Should you use a Realtor or try to sell on your own?
That decision usually comes down to two questions.
Are you required to use an agent?
And are you comfortable doing the work an agent would normally handle when selling your house?
Most sellers still choose to use a real estate agent.
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) found that 91% of sellers used a real estate agent or broker, while only 5% sold For Sale by Owner (FSBO).
NAR also found that 60% of FSBO sellers already knew the buyer.
That means many FSBO sales were not typical open-market sales where the seller still had to find a buyer.
This guide explains what you’ll be responsible for if you sell without a Realtor, when doing so can make sense, and how to decide whether using an agent is worth the cost.
Do you have to use a Realtor to sell your house?
You’re not legally required to hire an agent to sell your home.
All 50 U.S. states allow a homeowner to sell without a Realtor or real estate agent.
But selling without an agent doesn’t necessarily mean you can complete the entire transaction without professional help.
Some states require a real estate attorney to oversee certain parts of the closing.
5 things you need to do if you sell without a Realtor
Selling without an agent doesn’t eliminate the work that goes into selling a home.
The responsibilities a listing agent would normally take on shift to you.
Here are the five areas I’d think about before deciding whether to sell on your own.
1. Set your asking price
A listing agent would normally help you determine what your asking price should be.
Without one, that decision is yours.
And it’s not as simple as looking at what a few nearby homes sold for.
Your home will have differences from those properties.
There will also be other homes for sale that buyers will compare yours to.
Both can affect what buyers are willing to pay.
One of the hardest parts of selling on your own is separating what you want for your home from what it’s actually worth.
Get the asking price wrong and it could cost you money before you ever start negotiating.
2. Market your home
You can pay to get your home on the MLS without hiring a full-service Realtor.
But putting your home in front of buyers isn’t the same as marketing it.
You need to sell the right buyers on why they should want yours.
That means understanding who your home is most likely to appeal to and what will matter most to them.
Getting buyers interested enough to make an offer isn’t as easy as it sounds.
You have competition when you put your house on the market.
So you’ll need to convey why your house is worth what you’re asking for it.
Exposure can get buyers to see your home.
The right marketing gives them a reason to choose it.
3. Evaluate an offer
Many sellers who list on their own assume the higher the price, the better the offer.
That’s not always the case.
The price is only one part of what a buyer is offering you.
You’ll need to assess their financing, contingencies, any requested credits, closing timeline, and other terms to determine how good the offer really is.
You also need to consider the buyer behind the offer.
A buyer can submit a great-looking offer and have issues that make them less likely to close.
For example, a higher offer with weaker financing and more contingencies may not be as attractive as a slightly lower offer with better terms.
So when an offer comes in, the number at the top shouldn’t be the only number that gets your attention.
You’ll need to scrutinize the entire offer.
4. Negotiate with buyers and their agents
There’s a good chance you’ll be negotiating directly with a buyer’s agent if you sell without a Realtor.
Imagine your house has been listed for a few months without any serious interest.
And a buyer’s agent asks if you’ll accept $60,000 below your list price.
How would you respond?
Simply answering “yes” could give away tens of thousands of dollars.
What if they ask for a $10,000 credit after you accept the offer?
Telling them “no” could be the reason you need to re-list your home.
But using the right negotiating tactics before accepting the offer could prevent them from even asking that.
Negotiating is an overlooked component of selling on your own.
So you’ll need to be prepared to haggle with professionals who do it for a living.
5. Manage the transaction through closing
Your work isn’t done when you accept an offer.
You’ll need to manage key milestones before the buyer gets the keys and you get paid.
That means staying on top of disclosures, inspections, contingency deadlines, the appraisal, and the buyer’s financing.
But things don’t always go according to plan.
What happens if the buyer asks for more time to remove a contingency?
Or their lender says they won’t be ready by the closing date?
You’ll be responsible for dealing with those issues and keeping the transaction moving.
Accepting an offer and actually closing the sale are two different things.
Can you list your house on the MLS without a Realtor?
You can list your home on the MLS without hiring a full-service Realtor.
One way to do this is through a flat-fee MLS service.
You pay a broker a fee to enter your home into your local multiple listing service (MLS).
That gives your property exposure to real estate agents and their buyers.
The listing is also typically syndicated from the MLS to major real estate websites.
But there’s an important distinction.
A flat-fee service gets your home on the MLS without taking over the job of selling it.
Once your home is listed, you’ll be on your own for showings, open houses, paperwork, negotiating, and more.
MLS access can replace one thing a listing agent provides.
But it doesn’t replace the agent.
When selling without a Realtor can make sense
Not every seller needs the same level of help.
Here are three situations where selling without a real estate agent can make sense.
You already have a buyer
Selling solo can make more sense when you already have someone serious about buying your home.
Maybe the opportunity came up before you ever planned to put the house on the market.
In that situation, you don’t need a listing agent to find a buyer or generate interest in your property.
So paying typical Realtor fees for full-service representation may not make as much sense.
But finding the buyer is only one part of selling your home.
You’ll still need to agree on the price and terms and get the transaction to close.
You have experience selling real estate
Selling on your own is a different proposition when you already know what can go wrong.
Maybe you’ve worked in the industry, sold multiple properties, or regularly buy and sell investment properties.
Knowing your home and neighborhood is one thing.
Knowing how to evaluate an offer, negotiate with a buyer’s agent, and deal with problems that come up before closing is another.
If you already have that experience, you may not need as much help from a full-service Realtor.
You don’t need full-service representation
Hiring a full-service agent or doing everything yourself isn’t your only option.
Maybe you’re comfortable managing most of the sale but want professional help with certain parts.
You could hire a limited-service broker for specific services or a real estate attorney for help with the legal side of the transaction.
That gives you the option to pay for the help you need without paying for full-service representation.
If you’re comfortable doing most of the work yourself, that could be enough.
Does selling without a Realtor actually save you money?
You can save money on the listing fee if you skip working with an agent.
But saving on commission and walking away with more money are two different things.
You might still pay for professional photos, an MLS listing, an attorney, or other services you need.
And you could agree to pay some or all of the buyer’s agent compensation.
Then there’s the price your home actually sells for.
The right listing agent can justify their fee by helping you walk away with more than you would have selling on your own.
So the better comparison is what you would net from the sale with an agent versus without one.
The number that matters isn’t how much commission you save.
It’s how much money you walk away with.
How to decide if you need a Realtor
You already know you can sell your house without a Realtor.
So the decision comes down to whether doing it yourself makes sense for you.
Be realistic about the responsibilities you’d be taking on and how comfortable you are tackling them without someone representing you.
Then think about whether the right listing agent could do any of those things better than you could on your own.
You might have the experience, time, and confidence to sell on your own.
Or you might decide that having someone price and market your home, negotiate on your behalf, and manage the transaction is worth the cost.
Either decision can make sense.
You don’t need a Realtor to sell your house.
The real question is whether you’ll be better off selling without one.
If you decide to use a Realtor
Deciding to use an agent is only half the decision.
You still need to make sure the person you hire is worth paying for.
Pay attention to what the agent can actually do for you that you wouldn’t be getting by selling on your own.
You should be able to see why paying that agent puts you in a better position than going without one.
And don’t hire someone just because they gave you the highest suggested list price or told you what you wanted to hear.
If you want help finding qualified options, our no-cost agent matching is available when you’re ready.
