Sell House Fast – Best Four Options Explained

Fastest Ways to Sell Your House Quickly

Each option has its own set of advantages and disadvantages, and depending on your motivation and specific circumstances, some will be better suited than others.

• 1) Sell to a Cash House Buying Company
• 2) Use Multiple Estate Agents to Increase Exposure
• 3) Reduce Your Asking Price
• 4) Sell Your House at Auction

1) Sell to a Cash House Buying Company

Also commonly known as a “We buy any house” company.

This is the only option that can genuinely guarantee a fast sale and funds in your bank account within a short timeframe, which is precisely why it’s ranked #1 on this list.

Cash house buying companies are businesses, and they will typically offer around 80%–85% of market value for your property. While this is below open-market value, bear in mind that you’ll avoid: no estate agent fees, reduced or covered legal costs in many cases, and no need for repairs or staging.

You also avoid the uncertainty of viewings, failed sales, broken chains, and long waiting periods in slow markets. In a cold or declining property market, this delay can actually work against you – as property values may continue to fall while your home remains unsold. In some cases, this means the cash offer (typically 80%-85% of market value at the time of agreement) could be higher in real terms than what you would achieve later on the open market after price reductions.

This option is therefore most suitable for sellers where speed and certainty are more important than achieving the highest possible price.

Advantages

• They will buy any property, in any condition, without requiring repairs or redecoration
• Fastest and most straightforward way to sell a house quickly
• Provides a high level of certainty with a guaranteed sale process
• Completion possible in as little as 7 days, with funds transferred quickly after
• No estate agent fees, and many providers cover legal costs

Disadvantages

• The industry is unregulated, meaning there are less reputable operators, so it is important to use a reputable cash house buying company
• Offers are typically below market value, usually around 80%-85% depending on the property and circumstances

Here’s an example I found on a cash buying company’s website, which displays what you can expect in terms of costs/net value when comparing against a traditional high-street estate agent (that charges 1.5% commission), so make of it what you will…

If you want to find out more about these companies, you can find out more from my ‘quick cash home buyer’ company guide.

2) Use Multiple Estate Agents to Increase Exposure

I know what you might be thinking. is using an estate agent actually an effective way to sell a property quickly?

The answer to that is, an unsurprising not really!

However, when you introduce multiple estate agents at the same time — all actively competing to secure a buyer and complete a sale – the dynamic changes significantly. This approach is known as a multi-agency strategy.

By increasing competition between agents, you can often achieve greater exposure, more viewings, and in some cases stronger offers. This makes it one of the more effective traditional estate agency methods for speeding up a sale, while also maintaining the potential to achieve market value or above.

While it is not the fastest method overall compared to alternatives like cash buyers or auctions, it is typically the quickest route to selling via the open market. For sellers who are not in urgent need of a guaranteed fast sale, but still want a faster-than-average result, this option can be a strong middle ground.

Advantages

• Multiple agents increase property exposure, which can lead to more viewings and potentially higher offers
• Competition between agents can result in more proactive marketing efforts
• Unlike discounted sale methods, there is potential to achieve full market value or higher
• Improved chances of a sale compared to using a single estate agent

Disadvantages

• If you are tied into a sole agency agreement, you may need to renegotiate or wait until the contract expires before switching
• Higher commission fees are typically charged (often 2.5%-3.5% + VAT compared to around 1%–1.5% for sole agency)
• Still dependent on the traditional sales process, so there is no guarantee of a quick sale

How to Use Multiple Estate Agents

You can, of course, take the straightforward route of approaching local estate agents and agreeing to a multi-agency contract, which involves being transparent with each agent from the outset.

However, as mentioned previously, you should expect higher fees compared to a sole agency agreement. This is because multiple agents will be competing against one another to secure a buyer and ultimately earn the commission.

Alternatively, you can use a service such as flyp, which is often considered a more streamlined option.

In short, flyp manages the multi-agency process on your behalf – they do all the legwork. Instead of instructing estate agents directly, you sign an agreement with flyp, and they then source and appoint suitable local estate agents to market and sell your property. flyp coordinates the entire process, meaning you only deal with them rather than multiple agents.

The key advantage is cost efficiency. Many customers pay between 1% and 1.5% of the final sale price in total fees, which is broadly in line with a standard sole agency arrangement. flyp typically takes a 0.25% commission from this total, which is paid out of the agreed fee rather than added on top, meaning there are no additional charges beyond the agreed structure – you don’t pay an extra bean!

flyp’s multi-agent house selling service

Service	Rating	Notes / Includes
Service	Rating 4.7 TrustPilot Reviews	Notes / Includes flyp’s service is designed to help homeowners sell their property as quickly as possible while securing the highest price. Key features Multi-agent sales strategy, minimum of 5 agents or your money back (resulting in a quicker sale and maximising sale price) Furnish and stage your property for no upfront cost Fully managed service Typical fee of 1.5% of the sale price 85% sales rate on average (compared to the standard 50% achieved by a single agent) 80% of offers received within three weeks	Book FREE Appraisal

For more information, visit flyp’s website directly, or my blog post on How To Sell Your House For The Most Money.

