things:

• A completed Residential Property Condition Disclosure, listing known material defects (i.e., anything that could affect the buyer's willingness to buy the house)
• A disclaimer statement, where you make no promises about the home's condition and the buyer accepts it "as is," but the buyer has to agree to waive the full disclosure first
• An exemption notice, for the limited situations where the law doesn't apply (things like certain foreclosures, court-ordered sales, or new construction sold with a written warranty)

A few things trip home sellers up here:

"As is" doesn't mean "say nothing." Even with a disclaimer, Tennessee law still requires you to be honest and forthcoming about what you actually know. Selling as-is just tells the buyer you don’t intend to fix things.

Some items need disclosure no matter which form you use. Known termite or wood-destroying insect activity and treatment history are common examples buyers ask about directly, and most Tennessee purchase agreements call for this separately from the general disclosure form.

Homes built before 1978 need a federal lead-based paint disclosure, on top of anything required by the state.

Local hazards matter. Flood zones (and, in parts of East Tennessee, sinkhole-prone ground) are things you need to be prepared for buyers to ask about. Buyers in a competitive market walk away fast from anything that looks like a hidden problem, so being upfront keeps the deal on track.

If any of this feels like a gray area for your specific property, that's a good moment to call a real estate attorney. It's a small cost against a transaction this large, and it protects you if a dispute ever comes up after closing.

Step 5: Get Your Home Market Ready

Buyers form an opinion about a home in the first few seconds, often before they ever step out of the car. Your job here is to make those seconds count, because first impressions are the hardest to change. A little work now is one of the best ways to sell your house for top dollar later.

Boost your home's curb appeal. Curb appeal sets the tone before a buyer ever walks in, and it's one of the cheapest ways to boost your home's appeal overall. A trimmed lawn, clean walkway, and a fresh coat of paint on the front door go further than most sellers expect. Power-wash siding, clean gutters, and touch up any peeling trim. A tired exterior undercuts even a beautifully updated interior.

Declutter and deep clean. Clear out extra furniture, personal photos and decor, and anything crowding a closet. Think of it as getting a head start on your packing. Then clean your house top to bottom—it's the single best thing you can do to make your home look appealing.

Invest in some home staging—you can use your own furniture if your budget is tight, and staged rooms show much better than empty ones. If you're selling with pets, remove their items when possible and take them with you during showings.

Handle the repairs that matter. A pre-listing home inspection (usually $300–$450) flags problems before a buyer's inspector does, which means you can take care of things on your own schedule with your choice of contractors, not just whoever's available in a hurry. Just be aware you'll have to disclose whatever problems the inspection finds.

Tennessee's clay-heavy soil in some areas can cause minor foundation cracking or settling over time—usually cosmetic but worth having a professional confirm rather than guess. Same goes for termites: Tennessee's climate is friendly to them, and a clean pest inspection report is one less thing a buyer can use to negotiate your price down later.

If you decide not to fix up your home, know that you'll be marketing to a different buyer pool: investors and DIYers are more prepared to take on a fixer-upper, but they'll be looking for lower prices to compensate.

Get professional photos. Hire a professional photographer rather than relying on phone photos, if the budget allows. The vast majority of buyers will see your house online first, and if the photos are dark, cluttered, or crooked, you've lost some of them before they ever pick up the phone. Drone photography can help your listing stand out.

A few focused weekends of work can get a home market-ready without a full renovation. Bigger repairs, such as a new roof, HVAC replacement, and kitchen updates, usually pay back less than they cost, but they can be the difference between a buyer walking away and a buyer making an offer. Talk through the math with your agent before committing to anything major. What matters in a buyer's market might not move the needle in a seller's market.

Step 6: Market and Show Your Home

How you market your home determines how many buyers even know you're trying to sell it. A listing is only as good as its exposure. Your agent should push your home out to the Multiple Listing Service, major listing sites, their own buyer network, and social media, not just plant a sign in the yard and wait.

Write a description that says something specific. Skip vague adjectives like "must-see" and "won't last." Buyers respond better to real details: an updated kitchen, a fenced backyard, a short walk to the elementary school. Specific beats flashy.

Check which details are already covered in listing fields other than the description. This lets you avoid reporting dry numbers and gives you space to inject a touch of personality for memorability. If you're selling an older home, highlight updates to major systems like the roof and HVAC.

Host open houses if it fits your home and neighborhood. Plenty of home buyers still use open houses to get a feel for a place before requesting a private showing.

Be ready for short-notice showings. Keep the home tidy day-to-day. When a private showing happens, plan to be out of the house—buyers talk more freely and more honestly when the seller isn't standing in the room.

Remember: the harder you make it to schedule a showing, the fewer buyers will bother. Yes, it's inconvenient to keep your house show-ready all the time, but that buyer who only gave you 20 minutes' notice might have your best offer in hand.

