The vast majority of home sellers (81%) who sell without a realtor say saving money on realtor commission is a priority. Chances are you're among those who want to avoid the average 2.62% realtor listing fee in Washington.[1]
But avoiding a listing agent's commission is only one piece of the savings puzzle when selling without a realtor. Several factors determine whether you'll really save on commission and maximize your home-sale profit.
You'll have a better chance at success selling without a realtor if you've sold a home before and can avoid common missteps, already know your buyer, or if you're in a hot seller's market. Still, it's an uphill battle, even under the best circumstances.
Homes sold without a realtor net 13% less than those sold with the help of a realtor, meaning any commission savings are usually offset by a lower home sale price. On a home in Washington with a median value of $596,514, selling with a realtor nets $78,920 more than selling without a realtor.[2]Â
Your best option could be using a low commission realtor who can deliver full service for 1.5%.
Do your research, though. Read on to learn what it takes to sell without a realtor in Washington and estimate your profits. But also talk to a low commission agent to see how their prices and services can often help you save more money than if you go it alone. Â
Pros and cons of selling for sale by owner in Washington
Pros
- Save an average of 2.62% because you'll avoid paying a listing agent's real estate commission.
- Control the selling process. You can set the price and manage every detail.
- Capitalize on favorable market conditions or circumstances. Selling without a realtor is more likely to be fruitful if you have a buyer lined up or you're selling in a hot market.
- Sell fast if you want to. If you need to sell quickly, you can usually sell to a Washington cash home buyer within a few days.
Cons
- Sell your house for 13% less than a house typically sold with the help of an agent.[2]
- Pay an additional 2–3% concession to help buyers cover the cost of hiring a real estate agent. If you don't pay a concession, a buyer's agent has little incentive to show their clients your home.
- Risk legal consequences. Approximately 36% of recent unrepresented sellers revealed they made legal mistakes.[3]
- Spend a lot of time managing the sales process. A typical house for sale stays on the market for 55 days.[4]
- Earn only about 60%–80% of your home's fair market value if you sell fast to a cash home buyer.[5]
Steps to sell a house without a realtor in Washington
1. Get your home move-in ready | 2. Set a price | 3. List your home | 4. Show your home | 5. Review offers | 6. Close your sale
1. Get your home move-in ready
Getting your home move-in ready helps maximize the potential buyers interested in your house. About a third of home buyers (34%) prefer a house that doesn't need significant renovations, so a home that needs work could immediately alienate many potential buyers.[6]
🛠️ Deciding on tasks to prepare your home
Some tasks to prepare your home will be relatively easy. Most homeowners can declutter or freshen up the paint in a room for little cost.
Whether to replace a roof or make other significant updates or repairs is a more complex decision. You'll need to consider cost and potential return, as well as what home buyers in your area want in a home.
Real estate agents typically provide advice and resources to get your home move-in ready. If you're selling on your own, you'll have to research what makes sense for your home.
đź’° Selling as is to a cash home buyer in Washington may be right for you. If you decide your home needs too much work to get market-ready, consider selling as is to a cash buyer through a marketplace like Clever Offers. Compare offers against what you think you might get on the open market with no obligation.
2. Set a price for your home
Pricing your home is among the most important decisions you'll make.
Almost half (49%) of sellers who sold without a realtor wish they'd priced their homes differently. Compare that to 73% of sellers who say their real estate agents priced their home correctly.[7]
đź’µ Pricing your home with a comparative market analysis (CMA)
Agents typically set price points based largely on a comparative market analysis of similar recently sold homes in your area.
You can perform a similar analysis using publicly available data on Zillow or another website, but it won't be as accurate as an agent's CMA. Agents have access to private data on the MLS (multiple listing service), as well as a knowledge of local market conditions and home buyer preferences.
More options for pricing your home
- Pre-listing appraisal. Get a professional to appraise your house to provide an accurate starting point for pricing your home. In Washington, appraisers charge $230–$380 on average.