3) Reduce Your Asking Price

This is perhaps the most straightforward option, and there is relatively little complexity involved – but it is still worth understanding properly.

Price is one of the most important factors when selling a property. Homes that remain on the market for extended periods are often priced above what buyers are willing to pay. In many cases, initial pricing is influenced by optimism or overvaluation at the point of listing, which can later hinder interest and prolong the sale process.

To sell a house quickly, particularly in a slower market, it is essential to ensure your asking price is competitive. Always compare against actual sold prices in your area, not just current asking prices, as listings do not always reflect true market value.

Advantages

• Simple and immediate to implement
• One of the most effective ways to increase interest
• Pricing your property competitively can encourage increased interest and potentially trigger a bidding war among buyers, although this is never guaranteed

Disadvantages

• In a weak or stagnant market, reducing the price may not significantly increase interest
• May create financial challenges if the original price was required for other plans (e.g. onward purchase)
• Does not guarantee a sale, let alone a fast one
• Multiple price reductions may be required, which can negatively impact buyer perception over time

In some cases, the issue may not be the price itself, but the marketing or performance of the estate agent. For that reason, it may be worth reviewing your agent or considering a multi-agent strategy before making significant price reductions.

4) Sell Your House at Auction

There are two main types of property auction to choose from:

1. Traditional auctions operate in a live setting, typically held in person on a set day, with bidders competing in real time. The property is usually sold to the highest bidder, with exchange taking place immediately and completion required within a short timeframe (often around 28 days).
2. Modern auctions are conducted online and typically run over several weeks. Bidding takes place over a fixed period, after which the winning bidder proceeds to exchange and completion within agreed timescales, often around 28 days for exchange and a further 28 days to complete.

Each approach has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Traditional auctions can create a strong sense of urgency, with competitive bidding potentially driving up the final sale price. Modern auctions, however, tend to attract a wider pool of buyers, as they provide more time for financing arrangements such as mortgage approval.

Ultimately, both formats can be effective for achieving a faster sale compared to the open market, depending on the property type and circumstances.

And now, I would like to introduce my friend, Sam Collett, the property auction mogul herself.

I reached out to her to see if she would be inclined to drop some knowledge. I literally gave the poor woman barely any context, I just kindly asked for the advantages and disadvantages of selling at auction (via a very informal and sloppy Twitter DM).

So, there you have it. Four varying options on how you might be able to achieve that sale, pronto.

Why Would You Need to Sell a House Fast?

While I’ve said the why doesn’t really matter – and I still stand by that – the reality is that nobody needs to justify why they want to sell their own property. However, it can be useful to highlight some of the most common reasons people choose (or need) to sell quickly.

• Avoiding repossession – selling quickly can help prevent repossession, protect your credit score, and often results in a better financial outcome than forced repossession.
• Separation or divorce – a fast sale allows both parties to resolve financial ties and move on without prolonged uncertainty.
• Accessing inheritance – inherited properties are often sold to release funds quickly, particularly where multiple beneficiaries are involved.
• Breaking a property chain – if a buyer withdraws or the chain collapses, a fast sale can help keep onward purchases on track and prevent missed opportunities.
• Job relocation -— moving for work or personal commitments may require a quick sale to align with new timelines.
• Problem or non-standard properties – issues such as subsidence, structural defects, or unusual construction can make properties difficult to sell on the open market, making faster-sale methods (such as cash buyers or auctions) more suitable.

What Is the Fastest Way to Sell a House?

Without question, the fastest way to sell a house is through a cash house buying company.

As mentioned, unlike traditional estate agents, cash buyers purchase properties directly using their own funds, which means there is no property chain, mortgage approval process, or lengthy marketing period to contend with. In many cases, a sale can be completed within a matter of days or weeks.

What Is the Fastest Way to Sell a House for the Highest Price?

If your goal is to sell quickly while maximising the final sale price, then the multi-agent strategy option is often one of the strongest options available.

I really like flyp’s solution, because they manage all the agents on your behalf, meaning you only deal with one point of contact rather than juggling conversations with several estate agents. I also like the fact they rotate out underperforming agents.

For sellers who want a balance between speed and price, it’s arguably one of the most effective approaches available.

How Can I Speed Up My House Sale?

If you’re not using a cash house buying company and instead choosing to sell on the open market, you can still speed up the process, but it requires being realistic and listen to what the market is telling you.

One of the biggest mistakes sellers make is ignoring early buyer feedback.

If your property has been listed for a reasonable amount of time with little or no interest – or even if it isn’t on the market yet – the most common cause of a slow sale is pricing.

In most cases, the asking price is simply too high for current market conditions. Starting with a realistic, market-aligned figure (rather than aiming at the top end of expectations) is often the most effective way to generate interest and speed up the sale process.

Happy selling. Fast.

Landlord out xo