Can You Sell A House Without A Realtor?

Selling a home without a realtor

When you sell a house without the assistance of an agent, you are saving yourself the listing fee that comes with every home sold through real estate agents. Those fees range from 0.5% to 2%, so if your house sells for $100,000, by not using an agent you can save up to $2,000 right off the bat!

You also won’t have to worry about paying commission to your Realtor once your sale is finalized, which may be another reason why some homeowners choose to sell their homes privately instead of working with real estate.

For sale by owner homes

An FSBO, or For Sale By Owner listing is when someone chooses to sell their house without the help of a professional agent. There are many reasons that someone may choose to go with FSBO. There are, however, some disadvantages that you need to be aware of before committing to this path.

How Do You List as an FSBO Home?

When you choose to go this route instead of hiring real estate professionals, you become your own real estate agent and also have to deal with buyer’s agents. You will be responsible for selling your home and negotiating the real estate transactions on your behalf. This means that you will need to create a compelling advertisement that will entice potential buyers into contacting you. You also need to know how much time it takes to show your property, as well as what comparable properties in the area are selling for. This way, if your house is even listed online, potential consumers can compare it with similar homes nearby and make an informed decision about whether or not they want to make an offer.

Why choose an FSBO over a Realtor?

FSBO sellers who might be on the fence about using an agent for selling their home may benefit most from choosing to go without one. This is especially true if your house isn’t in dire need of repairs and you don’t have any special requests that only a real estate agent would know how to handle, such as staging or marketing strategies. Additionally, homes sold FSBO often sell faster than agent-assisted home sales. According to the National Association of Realtors 2019 Profile of Home Buyers & Sellers, 58% of FSBO homes sold in less than two weeks.

A lot of times, people sell their homes themselves to save money because they’ve already contacted many agents and no longer think it’s worth it to keep paying them for their services. Agents often charge up-front fees which can cost several thousand dollars and some even expect half of the commission as closing costs once your house is sold. However, if you sell your home yourself, you can avoid paying the 3% for a listing agent.

FSBO vs realtor

If you choose to go the direct route, you become your own agent and you will be responsible for most of the steps that real estate agents would normally take in order to sell your home. You’ll need to find comparable properties in your area with similar features and price points so you know what you should expect to get for yours if it sells. Since you’ll likely have access to more information about how much time it takes to show your house when compared with an agent, this can also give potential buyers some peace of mind when deciding whether or not they want to make an offer on your property. With any successful Realtor listing, getting people in through the door is relatively easy since they’re using paid advertising.

For sale by owner disadvantages

You won’t have someone to communicate with buyers on your behalf. You’ll be responsible for helping every buyer view the inside of your house and negotiating terms with them as well. In some situations, this can be a downside as it may potentially take more time away from you and could also mean people dicker on the asking price more because they feel like they’re driving a hard bargain. Since there is no seller’s agent, you save money by paying no selling commission; however, if a prospective buyer is brought to you through an agent, you may have to pay the commission of the buyer’s agent. 

Call Now (818) 651-8166

^{Why Sell Your Home to ASAP Cash Offer?}

1. You Pay Zero Fees 
2. Close quickly 7-28 days.
3. Guaranteed Offer, no waiting.
4. No repairs required, sell “AS IS”
5. No appraisals or delays.

Live Chat Now

What are FSBO risks?

In addition to the lack of convenience provided by a seller’s agent, there’s also a higher risk involved when selling a home without one. If an issue arises that requires professional help or advice, then you’ll have no choice but to handle it yourself. While most homeowners don’t experience these issues during sales, there is still a risk that these could occur which only adds to the general inconvenience.

If you want to sell your home in a timely manner or you’re just too busy with work, family, and other commitments to deal with potential buyers looking at your house firsthand, then hiring an agent might be the best choice for you. If saving money is more important than convenience or if you don’t mind putting in the extra time needed to make sure everything goes smoothly when selling your property, then choosing an FSBO listing could be ideal.

Open House

Open houses are a risk to FSBO sellers because they are one of the few times when people with no connection to you may come into your house.

This means it’s possible for someone who has never even seen your property to walk in, claim they made an offer on it, and ask for a deposit. This makes it important to have stringent signs up saying not to enter unless you are part of the agency or open house tour so that would-be buyers know how to follow proper protocol.

What are Open Houses? Click here to learn more!

What do real estate agents say?

Real estate agents typically don’t recommend selling your home without them due to the lack of convenience as well as the potential safety risks involved with holding open houses. Even if you choose not to hold any open houses at all, there is a chance of people coming to your home without prior notice which can make you wonder if they had bad intentions or were casing the joint for possible break-ins later.

Who should sell their house FSBO?

If you feel like you have more time on your hands and don’t mind working with potential buyers directly, then you may be the perfect candidate to sell your home through an FSBO listing. In some cases, it’s also helpful to not have an agent involved because they represent the seller only and might not place as much emphasis on getting buyers in as quickly as possible. Of course, if paying less money is what matters most, then choosing to list your property through FSBO sites could be just what you’re looking for. If none of these reasons seem to fit your needs, then it’s likely that hiring a real estate agent would be the best decision for you.