Watch how it's performing. If you're getting a lot of clicks online but no showings, the price or the photos are probably the issue. If you're getting showings but no offers, ask your agent for direct feedback from buyers' agents.

Step 7: Weigh Offers on More Than Price

Getting an offer feels great. Getting three at once feels even better, and that's exactly when sellers make mistakes.

The highest number on an offer doesn't always mean the strongest deal. Ask your agent to walk through each offer on:

• Financing. Is the buyer pre-approved, pre-qualified, or paying cash? Pre-approved buyers with verified financing are far less likely to fall through than someone who put in an offer before getting their ducks in a row.
• Contingencies. Inspection, appraisal, and financing contingencies protect the buyer, but too many contingencies, or unusually long contingency periods, can be a red flag.
• Closing date. Does the timeline in the purchase agreement match when you actually need to move?
• Concessions requested. Some offers ask for repairs, credits, or other favors. Factor that into the real number you'll walk away with.

Once you accept, the buyer's offer becomes a binding sales contract, and both sides sign a formal purchase agreement laying out price, terms, and deadlines. You're allowed to counter before that point (but only one at a time—if the buyer accepts the counter, it's binding). You're allowed to ask for a highest-and-best round if you get multiple offers. And you're allowed to say no to a lowball offer instead of countering it at all.

Step 8: Get Through Inspection and Home Appraisal

Almost every buyer will schedule a home inspection. It's normal, and it's not a referendum on your house—it's just part of the process. Even new-construction buyers are advised to get an inspection.

If the inspector finds problems, you're not legally required to fix anything. But a buyer who feels ignored on a reasonable request may walk, and then you're back to square one with a new buyer, a fresh set of questions, and an obligation to disclose anything the first buyer told you.

The home appraisal is separate from the inspection. If the buyer is financing the purchase, their lender orders an appraisal to confirm the home is worth at least the loan amount. A low appraisal can stall or even sink a deal since the lender won't loan more than the appraised value. If that happens, you can lower the price, the buyer can bring more cash to the table, or you can split the difference, but someone has to close the gap.

The buyer has more to do than you do during this period. You just need to keep your home clean and accessible.

Step 9: Close the Sale

Closing works a little differently here than in a lot of other states, and knowing this ahead of time makes for a smoother sale.

Tennessee is not an attorney-closing state. Unlike states like South Carolina or New Hampshire, Tennessee doesn't require a lawyer to handle your closing. Most residential sales close through a title company instead, which handles the title search, holds earnest money in escrow, prepares the closing paperwork, and runs the actual signing appointment.

That said, plenty of home sellers still bring in an attorney for a flat fee, especially for an estate sale, a divorce, an inherited property, or any deal with a title issue that needs untangling. Attorney fees for a closing review are typically modest compared to the size of the sale. For a straightforward transaction with agents on both sides and a clean title, most Tennessee closings go smoothly without one.

Owner's title insurance is usually the seller's cost, but it's negotiable. In much of Middle Tennessee, sellers customarily cover the buyer's owner's title insurance policy on an existing home, while the buyer covers the lender's policy. But it's not a law, and your sale agreement should spell out exactly who's paying for what.

You'll also pay Tennessee's transfer tax, a one-time fee based on the purchase price, due when ownership changes hands.

On closing day, you'll sign your paperwork (often before the buyer does), the property deed gets recorded with the county, and the sale proceeds get sent to you after your mortgage payoff and closing costs come out.

Your agent or a real estate attorney can walk you through the legal documents involved so nothing at the closing table catches you off guard. The whole appointment usually takes less than an hour, and sellers can often handle their side electronically if they can't attend in person.

What Selling Actually Costs in Tennessee

Seller closing costs in Tennessee typically run 8–10% of the sale price, including commission. And don't forget that you'll also be paying your remaining mortgage balance and any liens on the house out of the sale proceeds.

Ask your agent for a net sheet early in the home-selling process. This document will show a full breakdown of every closing cost you can expect to pay with your home price and what you can expect to walk away with.

You usually won't have to deal with paying capital gains taxes on your sale, but it's possible if your profits are especially high, you're selling soon after buying, or you're selling a property that's not your primary residence.

Here's a quick overview of the closing costs and other expenses that come out of your proceeds:

*After the NAR settlement in 2024, your agent should clearly communicate that you're not obligated to pay the buyer's agent. However, most sellers still do; many buyers will skip listings that aren't open to negotiating commission, since covering thousands extra in cash on top of down payment and closing costs is difficult. Typically, you'll negotiate your listing agent's commission in your listing contract, and then buyers will include concession requests in their offers with their buyer's agent's percentage.

For informational purposes only. Always consult with a licensed real estate professional before proceeding with any real estate transaction.

Ready to List?

Nine steps, one goal: Sell your house for the strongest price the market will support, with as little stress along the way as possible. If you're still figuring out where your home stands, a local real estate agent can walk your property and give you a real number to work from with no obligation, just information you can use to plan your next move.