Oregon process · seller view

The Oregon Home-Selling Process: Your Step-by-Step Checklist

This checklist walks Oregon homeowners through every stage of selling a house, from picking a listing agent to handing over the keys at closing.

Reading as seller. Switch to buyer

Phase 1 of 7 · typically 2-6 weeks

Pre-Offer (Getting Ready to List)

You pick a listing agent, sign the paperwork that creates the agency relationship, prepare the home, and put it on the market. Most of the legal disclosure work for Oregon also starts here.

Interview a few listing agents and pick one
YouSeveral weeks before you want the home on the market
Talk to two or three Oregon real estate brokers before signing anything. Ask each one how they would price the home, how they would market it, and what their commission would be. Commissions in Oregon are fully negotiable between you and the broker, not set by any board or MLS.
Cost: $0
Read and acknowledge the Initial Agency Disclosure Pamphlet
Your agentAt first substantive contact with any broker
At your first real conversation with any Oregon broker, they must hand you the Initial Agency Disclosure Pamphlet (IADP). It explains the different ways a broker can represent you in Oregon, including seller agency and disclosed limited agency (Oregon's version of dual agency). You will sign that you received it before any deeper discussion.
You'll need
- Photo ID for signing
Cost: $0
Sign a written listing agreement with your chosen broker
YouBefore the home is marketed
The listing agreement spells out the listing price, how long the broker has to sell, what the broker is paid, and what services you get. Read the commission section closely and ask about any seller concession your broker plans to offer to attract a buyer's broker, since post-2024 rules from the NAR settlement no longer let sellers advertise that compensation in the MLS.
You'll need
- Photo ID
- Property tax statement
- Mortgage payoff info
Cost: $0
Set the list price using a comparative market analysis
Your agentRight before listing
Your listing broker will pull recent sales of similar homes nearby and recommend a listing price. Look at how long competing homes have sat on the market and how much they sold for compared to their list price. Pricing too high is the most common mistake first-time sellers make.
Cost: $0
Clean, declutter, and make small fixes before photos
You1-2 weeks before listing
Deep clean the home, store extra furniture, fix obvious cosmetic issues, and tidy the yard. Professional photos are usually shot once, and they drive almost all online interest. Spending a weekend on prep usually pays back many times over in the offer price.
Cost: $200-2,000 typical
Fill out the Oregon Seller Property Disclosure Statement
YouBefore the home is shown or before the buyer signs an offer
Oregon law requires sellers of homes with one to four units to give the buyer a written Seller Property Disclosure Statement before the buyer makes an offer. The form asks what you know about the roof, foundation, plumbing, electrical, water, sewer or septic, environmental hazards, and more. Answer honestly: hiding a known problem can come back as a lawsuit later.
You'll need
- Past repair receipts
- Permit history
- Any prior inspection reports
Cost: $0
Order HOA or condo resale documents if your home is in one
YouAs soon as you decide to list
If your home is a condominium, Oregon law requires you to give the buyer a resale certificate from the association before closing, including dues, special assessments, reserves, and any pending lawsuits. If your home is in a planned community or HOA, you must also deliver the CC&Rs, bylaws, and rules. Order these from the association or management company early because they can take weeks to arrive.
You'll need
- HOA or condo association contact info
Cost: $100-400 typical
Go live on the MLS and start showings
Your agentRight after photos and prep are done
Your broker uploads photos, the listing description, and the disclosure documents into the local MLS (in much of Oregon that is RMLS). The listing then syndicates out to Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com, and similar sites. Be ready to keep the home show-ready, especially in the first week when traffic is highest.
Cost: $0

Phase 2 of 7 · typically 1-3 weeks after listing

Offer (Reviewing and Accepting)

Buyers submit written offers, you compare them, negotiate, and sign a purchase agreement. The terms you agree to here drive every deadline that follows.

