When Jill Langen decided to list her Clarkston, Michigan, home of 25 years for sale last month, she opted to go it alone — skipping a real estate agent entirely. Just seven days later, she had a signed agreement with a buyer, and her home was off the market.
Langen’s experience is far from the norm. According to the National Association of Realtors, only 6% of home sales in the U.S. last year were FSBO — for-sale-by-owner — marking an all-time low. Still, a shifting real estate landscape, fueled by a wave of lawsuits challenging traditional commission structures in 2024, is making some sellers rethink the need for a Realtor.
The industry shake-up was top of mind for Langen, a 61-year-old higher education administrator, when she made her decision. “Very much,” she said, referring to how the changes influenced her choice. Despite the reforms, most home sellers still pay a commission averaging 5% to 6% of the sale price — which would’ve cost Langen up to $30,900 on her $515,000 listing.
While many Real Estate sellers still find the guidance of a Realtor worthwhile, FSBO sellers like Langen say it’s possible to go solo — if you’re ready to put in the time and effort. Data shows FSBO homes typically sell for less, averaging $380,000 compared to $435,000 for agent-assisted sales. Realtors often cite this as proof that professional representation delivers better results.
“Our thought was: ‘We can try this for a few weeks and if it doesn’t work, we can always work with a Realtor. But let’s give it a shot,’” Langen said. “FSBO is great for some people and probably not a good option for everybody. It was a really good option for us”
Doing It Herself
Langen wasn’t starting from scratch. Earlier this year, she and her husband had purchased a new home in Denver with the help of a Realtor.
“For a year, we worked with a wonderful Realtor as buyers in Colorado,” she said. “We lived through that process, so we learned some things”
She prepared well in advance. Photos were taken in spring, capturing her yard in full bloom. She researched comparable home sales in her neighborhood and settled on $515,000 as the list price. Then she printed flyers, posted a “For Sale” sign, and used ChatGPT to help write her Zillow listing.
And then — the phone started ringing.
“Some were wonderful and some were unpleasant, which surprised me,” Langen said, describing the roughly 20 calls she received daily — many from Realtors pitching their services
Despite the barrage, she pushed forward. She hosted an open house within days, cleaning and depersonalizing the home beforehand. “We wanted it to look welcoming, but not like someone was living there,” she explained.
Langen ended up with multiple offers and chose an unrepresented buyer — saving herself the cost of commissions on both ends of the deal.
The Pros and Cons
Langen’s success wasn’t pure luck. She already had a neighbor who’d successfully gone FSBO, giving her confidence. Her home was in a hot market with low inventory, attracting buyers quickly.
“Time was on our side. We weren’t in a rush. We didn’t have to move before school started or a work deadline or something like that,” she said. “We had some flexibility that made FSBO a good option for us”
But it also required effort. She juggled calls, showings, and negotiations — and didn’t skip steps. After an inspection, she agreed to pay for minor attic repairs.
“We just knew, because we just went through the process in Colorado, there would likely be something that had to be corrected. We worked through that with the buyer,” she said
For closing, she used a title company experienced in FSBO deals. They handled paperwork, escrow details, and her homeowner’s association.
“Closing is a little anti-climactic,” she said. “You just hand over the keys and the garage door opener”
A Different Outcome
Not every FSBO story ends like Langen’s.
Aditya Srinivasan, 70, recently retired and was preparing to relocate from the Bay Area to Eugene, Oregon, with his wife. After listing his California home on Zillow without a Realtor, he quickly found the process overwhelming.
He was bombarded by suspicious messages, including potential scams and buyers offering cryptocurrency. One prospective buyer strung him along before backing out at the last minute.
“You’ve got to be careful. Your bandwidth does get used up with these things a little bit,” Srinivasan said. “When you’ve never done it before, there’s a learning curve”
Eventually, he took the home off the FSBO market and turned to a trusted Realtor instead.
The Bottom Line
FSBO isn’t for everyone. But for sellers like Langen — with time, research, and a bit of tech-savvy — it can work. Still, experts caution that professional help often results in smoother transactions and higher sale prices.
