Selling a house in Shelby County
Shelby County is the state's largest county by population, at 929,744 in the 2020 Census, and Memphis holds most of it. The county also has six smaller cities: Arlington, Bartlett, Collierville, Germantown, Lakeland and Millington. The housing ranges from early-1900s Midtown bungalows to post-war ranches and newer suburban subdivisions.
Two things set Shelby apart for sellers in a hard spot. It has its own Probate Court, where many Tennessee counties use Chancery Court. And its delinquent tax sales have been held online since April 2024, with unsold parcels going to the Shelby County Land Bank.
Local offices to know
Who to call about the paperwork behind a sale in Shelby County. County seat: Memphis.
| What it's for | Office | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Recording deeds | Shelby County Register of Deeds | (901) 222-8100 |
| Property taxes and payoffs | Shelby County Trustee Delinquent taxes: (901) 222-0250 | (901) 222-0200 |
| Probate and estates | Shelby County Probate Court | (901) 222-3750 |
| Tax sales | Chancery Court Clerk & Master, Tax Sale Department Sales held online since April 2024 | (901) 222-3900 |
| Code enforcement (Memphis) | City of Memphis Code Enforcement Unincorporated county: Shelby County Construction Code Enforcement, (901) 222-8300 | (901) 636-7464 |
| Evictions | Shelby County General Sessions Court, Civil Division | (901) 222-3400 |
Worth knowing in Shelby County
- Tax-delinquent properties that don't sell at tax sale go to the Shelby County Land Bank, which resells them as-is. Land Bank: (901) 222-1150. Source
- Delinquent tax sales moved fully online in April 2024. If a sale date is coming, the Clerk & Master's Tax Sale Department can tell you where your property stands. Source
Guides for your situation
- Inherited house or probate
How selling an inherited or probate house works in Tennessee, and when a cash sale makes sense.
- Facing foreclosure
How foreclosure works in Tennessee, how much time you may have, and where selling fits.
- Behind on property taxes
What happens when Tennessee property taxes go unpaid, how tax sales and redemption work, and how back taxes are handled in a sale.
- House needs major repairs
Fix it first, list it as-is, or sell for cash: what each path actually nets you.
- Rental with tenants
Selling an occupied rental, tired-landlord sales and what happens to the lease.
- Divorce
How a house sale works when both spouses own it, and why speed and certainty matter.
- Code violations or vacant house
Selling a vacant house or one with open code enforcement cases, as-is.
Office details checked November 2026. Offices move and numbers change, so confirm on the official site.