Should I List My Flip Now or Wait Until It’s 100% Ready?

Question

James Mc Ree · Answer

You can list it as "Coming Soon" which gets the property online visibility, but no foot traffic until your "open" date. The goal is to attract the interest, a stampede when the property becomes available and a bidding war as a result.

Your pictures can show the property with all of its glory and be taken such that the problematic windows are not shown.

Denise Supplee · Answer

I’d lean toward waiting until the windows are fully replaced. Since you’re listing yourself, you can time the market strategically, a short wait of a week or two for full completion is unlikely to hurt, and it ensures the property shows perfectly. Buyers tend to respond better when everything is turnkey, and it saves you the hassle of disclosing pending repairs.

Scott Chilton · Answer

Enrique, I’d suggest holding off on the official listing until the windows are replaced. Even with a disclosure, unfinished details can make buyers hesitant or give them reason to push the price down. Since your ARV is around $500k, having the property completely finished will make it more appealing and easier to sell at full value. In the meantime, you could start soft marketing like letting interested buyers or other agents know it’s coming soon so you’re not losing time over the slower winter months, but keep the full listing live only once everything is truly ready. This balances generating interest with protecting your final sale price.

Deano Vulcano · Answer

100% wait, as soon as a potential buyer sees one flaw, they tend to get out the microscope and look for other thing s wrong.

Andy Sabisch · Answer

Wait . . . if buyers see one issue they wonder what others they do not see . . . put a quality product out there and you will get top dollar

Mike Dymski · Answer

People have a hard time looking beyond first impressions and condensation/fogging in windows would be problematic.

Jaycee Greene · Answer

@Enrique Toledo Just my opinion, but I'd wait until you're totally done - home buyers want to see the "finished" product.

Scott Chilton · Answer

Enrique, if the only issue is a few broken window seals that will be replaced shortly, listing now can help you start generating interest and possibly capture early buyers, especially during a slower winter market. As a licensed agent, you can clearly disclose in the remarks that windows are being replaced and provide the expected completion date. Most buyers are okay with a short wait if they know the work is already planned and budgeted. This approach also gives you time to gauge interest and even collect potential offers, which can reduce your days on market once fully finished.

On the other hand, waiting until everything is 100 percent done ensures the property shows perfectly, which can create a stronger first impression and reduce any negotiation over “unfinished work.” For higher-end buyers or properties where presentation is critical, this can sometimes justify waiting.

A practical middle ground is to prepare the listing now, take high-quality photos of the completed sections, and note the pending window replacements with a clear completion date. This way, you’re transparent and can start building momentum while still finishing the project properly. It balances marketing early with maintaining credibility and trust with buyers.

Lindsay Davis · Answer

@Enrique Toledo,

I know it’s been a while since you asked this question. What approach did you ultimately opt for?

As a general rule of thumb for anyone else reading this thread, though, I believe that doing some pre-marketing is usually a good idea. I’d give some serious thought to @James Mc Ree's idea on doing a “Coming Soon” listing.

If you’re an agent (like the OP) with access to an MLS, you can list a property with a “Coming Soon” status and it’ll show up on marketplaces like Zillow or Redfin.

You can additionally drum up interest with yard signs and social media posts with “Coming Soon” banners. Then, you can post pictures and offer showings once everything is fixed up and the property is 100% ready to go.

Chris Seveney · Answer

As others mentioned I would list it as coming soon. We had a $1M+ property and during coming soon we let them view it knowing it needed some finishing touches, they were ok with it and actually bought the home

Should I List My Flip Now or Wait Until It’s 100% Ready?

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