- Flat fee MLS companies in Washington. If you use a flat fee MLS company, as many sellers without a realtor do, try to find a plan that offers a CMA report and pricing help as add-on services.
- Broker price opinion (BPO). Get a licensed real estate professional to provide a BPO, a home valuation report that estimates your home's value based mainly on its condition and the recent sales prices of similar homes in the area. BPOs cost $150–$250.
- Low commission realtors. If you're willing to consider an agent, low commission real estate brokers — full-service realtors willing to work for a reduced listing commission rate — are a great option. Sellers can save thousands compared with a full-commission agent and get pricing support.
3. List and market your home
To reach a critical mass of buyers, you'll need to list your home online. Most buyers (51%) find their homes through online searches.[8]
The most effective way to reach buyers and their agents online is to list your home on the MLS, a private database of homes for sale created and maintained by real estate brokers. Most MLSs syndicate to Realtor.com, Zillow, and other real estate sites buyers use to search for homes.
🏠List using a flat fee MLS service
Sellers without a realtor should consider using a flat fee MLS service, which enables homeowners in Washington to pay $300–$1,000 to get their home listed on their local MLS. Only real estate agents can list houses directly on the MLS, so flat fee MLS services provide a workaround for sellers.
More options for marketing your home in Washington
- Free for sale by owner websites. ForSaleByOwner.com, Craigslist, and other options allow sellers without a realtor to list their homes at no cost. Listings on these sites don't appear on the MLS, which limits the reach of your listing.
- Social media. Facebook Marketplace, for instance, allows free home listings. Again, these listings don't appear on the MLS.
- Physical media. Washington allows you to use a yard sign to market your home, but it may have other restrictions. Read the rules for advertising real estate in Washington.
Offering a 2–3% buyer concession to cover the buyer agent's fee gives you a better chance of selling your home for the best price.
While offering a buyer concession isn't mandatory, most buyers still expect sellers to cover the cost of their agents.
As of August 2024, following a lawsuit against the National Association of Realtors, buyers and sellers must negotiate their fees directly with their agents.
Sellers who don't offer a concession increase the amount of cash that buyers need to bring to the closing table, which could limit your pool of potential buyers.
Also, not offering a concession might make your house much harder to sell if similar homes for sale in your area come with a concession.
4. Show your home
When you sell without a realtor, you'll have to conduct home showings yourself. This involves scheduling showings, prepping the home, and coordinating with potential buyers.
Around a third of unrepresented sellers (32%) ranked getting their house ready to show as the most common challenge while selling their home.[9]
Follow these logistical tips for showings:
- Stay on top of scheduling. Organize showings and open houses with scheduling tools like ShowingTime, Calendly, or Mixmax.
- Prepare paperwork. Keep disclosure forms and property fact sheets in an easy-to-spot location, like the entryway or kitchen counter. Buyers should have quick access to information about the house.
- Schedule back-to-back tours. Blocks of appointments can support the impression of multiple interested buyers, potentially creating urgency for buyers to submit bids. You and those you live with also won't have to leave your home as often.
- Respond quickly. Answer buyer inquiries as fast as possible. Doing so can keep your home top of mind in a competitive market.
- Make your home inviting. A clean, welcoming space leaves a lasting impression. Maintain a spotless environment, add homey touches like scented candles or freshly baked cookies, and set the temperature between 68 and 76 degrees for comfort.
- Let your home shine. Natural light enhances mood so open curtains and blinds before showings. A neutral-scented air freshener or candle keeps the atmosphere fresh without overwhelming visitors.
- Give buyers space. Keep your distance from the home during showings to allow potential buyers to explore freely without feeling watched.
5. Review and respond to offers
🔑 Key takeaway: You must fill out a seller's disclosure form for Washington and share it with potential buyers. You must also make relevant city-, county-, and federally mandated disclosures, such as those regarding lead-based paint.
