You have four main ways to sequence it: sell first and lease in Dallas, buy first using bridge financing or a HELOC, make a Dallas offer contingent on your sale, or sell with a short rent-back. The right choice depends on your equity, your lender's approval and how firm your start date is. Two coordinated agents keep both closings aligned.
Plenty of households face this. DFW landed 11 of 164 U.S. headquarters relocations in 2025, the most of any city (Bisnow, citing CBRE, 2026), and many of the employees who follow those companies own homes somewhere else. It is manageable when you choose a sequence early.
What are my options for timing the sale and the purchase?
Each approach trades one kind of risk for another. Here is how they compare:
- Sell first, then buy. You know exactly what you have to spend and avoid two mortgages. The trade-off is that you may need temporary housing or a lease in Dallas while you search.
- Buy first with bridge financing or a HELOC. A bridge loan or a home equity line of credit on your current home can provide a down payment before your sale closes. You can buy without a sale contingency, but you may carry two housing payments for a while, and you need to qualify for both.
- Contingent offer. Your Dallas purchase depends on your current home selling or closing. This protects you from owning two homes but can make your offer less attractive to a seller.
- Rent-back after the sale. You sell your current home and arrange to stay as a tenant for a short period after closing. This gives you proceeds in hand while you finish the Dallas purchase.
Some buyers combine these, for example selling with a rent-back, then buying in Dallas.
How do contingent offers work in Dallas-Fort Worth?
Texas uses a standard addendum for a sale of other property by the buyer, which lets a buyer make a purchase contingent on selling a current home by a set date. How a seller receives one depends on the property, how long it has been on the market and how many other offers are in play. A contingent offer tends to land better when your current home is already under contract, when the contingency period is short, or when the rest of the offer is strong. Your Dallas agent can tell you how sellers in the neighborhoods you are targeting are responding to contingent offers right now.
How do I find a listing agent in the city I am leaving?
Look for someone who knows your local market well and who will communicate easily with your Dallas agent. The Agency Dallas Relocation Division introduces sellers to listing agents in The Agency's network of offices, so the home you are leaving and the home you are buying are handled by people who coordinate on both timelines. Where the network does not have an office, we can still help you evaluate and interview local agents. Details are on our Relocation Division page.
How do I coordinate two closings in two states?
The goal is to keep the sale and the purchase moving on compatible dates. A few steps help:
- Talk to your lender first. Find out whether you qualify for the new loan while still owning the old home, and whether the sale proceeds must close before the purchase funds.
- Choose a target closing order. Many buyers aim for the sale to close a few days before the purchase, so proceeds can be wired to the Dallas title company.
- Align the contracts. Your two agents should compare dates for option periods, financing deadlines and closing so one transaction does not put the other at risk.
- Plan the move around both dates. Book movers with flexibility in case one closing shifts.
What documents do I need, and can I close remotely?
Expect to provide identification, recent pay stubs and bank statements, tax returns and information about your current mortgage to your lender. For the sale, gather your deed, any HOA documents, recent utility bills, warranties and records of improvements. Many title companies can arrange mail-away closings, and some offer remote online notarization, depending on your lender and the states involved. Our Relocation Division lines up a Dallas title company familiar with out-of-state buyers.
What should I ask my lender and CPA?
Financing and taxes shape which sequence actually works, so bring these professionals in before you list:
- Lender: Can I qualify carrying both payments? Do you offer bridge financing, or should I look at a HELOC? Will my sale need to close before my purchase funds?
- CPA: How will the sale of my current home be taxed, and does the primary-residence exclusion apply to me? How will moving to a state with no personal income tax, as Texas has (Texas Comptroller), affect my filings for the year of the move?
We do not give tax or lending advice, and the answers depend on your situation.
Is there a guide for selling and buying within Dallas?
If you already live in North Texas and are moving within it, our post on how to sell your house in Dallas while buying another one covers that version of the problem. For the purchase side of an out-of-state move, see how to buy a home in Dallas before you move there.
How can our Relocation Division help?
Send us where you are moving from and when you need to be in Dallas-Fort Worth, and let us know whether you own a home there. We will follow up within one business day with a sequencing plan and, where possible, an introduction to an agent in The Agency's network of offices near your current home. The Agency Dallas Relocation Division coordinates the sale of the home you are leaving with your Dallas purchase from start to finish. Start on our Relocation Division page or call (469) 839-6020.
Frequently asked questions
Should I sell my house before buying in Dallas?
It depends on your finances and tolerance for risk. Selling first gives you a clear budget and avoids two mortgages, but you may need to lease in Dallas for a while. Buying first can mean a smoother move, but often requires bridge financing or a HELOC and the ability to carry two payments. Your lender can tell you which you qualify for.
Will a Dallas seller accept a contingent offer?
Some will. Sellers weigh contingent offers based on how long the home has been listed, how many other offers exist and how strong the rest of the offer is. A contingency is generally more appealing when your current home is already under contract or the contingency period is short. Your Dallas agent can tell you how sellers in a given neighborhood are responding.
What is a rent-back, and how long can it last?
A rent-back is an agreement that lets the seller stay in the home as a tenant for a period after closing. It gives you sale proceeds before you have to move out, which helps align two closings. The length and terms are negotiated with your buyer and must work for their lender. Your agent and title company will paper the arrangement.
Can The Agency help me sell my home in another state?
Through The Agency's network of offices, our Relocation Division can introduce you to a listing agent in many of the cities people move from, and coordinate that agent's timeline with your Dallas purchase. Where there is no nearby office, we can help you evaluate local agents. Either way, you keep one point of contact in Dallas for the whole process.
Do I need to be present for both closings?
Not always. Many title companies offer mail-away closings, and some can use remote online notarization, depending on the lender and the states involved. Some lenders require certain documents to be signed in person or with a notary. Ask both title companies and your lender early so signing arrangements are set well before closing day.
Sources
- Bisnow, citing CBRE, headquarters relocations in 2025 (2026)
- Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Texas taxes overview (no state personal income tax)
Verified October 2026.