Review every offer with your agent
Your agentWithin a day or two of each offer arriving
When an offer comes in, look past the price. The earnest money amount, the financing type, the contingencies, the requested closing date, and any seller concessions all change how strong the offer really is. Your broker should walk you through the trade-offs of each one in plain English.
Cost: $0
Check the buyer's pre-approval or proof of funds
Your agentBefore you accept any offer
A pre-approval letter from a real lender, or a recent bank statement for a cash buyer, is the best signal that the buyer can actually close. Ask your broker to call the lender and confirm the buyer has been fully pre-approved, not just pre-qualified. A weaker letter is a sign the deal could fall apart later.
You'll need
- Buyer pre-approval letter or proof of funds
Cost: $0
Decide whether to pay the buyer's broker as a concession
YouWhile reviewing each offer
Since the August 2024 NAR settlement changes, listing brokers in Oregon cannot advertise compensation to the buyer's broker inside the MLS. Buyers now sign their own representation agreements, and many will ask the seller in their offer to chip in toward the buyer's broker fee as a concession. You can say yes, no, or counter at a different number based on what makes the deal pencil for you.
Cost: varies
Accept, counter, or reject the offer in writing
YouWithin the offer's stated response deadline
Any change you want to a buyer's offer has to be made in writing through a counter-offer. Verbal yeses do not bind anyone in Oregon real estate. If you accept, both sides sign and the contract is officially in place; if you counter, the buyer can accept, counter back, or walk away.
You'll need
- Counter-offer form if applicable
Cost: $0
Sign the Oregon Residential Real Estate Sale Agreement
YouWhen you and the buyer agree on terms
Most Oregon home sales use the Oregon Residential Real Estate Sale Agreement published by Oregon REALTORS. It covers the price, financing, earnest money, inspection windows, closing date, and what each side has to deliver. Once both you and the buyer sign and the contract is delivered, you are 'mutually accepted' and the clock starts on every deadline inside.
You'll need
- Government-issued ID
- Final signed contract
Cost: $0

Phase 3 of 7 · typically 1-2 weeks after acceptance

Under Contract (Opening Escrow)

The signed contract is sent to a title and escrow company, the buyer's earnest money is deposited, and you make sure all required disclosures are in the buyer's hands.

Open escrow at a title and escrow company
Escrow / titleWithin 1-2 business days of mutual acceptance
Oregon is a title-company state, not an attorney-closing state, so a licensed title and escrow company will run the closing for almost every residential sale. Your broker will send the signed contract to the escrow officer, who opens a file, assigns a transaction number, and becomes the neutral middle party for all funds and signatures.
You'll need
- Signed purchase agreement
Cost: $0
Confirm the buyer's earnest money was deposited on time
Your agentWithin a few days of mutual acceptance
Earnest money is the buyer's good-faith deposit and is held in a real estate trust account. Oregon rules require the principal broker to deposit earnest money no later than the next business day after they receive it. Ask your broker for written confirmation that the deposit hit the trust account by the deadline.
Cost: $0
Deliver all required disclosures to the buyer
YouAs soon after acceptance as possible
Make sure the buyer has signed copies of the Oregon Seller Property Disclosure Statement, the federal lead-based paint disclosure if the home was built before 1978, and any HOA or condo resale documents. The Oregon Seller Property Disclosure Statement gives the buyer a 5-business-day right to revoke their offer if they only see it after they have already signed.
You'll need
- Signed Seller Property Disclosure Statement
- Lead-based paint disclosure (pre-1978 homes)
- HOA/condo resale packet if applicable
Cost: $0
Review the preliminary title report from escrow
Escrow / titleWithin the first 1-2 weeks after mutual acceptance
The title company orders a preliminary title report that lists the legal owner, the loans against the property, easements, and any liens or judgments. Read it with your broker. If anything on the report could block the sale, like an old lien from a contractor, this is the time to start clearing it.
Cost: $0
Build a calendar of every contract deadline
Your agentWithin a few days of mutual acceptance
The signed sale agreement contains hard deadlines for inspections, the buyer's loan application, appraisal, title objections, and closing. Have your broker send you a written timeline so you know when each deadline is. Missing one of these dates can cost you the deal or let the buyer back out with their earnest money.
Cost: $0

Phase 4 of 7 · typically 1-3 weeks after acceptance

Inspection (Buyer's Due Diligence)

The buyer hires inspectors to examine the home and may come back with a list of repair requests. You decide what to fix, what to credit, and what to refuse.

