Can I sell a home without a realtor?

Drew Trombley

Jun 17, 2024 — 6 min read

If you're in the market to sell a home and don't want to use a realtor, don't worry! You have many options to sell a home without having to shell out unnecessary commissions or pay random fees to different parties just to sell YOUR home.

While there are many options on the table – ranging from Flat Fee MLS Listing services and different forms of Discount Online Brokerages – it doesn't mean that using a realtor ("agent") is always a bad thing or that paying fees are a bad thing.

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In fact, having the right team by your side is always a good thing and professionals are a safe bet if you're looking for peace of mind. But the truth is that using a realtor isn't for every seller, and the rise of mobile phones has democratized the access to the same technology many realtors use to market and sell your home.

Whether you need a lot of help, or only a little, the first step in finding the best online solution for you is to ask a few key questions:

What is your timeline?
What is your asking price and how did you get it?
Have you sold a home before?

A seller's timeline is one of the most important factors in deciding what approach to take. Likewise, understanding the market (and thus a pricing strategy) is arguably the most important aspect when seeking to maximize final proceeds as this ultimately drives more or less demand on a listing (or in this case the number of buyer offers).

Selling a home online without a realtor isn't rocket science, but it does require some effort...and patience. One of the most important attributes that comes with hiring a realtor or working with a professional brokerage is an unbiased, independent 3rd party perspective. This cannot be stressed enough – many times home sellers price their homes too high – or too low – and waste valuable time marketing their home for sale.

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So what exactly are the most common options?

Use a flat fee MLS listing service
Go with a discount online broker
Find a local realtor

Flat Fee MLS

Pay upfront to listed on the MLS (and 700+ websites) along with a lot of other helpful tools. Best for the DIY seller that wants to own all (or most) of the process.

Online Discount Broker

These companies ask for a flat fee upfront + a reduced commission at closing (0.5% to 1.5%). These are a great option if you need a little more help and want the full support of a professional team -- but don't want to pay the fees associated with a realtor.