Selling without a realtor may sound great because you won't pay a listing agent commission. But this method doesn’t guarantee more money in your pocket.
In 2024, for sale by owner (FSBO) homes sold for a median of $380,000 compared to $435,000 for homes sold with a realtor.[1] FSBO homes generally sell for less because sellers have difficulty pricing their homes right, can’t market them as effectively as realtors can, and don’t have the time to dedicate to finding and negotiating with buyers.
In fact, many people who start with a FSBO sale end up hiring a real estate agent to manage the high-stress, high-stakes situation of selling a home. And the number of FSBO sellers keeps declining, with only 6% of home sales being conducted without a realtor in 2024 — a record low.[1]
Fortunately, you can still save money when selling a house without having to sell on your own.
Low-commission agents offer excellent savings while providing the essential support you need to sell your house at a fair price. We can connect you with multiple top agents in your area who offer half the traditional listing fee.
To help you make an informed decision, we’ll take a closer look at the pros and cons of selling a house without a realtor and the best alternative way to save.
Pros of selling a house without a realtor
✅ No listing agent commission
If you choose the FSBO route, you won’t have to pay real estate agent commission to a listing agent (typically 2.5–3% of the home’s sale price). That may not seem like a lot, but 3% of a $500,000 sale price is $15,000.
Thirty percent of FSBO sellers say they chose to sell without a realtor in order to avoid paying realtor commission.[1] Given the high price of traditional listing agent fees, it makes sense that many sellers would choose to go it alone.
However, when considering the potential savings, don’t overlook that it may be harder to sell for the best price if you don’t have an agent. If you’re losing more than around 3% on the sale price by going FSBO, you’re not actually saving any money.
💰 You may still pay the buyer's agent commission
Selling FSBO doesn’t necessarily mean you won't pay commission.
It's common for sellers to cover the buyer's agent commission with a seller credit at closing. If you don’t offer this credit, buyers may not follow through on an offer because they’d have to pay much more out of pocket.
✅ More control over the sale process
When you sell your own home, you have control over almost everything, including pricing, marketing, showings, and negotiations.
If you’re experienced in selling homes, having greater control may be appealing since you can use your expertise to determine how your sale is conducted.
You'll have the power to oversee your schedule instead of coordinating with a listing agent on times for showings, inspections, and more.
You'll also have direct contact with the buyer’s agent — and possibly the buyer — throughout the process. This direct contact can help speed up negotiations since you won’t have to negotiate through an intermediary.
Cons of selling a house without a realtor
❌ Potentially lower sale price
On average, FSBO homes sell for 30% less than agent-listed homes, which can cancel out any possible savings on the listing agent commission.
For example, on a $500,000 house, a 30% lower price would result in a sale price of $350,000. While you’d save on the listing agent fee (2.5%), the net loss would amount to $137,500.
| Selling WITHOUT a realtor | Selling WITH a realtor |
|---|---|
| $350,000 sale (30% below asking price) | $500,000 sale (at asking price) |
| No listing commission | $12,500 listing commission (2.5%) |
| Total earned: $350,000 | Total earned: $487,500 |
There are multiple reasons why FSBO sellers tend to sell for less than people who have a realtor.
One reason is that many sellers struggle with pricing, which means they either price their home too low — and therefore sell for less than their homes are worth — or price too high, which can lead to no offers.
Another reason is that FSBO sellers don’t have the same access to marketing tools and buyer networks that real estate agents do. Realtors often reach out to buyers and buyer's agents they know to help build interest in the property and get more competitive offers.
❌ Stressful, time-consuming process
Selling your home could take more time and effort than you anticipate.
Real estate is a round-the-clock endeavor, often requiring nights, evenings, and weekends to finalize a sale.
The average house spends 47 days on the market,[2] so your home sale may become a part-time job for well over a month.
You’ll be responsible for every aspect of the process that a real estate agent would usually handle, including marketing, showings, negotiations, and paperwork.
If you’re working a full-time job or you have other responsibilities, such as raising children, then acting as your own real estate agent may be more trouble than it’s worth. You may be better off handing off these duties to a realtor who can help make the process less stressful.
❌ Risk of errors and legal issues
Errors and legal risks are some of the most serious drawbacks of selling a house without a realtor. Making a mistake, even unintentionally, could end up costing you a lot of money.
For example, you’ll need to abide by state and federal seller disclosure requirements, usually for issues like lead paint, structural defects, tax liens, and environmental hazards. Disclosure requirements vary from state to state, so it’s easy to make a mistake, which could expose you to a potential lawsuit.
When you’re managing the paperwork for selling a house without a realtor, you’re also responsible for complying with your state's real estate laws and regulations. And since a real estate contract is a legal document, mistakes can lead to closing delays, fines, broken contracts, or even lawsuits.
Realtors and attorneys know the ins and outs of contracts. If you sell without an agent, consider consulting a real estate lawyer to ensure your contract is free of potential legal concerns.
❌ No agent expertise
A lack of agent expertise is one of the biggest cons of selling your home without a realtor. A realtor brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to your sale, which can help with things like pricing, marketing, and negotiations. All of these areas have an impact on how much your house sells for and how quickly.
Pricing
The top challenge for FSBO sellers is setting the right price.[3] Without a clear picture of the market, you risk over- or underpricing your home, which can drastically affect how buyers view it and how much you’ll earn.