Coordinate access for the buyer's home inspection
InspectorWithin the inspection window stated in the contract
The buyer will hire a licensed home inspector who walks the property, tests systems, and writes a long report. Plan to be away for 2-4 hours so the buyer and inspector can talk freely. Make sure the inspector can reach the attic, crawl space, electrical panel, water heater, and any locked outbuildings.
Cost: $0
Allow specialty inspections (sewer scope, radon, pest)
InspectorWithin the inspection window
Buyers in Oregon often add a sewer scope (a camera run through the sewer line), a radon test, and sometimes a pest or roof inspection. Radon especially matters in parts of Eastern Oregon and the Willamette Valley where soil readings tend to run higher. Cooperate with scheduling: blocking these usually scares a buyer off.
Cost: $0
Review the buyer's repair request with your agent
Your agentWithin a few days of receiving the buyer's request
After the inspections, the buyer will typically send a written repair addendum asking you to fix items, give a credit at closing, lower the price, or some mix of the three. Your broker will help you sort 'must-fix' safety items from 'nice to have' cosmetic ones. You are not required to agree to any of it, but refusing everything often kills the deal.
You'll need
- Inspection report
- Repair request addendum
Cost: $0
Negotiate repairs, credits, or a price reduction
YouWithin the contract's negotiation window
Counter the buyer's repair request in writing, item by item. Cash credits at closing are usually simpler than doing repairs yourself, because they avoid arguments about workmanship and timing. Anything you agree to has to be written into a signed addendum to the original sale agreement.
You'll need
- Signed repair or credit addendum
Cost: varies
Complete any repairs you agreed to do
YouBefore the final walkthrough
If you took on repairs in writing, hire licensed contractors and keep all invoices and permits. Sloppy or unpermitted work can come up in the buyer's final walkthrough and reopen negotiations. Hand the receipts to your broker so they can be passed along to the buyer.
You'll need
- Contractor invoices
- Permits if required
Cost: varies

Phase 5 of 7 · typically 2-4 weeks

Loan and Appraisal

The buyer's lender orders an appraisal and finalizes the loan. The appraised value sets how much the lender will fund, which can affect your final price.

Give the appraiser access to the home
LenderUsually within 2 weeks of mutual acceptance
The buyer's lender hires a licensed appraiser to confirm the home is worth at least the loan amount. The visit is usually 30-60 minutes. Make sure the home is clean, lights work, and any recent improvements (new roof, kitchen remodel) are easy to point out.
You'll need
- List of recent improvements with dates and costs
Cost: $0
Decide what to do if the appraisal comes in low
YouWithin a few days of receiving the appraisal
If the home appraises below the contract price, the lender will only fund based on the lower number. You then have a few choices: drop your price to the appraised value, ask the buyer to pay the gap in cash, split the difference, or push back with comparable sales the appraiser may have missed. Each of these is a written addendum, not a phone call.
You'll need
- Appraisal report
- Comparable sales if disputing
Cost: varies
Clear any title objections raised by the lender or buyer
Escrow / titleBefore the closing date
If the preliminary title report shows old liens, unpaid contractor bills, judgments, or boundary issues, the lender will require them resolved before they will fund. Work with the title company to pay off liens, get releases recorded, and clean up the chain of title. Most of these can be handled out of your sale proceeds at closing if you start early.
You'll need
- Lien payoff statements
- Release of lien documents
Cost: varies
Keep the property in the condition the buyer agreed to buy
YouFrom acceptance through closing
Do not start big projects, remove built-in appliances, or take items the contract says stay with the home. The appraisal and the buyer's offer were both based on the home as it was when they saw it. Stripping things out before closing is one of the most common reasons deals blow up at the final walkthrough.
Cost: $0
Respond quickly to any documents the lender asks for
Escrow / titleThroughout the loan-processing window
The buyer's lender may come back to you (through escrow) for things like a current HOA assessment letter, an updated insurance loss-history letter, or a pest re-inspection certificate. Turn these around in a day or two. Lender conditions are usually the last thing standing between 'under contract' and 'cleared to close.'
You'll need
- Whatever the lender requests
Cost: varies

Phase 6 of 7 · typically 1 week before closing

Pre-Closing (Final Walkthrough and Paperwork)

The buyer does a final walkthrough, you wrap up moving and utilities, and escrow puts together your settlement statement so you know exactly what you will net.