Consider the following factors when looking at a buyer's offer:
- Does the buyer have a bank's preapproval for a loan? Unless the buyer plans to pay in cash, ensuring the buyer has preapproval for a loan adds security that the deal doesn't fall apart.
- Am I okay with the contingencies? Typically, an offer includes contingency clauses that allow the buyer or seller to back out of a deal if certain conditions aren't met.
- Am I okay with the closing costs breakdown? A buyer may want you to cover some or all of their closing costs.
Once you evaluate all of the variables in an offer, proceed with one of the following three options.
âś… Accept the offer. If the price and terms are agreeable, say yes and move to finalize a contract.
🤔 Make a counteroffer. You can counter the price and the terms of the deal to attempt to get more of what you want. To sweeten the pot for buyers, you can also make concessions, like offering a home warranty or credits to take care of repairs.
đźš« Reject the offer. Send a polite no to the buyer or their agent. They may come back with a better offer, which you can counter or reject again, but don't reject an offer without a full evaluation. Close to half (46%) of sellers declined an offer that ended up being their highest.[10]
6. Close the sale
Once you come to terms and work out any issues that may arise during the home appraisal or the buyer's home inspection, you'll meet with the buyer to close the sale.
You must use a title company or an escrow agent to facilitate closing in Washington. Although Washington doesn't require sellers to hire a real estate attorney, we recommend you hire one to draw up your sales contract and make sure you comply with local laws.
Real estate attorneys usually work for an upfront flat fee or an hourly rate. In Washington, a real estate attorney typically costs $250–$325 per hour. Find an attorney near you through the Washington State Bar Association.
Costs to close your sale
Sellers typically pay 3.63% of their home's final sale price in closing costs.
For a home in Washington sold at the median sales price of $596,514, you'll pay approximately $21,676.
đź’¸ Be vigilant preparing for the closing process if you're aiming to keep your costs down. Approximately 30% of sellers say they had unexpected closing costs.[11]
Paperwork for selling a house without a realtor in Washington
The paperwork you need to sell a house without a realtor includes more than a dozen documents, including the purchase offer, the sales contract, and the signed property deed.
Where to find paperwork for selling without a realtor
- See a sample Washington sales contract template If you're selling for sale by owner, you'll typically be responsible for drawing up the sales contract. If you want to use this contract example for your sale, check with a real estate attorney, real estate transaction coordinator, or real estate agent to make sure it's current and complies with Washington law and any local laws.Â
- See a seller's disclosure form for Washington. The state requires sellers to disclose most details about their property. You must also follow city, county, and federal disclosure requirements, such as those regarding lead-based paint.
- Check with the Washington Realtors for other documents. State realtor associations sometimes offer blank contracts and forms for you to use.
- Hire a real estate attorney. Typically, they'll supply the documents you need to complete your sale.
- Find free downloadable forms through LawDepot.Â
- Use a flat fee MLS company that offers plans with paperwork support.
- Visit the Washington Department of Revenue for tax records, property surveys, and deeds.
Alternatives to selling without a realtor in Washington
Low-commission real estate agents
Low-commission real estate brokers are full-service realtors who'll represent you for a reduced listing commission rate. Sellers who use a low commission agent can save a lot of money while getting traditional services from an expert local agent.
đź’° Get matched with a low commission realtor who charges a 1.5% listing fee. You'll potentially sell your house for more than you would without an agent and still save on realtor fees.
Cash home buyers
Cash home buyers pay cash for properties. They're generally right for sellers who want to sell fast or as is. They're usually wrong for sellers who wish to maximize the profit on their sales.
The best cash home buyers, like Clever Offers, screen cash buyers and source competing offers on your behalf, providing a safe and efficient way to compare offers.
iBuyers
iBuyers are real estate companies that make near-instant cash offers on homes, using technology to determine a price. Like cash home buyers, they're generally right for sellers who want to sell fast rather than for maximum profit.
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