How to Sell a House Without an Agent

Do you need to know how to sell a house without an agent? It is not necessary for you to hire an agent and pay them 3-6% of the sales price of the home. You can act as your own agent, get help from a do it yourself real estate group or rely on the buyers agent (not recommended).

The laws regarding real estate are different in every state. Check with the county that you live in for the laws that pertain to your county and state.

Sell Your Home Yourself to Sell a House Without an Agent

If you choose to sell your home without an agent, you have every right to do so, but you may be getting in over your head unless you have a law degree or some experience in selling homes. You can find many standard forms online or at your local office supply store. Once you have a signed sales contract, you can open an escrow and get help from the title company.

It will be more difficult to advertise and find a buyer, but you can do it by placing ads in your local newspaper and online.

Use an Attorney to Sell a House Without an Agent

Attorneys have the legal right to sell property the same way that real estate agents do. You can hire an attorney to sell your property rather than a real estate agent if you wish. One of the benefits of using an attorney is the attorney/client privilege which will keep your transaction private. Also, an attorney may act in your best interest better than a real estate agent because at some point every real estate agent just wants to close the deal and may no longer focus on what is best for you since you are already in a contract with them. Whereas an attorney may look forward to doing additional work with you in other areas and may look out after the greater good of your situation.

Team Up With a Do it Yourself Real Estate Group to Sell a House Without an Agent

There are agencies that you can hire to help you sell your real estate yourself, you can use them for support and guidance. The sell by owner agencies will charge you a fee, but it will be considerably less than if you went with a regular agent. Agencies such as forsalebyowner.com, fsbo.com, homesbyowner.com and owners.com, can help you with the paperwork and the basics of selling your home.

Rely on the Buyer's Agent to Sell a House Without an Agent

If you do not hire an agent, but the buyer does, you can rely on their agent for some help and support. This is generally a bad idea because they will be looking out for their client and not for you. They may even use this to take advantage of you.

Although technically you can sell and buy a home without an agent, it is generally recommended that you use a licensed realtor. You can always try to negotiate their fee lower. It does not hurt to ask. In the long run, you will be happy that you spent the money to hire a professional real estate agent because they really do a lot of work, especially paperwork.

If you do not know anything about sales contracts, escrow and earnest deposits, you may not want to sell your home by yourself.