Go Back To Article List

Selling Your Rental Property

Posted Monday, March 26, 2018

You can turn a great profit on your rental property regularly through monthly income, and your rental property may also be a wonderful tax benefit for you. While hanging onto your real estate investment for many years is a great idea in some cases, there may come a time when you consider if you should sell my rental now. After all, it is not realistic to expect to hold an investment property indefinitely. With a closer look, you can more easily analyze the situation and plan for the sales process. 


There are many reasons when it would make sense to sell a rental property. For example, you may need the profit from the sale to take advantage of other investment opportunities. Perhaps you plan to retire, and the profit from the sale may be more advantageous to you than continuing with the regular management activities required. The market conditions may be ideal, and you may worry about a potential downturn in the market soon. 


When you wonder if you should sell my rental, you need to analyze market conditions to determine when the most ideal time to sell is. Market conditions are best when rental property inventory is minimal and when the listing time for these properties is very short. Real estate values may be substantial as well. Speaking to a real estate agent who specialized in the rental property market is a smart way to obtain specific information about market conditions. Remember that selling a rental property is different than selling a home that will be used as a primary residence. 

If you decide to sell your rental property, it may be a smart idea to keep quality tenants in place. This can help you to appeal to investors who may love the fact that the property is producing income immediately. This may also help them to qualify for financing because the property’s income may be counted in their favor in underwriting calculations. On the other hand, if you wait until the property is vacant, you can sell it to any type of residential buyer. Understanding market conditions and determining your own time constraints for selling the property can help you to make a more educated decision about when and how to sell it. 

While your rental real estate may turn a regular profit for you, you may also be sitting on a huge amount of equity. Selling the property is a great way to tap into the equity and to potential make it work even smarter for you in different ways. Before you finalize your decision to sell, obtain accurate information about the market. Compare the pros and cons of selling carefully to determine if you should sell now or wait until later.