How to Sell a House Without a Realtor – A complete guide

Table of contents

How to Sell a House Without a Realtor

What is Needed to Sell a House Without a Realtor

Selling a House Without a Realtor Requirements:

Good to Have Paperwork for Selling a House Without a Realtor

Ways to sell your house without a realtor

Steps to Selling a House without a Realtor

FAQ

Can I sell my property without an agent?

How do I sell my home privately?

How do I sell my house in 5 days?

What month is the best to sell a house?

What documents do I need to sell my house without an agent?

Do I need a lawyer to sell my house without a realtor?

Can I see a house without an agent?

What if there is no buyer’s agent?

Should I sell my house myself or use a Realtor?

Why do I need an agent to sell my house?

What should I not tell my real estate agent?

Why do Realtors not want buyers and sellers to meet?

How to Sell a House Without a Realtor

Leanring how to sell your house without a realtor has become one of the most empowering trends that tech-savvy people have been steering toward. Not just for the penny pinchers, even Elon Musk harnesses technology to have a successful home sale without a Realtor. Homeowners realize that as long as they can do a bit of research, use free online tools and consider how buyers are looking for homes these days, you could save $18,000 for your next home (based on a 6% commission on a $300,000 sale).

Selling a home without a Realtor requires other third parties to make it a legal transaction. However, the significant savings come from scrapping that commission. Selling without a Realtor requires gathering information about your home that buyers will be asking, like the year it was built, or the roof was replaced.

When it comes to how to sell a property, there’s one thing that selling without a Realtor can be a roadblock. Getting it on MLS – the Multiple Listing Service is crucial for maximum exposure. Millions of people are touring Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin and more outlets that are connected to the central system. The key to selling your home without a realtor is getting it on there for free.

When going through the motions of how to sell your home without an agent, as long as you have the time to dedicate to negotiating with buyers, a small investment in your marketing, and access to a computer, you’ll be further ahead than most home sellers – agent or not.

What is Needed to Sell a House Without a Realtor

To sell your property without an agent, it’s not as simple as listing on MLS for free and waiting for the best offer to come in. There needs to be a legal exchange of money and paperwork to follow.

Paperwork for selling your home can be divided between the necessary and the “nice-to-do.” If you’re a motivated seller, including all the paperwork possible is the best way to keep a buyer interested instead of frustrated.

Selling a House Without a Realtor Requirements:

• Property disclosure form
• Listing paperwork if going on MLS
• Sales contract
• If your home was built before 1978, it needs a Lead-based Paint Addendum
• If applicable – rental agreements
• Third-party financing addendum if a mortgage is involved

Good to Have Paperwork for Selling a House Without a Realtor

If you’d like to make it easier for the buyer to be convinced that your home is perfect for them, this is some paperwork that could sway them instead of a similar home with little information:

• Records of past repairs or renovations (specifically invoices)
• Electric, gas, and water bills
• Property tax information
• Home inspection certificate
• Rental agreements (of anything in the home, i.e. the water heater)
• List of Chattels

Ways to sell your house without a realtor

You can sell real estate yourself, but getting the best sale price is entirely up to the marketing efforts you’re prepared to put in. Listing your home without a Realtor can go one of two ways – traditional or tech-savvy. The best way to sell your home without a Realtor – is using free online tools to amplify your home’s exposure to potential buyers.

To get a successful home sale without a realtor, you need to find the best “sell your home yourself” websites that allow you to do it for free vs a flat fee.

Alternative ways to sell your home without a Realtor include:

• Listing it on MLS
• Print ads
• Facebook ads
• Google ads
• Neighborhood postcards
• Yard signs
• Word-of-mouth

The most common fear from sellers that want to go on their own is, “If I sell my house without a Realtor, will other buyers that are using one still see it?” With millions of monthly users on MLS and 51% of buyers finding their home through the internet, you can feel secure that buyers will be interested, with or without their agent.

Steps to Selling a House without a Realtor

Selling your home without a Realtor gives you two unique advantages. The first, obviously, is that you’ll be saving tons of money. The second is that you know your home best from a first-hand perspective. You don’t have to worry that an agent will see this like “another transaction,” but you’ll be marketing a “home” that’s ready for its next family.

If you’re ready to put your home on the market, these are the steps to selling without a Realtor.