How to sell a home without a real estate agent

The real estate market is a lot more competitive than it used to be. Many people have decided to sell their homes without the help of a Realtor, also known as an FSBO, but you do still need to know what steps to take in order for it to be done correctly. Selling a home yourself may be a great way to maximize profits and make sure that you get the most money you can out of the sale of your home. 

If you think your home is ready for sale and have already been making preparations after speaking with prospective buyers, then you can get started by following these tips:

Know Your Home’s Market Value

The first thing you want to do is set a realistic price, but it all depends on what you’re willing to accept. Consider the amount of time it takes for most buyers to show up at your property so you’ll have an idea of what kind of offers are likely to be made on your home. You can also check to see what comparable homes in your neighborhood sold recently.

If you want the highest sale price possible, you’re better off selling your house to a family who plans to live in and love your home, not view it with dollar signs. There’s no chance of sparking a bidding war In a hot seller’s market, buyers often compete to purchase a home in what’s known in real estate as a bidding war.

Be Sure To Sell Your Home Quickly

As the real estate market is extremely competitive, you won’t want to wait until your house becomes available to try and sell it. Instead, list your home as quickly as possible so that people will start seeing it right away. Even if you make changes to its appearance or features like adding on some new furniture or appliances, this can go a long way towards getting a qualified buyer interested in what you’re selling and how much money you can make.

Call Now (818) 651-8166

^{Why Sell Your Home to ASAP Cash Offer?}

1. You Pay Zero Fees 
2. Close quickly 7-28 days.
3. Guaranteed Offer, no waiting.
4. No repairs required, sell “AS IS”
5. No appraisals or delays.

Live Chat Now

Create an effective advertisement

In order for potential buyers to reach out to you about the property, they will need all of the information that will help them decide if they’re interested in coming over and viewing your house firsthand. Using catchy language and hiring a professional photographer for professional photos can go a long way to attract buyers into asking questions about your house. A real estate photographer can vary in price depending on your location and the size of your home but expect to spend a few hundred dollars. It’s always better to spend money on marketing materials than be losing money by advertising blindly without market research.

Maintain the home’s exterior and interior look

If you want to succeed as an FSBO, then you need to make sure the first impression people get when looking at your house is positive. Prepare for potential buyers by making sure everything around your home looks nice so they can imagine what it would be like living there too as a potential buyer will only consider their first impression especially in a real estate transaction. Realtors survey the local market and know the sales price of homes as well as bring potential cash buyers to you.

Prepare yourself for all kinds of questions that people might have

The more thorough you are with providing answers ahead of time and the more detailed description you have, the less likely people will feel uncertain about coming out to view your house first-hand which could deter them from buying if certain things bother them once they’ve seen it firsthand.

How to Get MLS Access Without a Real Estate License

Enlist your own home in local MLS Listing

You can – and should – list your home on MLS for a flat fee since it is the tool the most widely used by buying agents and their clients. Most house hunters start their search on the Internet, and 52% found their home while looking online. Therefore, you should take full advantage of the multiple platforms available to list your house for sale. 

Negotiate the terms of the sale.

While selling your home without an agent means you’ll have to do much of the work yourself, this doesn’t mean that you can’t take advantage of their services too. It’s helpful to brush up on your negotiating skills to ensure you’re getting the best possible price or terms. Once agreed, enter into a formal contract and have money placed in escrow with a title company of your choice. At the point where it comes time for a buyer to put in a written offer on your home, make sure that you have all the necessary paperwork ready to roll. 

Once you’ve finished fulfilling all the requirements needed in order to sell your home without a real estate agent, then sit back and wait for interested buyers to ask questions about your property. Since there are no paid advertisements being made on your behalf by professionals, reaching out to potential buyers will require more effort on your part since you’ll need to make phone calls and handle everything by yourself.

^{Do I need a lawyer at closing}

You may be wondering if you need to hire a Real Estate Attorney when selling your home. The answer to this question really depends on the situation and what state you’re selling in. In some states, like selling a house in New York City, it’s required by law that you have an attorney represent you during the sale process while in others, and others, like in San Francisco CA, it’s not mandatory but recommended.

If you do decide to go with a real estate attorney, make sure to interview multiple lawyers within their professional network until you find one that makes you feel comfortable and who understands the market well. A Real Estate Attorney advises sellers on the entire process and things like all the documents needed, price negotiations, closing paperwork, and how to handle any potential disputes that may come up during the sale process.

Are you ready to sell your home as-is, without a realtor?

ASAP Cash Offer has specialized in buying homes as-is and we’re looking to buy yours immediately. Our cash offer will allow you to sell your property as soon as today if needed and can close as fast as 7 days from now.

ASAP Cash Offer will buy your home as-is, regardless of the condition, it is in. If you have been hesitant to sell your home because of the repairs it needs, or if you don’t have the time or money to make the repairs yourself, then let us help. We will take care of all the repairs needed and you will receive a fair price for your property. Call us at (818) 651-8166 to get your free cash offer today!

Frequently Asked Questions