How To Sell Your House Without A Realtor

Are you thinking about selling your house, but aren’t sure if you should hire a realtor?  With the overwhelming amount of technology available to us, you might be thinking of going solo and trying to navigate the process on your own.  After all, real estate agents do get a chunk of money for helping you sell your property—and you’re probably wondering if it’s really worth the expense.

Here’s the good news: I’m going to show you how to do it.

Yeah, I know this sounds strange; who’s ever heard of a real estate agent showing you how to sell your house without a real estate agent?  The bottom line is that my goal will always be to give you the best real estate advice to help you successfully sell your house, regardless of the way you get there.  And that’s exactly why I created this step-by-step guide to show you everything you need to know if you decide to sell your home without a realtor.

Deciding whether this alternative path is right for you depends on one simple question: will a realtor’s involvement in the transaction create a better outcome for you?  This will depend on a variety of factors, but we’re first going to go on the assumption that your pumped and primed to go it alone. To make sure you know exactly what you’re getting into, I’m going to show you how to do my job without asking for a dime!

If you want to sell your home without a real estate agent, you’ve got a few options available to you.

Option #1: Hire A Flat-Fee Brokerage.  This will cost you in the vicinity of $500-$1000.  The caveat? Be prepared to pay the buyer’s agent’s commission, which is traditionally around 3%.  You should also be prepared to handle pretty much every detail of the transaction on your own, like scheduling showings, following up with lenders, and keeping track of inspection and appraisal timelines to name a few.  You also shouldn’t expect high-level marketing with this type of flat-fee service; flat-fee means flat-fee, and you won’t be serviced by the world’s best marketing guru when using these types of brokerages.

Option #2: Sell Your House Completely By Yourself Using All Available Resources and Technology.  If you’re determined to go solo, you can make use of all that the internet and technology have to offer to list your property as “for sale by owner.”  This is the where I’m going to breakdown everything that goes into selling your home without a real estate agent, and there’s quite a bit to be aware of.

When it comes to selling your home, marketing and the proper positioning of the property are going to be the key to a successful sale.  Some of the things (and people) you’ll need to properly market your house will include:

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  Online listing syndication and placement to make sure your listing is hitting interested buyers, bringing in maximum showings and offers.  This includes making sure all property information is filled out correctly on any home search engine sites you use, like Trulia or Zillow.

  
  


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  Well-written, descriptive listing remarks about your home that will speak to potential buyers create the right storyline for your house.

  
  


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  A photographer and videographer to bring exposure and excitement to the property listing, allowing the buyers to get a clear picture and take a virtual walk-through of the home.  Make sure these pictures are high quality, or no one is going to want to take a closer look at your property.

  
  


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  A Facebook ads expert to create marketing buzz and attract more interest and showings.  This is also another opportunity to put your well-written listing remarks to work for you.

  
  


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  Someone who’s good with Instagram and geotargeting to further bring attention to the listing and target the right audience.

  
  


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  Staging of your home to make sure it looks its best and makes an impression on future buyers during showings, ultimately getting you a better offer.

  
  


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  For Sale signage outside your property to let the community know your house is on the market.

  
  

The more traffic you generate, the more likely you’ll have the best outcome with your transaction.  Getting this traffic will require the management of a lot of moving parts and pieces to ensure success.

Once you market your property successfully and find your perfect buyer, it will be up to you to facilitate the entire transaction.  This will include things like:

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  Pricing negotiations

  
  


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  Following up with lenders

  
  


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  Following up with the appraiser and reviewing appraisal reports

  
  


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  Perform appraisal-required repairs

  
  


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  Following up with inspectors and reviewing inspection reports

  
  

All of these things will be on you; if you’re surprised that this is a lot of work, remember that I do this as my full-time job.  

If you’re going to sell your house on your own, I want to make sure you do it right.  If for any reason you feel overwhelmed, feel free to give me a call and I’ll be happy to do the heavy lifting for you!  In the end, my primary goal is to make sure you get the most out of your transaction and put the maximum amount of money in your pocket, all while keeping your sanity.  Follow these tips and you’ll be on your way to selling your home without a real estate agent—and if you decide you need help at any point in the process, you know where to find me!