1. Check out the neighborhood to get an idea of what to price it at. Making a good first impression with the right price is key to ensuring you’re not overlooked and taken seriously.
2. Have photos of your home taken that highlight the best features of the house. This isn’t the time for unedited, quick cellphone shots that make the rooms look smaller. You can still do this yourself, but you need to do it with a wider lens for tight rooms and in a bright space. Some editing savvy can go a long way.
3. List your home on MLS for free. Make sure you’re following any potential property disclosure requirements as they vary between States.
4. Market your home. Your options are boundless! You can do this by posting it on social media, emailing it to your network, announcing it to neighbors, open houses, and more.
5. Show your home to potential buyers that are considering putting in an offer. Remember, their schedule is hectic, and they’ll be comparing plenty of houses. By allowing for flexibility, they’ll already be coming with a good impression.
6. Time for the paperwork. Get ready for offers, negotiations and purchase agreements. If this is a simple sale, depending on what State you’re in, you don’t need an attorney.

FAQ

Can I sell my property without an agent?

Yes! 46% of for sale by owners don’t even go through the marketing process once they list it. As long as you connect with a third party for escrow and title settlement, you don’t need an agent involved throughout the process. An agent might approach you with a buyer and demand a 3% commission, but you have the power to say no.

How do I sell my home privately?

Selling your home privately has become a popular option for homeowners looking to save on commission. If this is your first home-selling experience, you may want to consult a local attorney to review any offers you’re considering accepting. If you plan on having global reach by utilizing the online MLS, you’ll need a free online tool that provides you with listing paperwork to do so.

How do I sell my house in 5 days?

Selling your house in 5 days takes some extra preparation and a few critical components. As long as you follow these steps, you’ll be ahead of most agents that professionally market homes for a living:

1. Price it right the first time. Do some research to see what homes similar to yours have been selling for.
2. Capture fantastic photos that show plenty of light, how the space can be used neutrally and nearby amenities.
3. Take some time off work to be available 24/7 over those five days. You want to be available for buyers to stop in at the last minute or negotiate an offer if you want a quick sale.

What month is the best to sell a house?

The best month isn’t as important as the best market timing. Even beautiful Junes can be a buyers’ market, depending on the economy and trends. Historically, spring months are preferred for sellers due to the shifting moods from a cold winter, blooming flowers, and owners hoping to settle in by summer.

What documents do I need to sell my house without an agent?

Here is a checklist of paperwork that may be required if you’re selling a home without an agent. Remember you’d likely have to fill these out if you had used a realtor anyway:

• Property disclosure form
• Listing paperwork if going on MLS
• Sales contract
• If your home was built before 1978, it needs a Lead-based Paint Addendum
• If applicable – rental agreements
• Third-party financing addendum if a mortgage is involved

Do I need a lawyer to sell my house without a realtor?

In 21 States – it’s required by law to sell your home. If you live in any one of these, you absolutely have to use a real estate lawyer but won’t need an agent to sell your home:

• Alabama
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• District of Columbia
• Georgia
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Mississippi
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New York
• North Dakota
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• Vermont
• Virginia
• West Virginia

Unless your transaction is complex or has any liability red flags, you don’t have to use an attorney but instead a title settlement service.

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Can I see a house without an agent?

You can see a home without an agent and even earn cashback if you choose the right company to submit your offer, take care of your title, insurance and financial needs. On a $250,000 home, you could get up to $7,500.

What if there is no buyer’s agent?

If there’s no buyer’s agent, all you need to worry about is signing the sales contract and transferring the title. You’ll also save on a 3% commission if you’re a seller and could get cashback if you’re a savvy buyer.

Should I sell my house myself or use a Realtor?

If you already don’t have enough time in a day to get everything done and want a quick sale, using a Realtor may be worth the thousands of dollars. If you can spare a few hours a day until the deal is done, you’ll save thousands through the power of the internet.

Why do I need an agent to sell my house?

The only reason you’ll need an agent to sell your home is if you’re not confident in the marketing efforts you can put behind the sale or the time behind showing the property. You don’t need an agent to sell your property, but you do need the correct documents in place.

What should I not tell my real estate agent?

If you’ve already signed a listing agreement with an agent, you need to adhere to the conditions of keeping it on the property. When it comes to deciding what not to tell your agent without a contract in place, you can keep them in the dark during your private sale process. You only need to tell agents any disclosures about the property when it’s listed for sale.

Why do Realtors not want buyers and sellers to meet?

Real estate agents like to keep it professional by only allowing for communication through the agents, not the buyers and sellers. This is mainly to keep negotiations as emotionless as possible and not cause a personal feud that may negatively affect the sale outcome.

Selling your house without a Realtor is steadily becoming more popular, with 8% of sellers in 2020 opting for this alternative. During a study, the most challenging task for FSBO sellers was understanding and performing the paperwork. Saving thousands on commission, list on MLS for free, and have the support for your paperwork is what Richr is helping empowered homeowners do.