It can be especially difficult for sellers to determine the fair market value of a home because most don’t have access to the same tools that realtors have. A real estate agent performs a comparative market analysis to price a home. This analysis factors in data from similar homes that have sold nearby.
You'll need to rely on other methods for pricing your home, such as home value websites like Zillow. However, home value websites can be very inaccurate.
You can order a home appraisal for a more accurate price, but you’ll have to pay at least a couple hundred dollars for it.
Plus, a home appraisal only tells you what a fair price for your home is. It won’t tell you what price is most likely to attract buyers and potentially even generate a bidding war. In fact, 20% of sellers say help with pricing a home competitively is what they most want from a real estate agent.[4]
Marketing
Realtors have many tools to help you market your property, which ensures that your listing gets more interest from buyers (and, potentially, a higher sale price). One survey found that 22% of sellers say they most want their realtors to help market their home to potential buyers.[4]
Some of the top methods realtors use to market your home include:
- MLS listings
- Open houses
- Networking
- Yard signs
- Social media marketing
- Virtual tours
- Direct mail
- Print ads
- Television/radio ads
Perhaps the most important of these is the multiple listing service (MLS), which is a database of homes for sale. Only individuals with a valid real estate license are allowed to post on the MLS.
The MLS is how buyer's agents find properties to show their clients. Plus, MLS listings get syndicated to major websites like Realtor.com and Zillow where buyers often search for homes. If you want to sell your home quickly and for the best price, getting on the MLS is almost essential.
🏠 You can get your house on the MLS without a realtor
FSBO sellers can list on the MLS by using a flat fee MLS service. A flat fee MLS service is a company that has a real estate license and can therefore list your property on the MLS. But they usually don't offer many other services a realtor provides.
While these companies are convenient, there are drawbacks. For one, you'll have to pay a fee. The fee is usually a few hundred dollars, although it can run into the thousands depending on the level of service you need. Some companies also have restrictions on how many photos they allow you to post or how many free edits you can make, which can hurt your listing’s appeal.
Negotiations
Negotiating with buyers can be a particularly tricky part of the home selling process.
Realtors are often effective negotiators because they know what tactics to use, how to respond to buyer's agents using aggressive negotiating tactics, and how to counter offers effectively.
What many FSBO sellers fail to appreciate is that negotiations are about more than arriving at a sale price.
Other aspects of the contract, such as concessions and contingencies, can be just as important in securing a favorable deal. Unfortunately, many sellers who don’t use a realtor are outmaneuvered during negotiations by buyer's agents who better understand which concessions are most valuable to their clients.
For FSBO sellers, learning how to negotiate a home sale entails knowing what price to stand by and which concessions to put on the table. For example, in some cases, offering to cover the buyer’s closing costs may put you ahead financially if it helps you get a higher profit overall.
❌ Potentially smaller pool of buyers
Selling without a realtor can leave you with a smaller pool of buyers, which in turn can make your house harder to sell for a fair price.
FSBO properties may attract fewer buyers for many reasons, including having less effective marketing, not being on the MLS, and sellers not having contacts with local buyer's agents.
Another important reason is that many buyers aren’t comfortable purchasing a home from a seller who doesn’t have a realtor. In fact, 43% of FSBO sellers say that buyers distrusted them because they didn’t have an agent.[5] Whether fairly or not, this distrust often stems from a fear that FSBO sellers will make paperwork errors, drag out negotiations, and create legal headaches for buyers.
Unfortunately, there’s only so much you can do to overcome this bias if you’re selling without a realtor. Using a flat fee MLS service will help to some extent in getting you more buyer interest, as will having an attorney read over your sale contract to help minimize the risk of legal issues.
Should you sell without a realtor?
The pros and cons of selling a house without a realtor show that FSBO properties face an uphill battle. Deciding whether you need a realtor to sell your house will depend on your unique circumstances and your experience with selling houses.
Selling without a realtor may make sense if:
- You already have a buyer lined up
- You have lots of experience selling homes
- You have plenty of extra time to dedicate to the selling process
However, selling with a realtor may be the better option if:
- You want to sell your home for the highest price
- You’re aiming to sell within a certain timeframe
- You want to reduce your legal risks
- You don’t have enough spare time to sell your house on your own
While the decision is ultimately up to you, keep in mind that 90% of home sellers work with a real estate agent to sell their homes.[4] Before you decide to sell on your own, we encourage you to learn more about how to sell a house without a realtor.
Also consider other options, especially if you’re mainly thinking of selling without a realtor in order to save on commission. Alternatives, such as low-commission brokerages, may be a better fit since they offer substantial savings, but with the support of a traditional realtor.
Best FSBO alternative
If you weigh the pros and cons of selling a house without a realtor and decide FSBO isn’t right for you, you’re not stuck paying full-priced commission. There are options that will help you save on realtor fees without sacrificing support.
For example, you could work with an agent that offers a lower commission rate. The top realtors provide the same level of service as a traditional real estate agent but charge half the typical commission, saving you thousands.
We recommend interviewing 2–3 agents before choosing one. That way, you can find a real estate agent with relevant experience and local market expertise. They'll assist you with pricing, marketing, negotiating with buyers, and finalizing paperwork — so the selling process runs smoothly and you get a fair price for your home.