Allow the buyer's final walkthrough
Other1-3 days before closing
A day or two before closing, the buyer and their broker will walk through one last time to make sure the home is in the agreed condition and any promised repairs were done. Have receipts handy. If something is wrong, address it on the spot or through a small credit at closing instead of letting it delay the recording.
You'll need
- Repair receipts
Cost: $0
Schedule utility shutoff and cancel homeowners insurance
YouAbout a week before closing
Schedule water, electric, gas, internet, and trash to switch out of your name as of the day after closing. Do not cancel anything earlier in case closing slips. Call your insurance carrier and put your homeowners policy on a same-day cancellation tied to the closing date so you keep coverage right up until ownership transfers.
Cost: $0
Review your seller settlement statement carefully
Escrow / title1-3 days before closing
Escrow will send you a settlement statement (sometimes called the seller's closing disclosure) showing the sale price, payoff of your mortgage, broker fees, prorated property taxes, and your net proceeds. Read every line. Most of Oregon has no statewide real estate transfer tax, but if your home is in Washington County, you will see a county transfer tax line on this statement.
Cost: $0
Handle FIRPTA paperwork if you are a foreign seller
YouAt least 2-3 weeks before closing
If you are not a U.S. citizen or U.S. tax resident, the federal Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act (FIRPTA) requires the buyer to withhold a percentage of the gross sales price and send it to the IRS. The standard rate is 15 percent, with a reduced 10 percent rate when the price is $1 million or less and the buyer will use the home as a primary residence. Talk to a tax professional well before closing, because escrow will not release funds without the right paperwork.
You'll need
- IRS Form 8288/8288-A
- Withholding certificate if seeking reduced rate
Cost: varies
Move out and prepare to hand over keys
YouBefore closing day
Plan to be fully out of the home by the day before closing unless your contract says otherwise. Leave the home broom-clean, take all garbage with you, and gather every garage door opener, mailbox key, gate fob, and house key. Anything left behind is now the buyer's, and disputes about removed fixtures are a common reason closings get held up.
Cost: varies

Phase 7 of 7 · typically 1-3 days

Closing (Signing and Funding)

You sign the closing documents at the title company, the deed is recorded, and the proceeds land in your account. Ownership officially transfers to the buyer.

Sign your closing documents at the title company
Escrow / title1-2 days before recording
Sellers in Oregon usually sign at the title and escrow company in person or by mobile notary. Bring an unexpired government-issued photo ID. The main documents you sign are the deed transferring the property, the seller settlement statement, and any tax forms; the title company explains each one as you go.
You'll need
- Government-issued photo ID
- Wire instructions for proceeds
Cost: $0
Wait for the deed to record before handing over keys
Escrow / titleClosing day
In Oregon, a sale is not legally final until the deed is recorded with the county clerk's office. That typically happens the morning after both sides sign and the buyer's funds arrive at escrow. Do not give the buyer keys or possession until your escrow officer confirms recording, unless your contract specifically allows early possession in writing.
Cost: $0
Deliver keys and access items to the buyer
Your agentAfter recording
Once escrow confirms the deed is recorded, hand over every key, garage remote, gate fob, alarm code, and pool or appliance manual. Most listing brokers coordinate this through a lockbox or a meet-up at the property. After this point, the home is no longer yours to enter.
Cost: $0
Receive your net proceeds by wire or check
Escrow / titleSame day as recording or the next business day
Escrow disburses your net proceeds, which is the sale price minus the mortgage payoff, broker fees, prorated taxes, and any credits to the buyer. Wire transfer is the fastest and safest method. Confirm wire instructions verbally with your escrow officer using a phone number you already have on file, because wire fraud is the most common scam in real estate.
You'll need
- Verified wire instructions
Cost: $0
Save your closing documents for next year's taxes
YouAfter closing
Keep the final settlement statement, the deed, and any 1099-S form you receive. You will need them next April to figure out your capital gains and any home-sale exclusion you qualify for. A digital folder plus one paper copy is usually enough; do not throw any of it away for at least seven years.
You'll need
- Final settlement statement
- Recorded deed copy
- Form 1099-S if issued
Cost: $0

Sources

Last updated May 15, 2026