Should You Sell Your Home By Owner? Here’s What the Numbers Say
Trying to Save the Commission?
I recently had a conversation with a client who was considering selling her home herself which led me to do a deep dive into the statistics around For Sale by Owner transactions. What I found was that the latest data from the National Association of REALTORS® shows a clear shift in how Americans sell their homes. Fewer owners than ever are choosing to go it alone, and more are choosing to work with a real estate professional. Here are the highlights and why you might want to think twice about this route is you’re starting to think about selling your home.
FSBOs are now only about 5% of sales
For Sale by Owner (FSBO) listings have dropped to around 5% of all home sales nationwide, an all time low according to NAR. At the same time, roughly 91% of sellers now use a real estate agent to market and sell their home. This is a dramatic change from the 1980s, when FSBOs made up more than 20% of the market.
What does that tell us? Even with all the online tools available today, most sellers are deciding that professional guidance is worth it.
The Price Gap: agent listed homes sell for more
One of the biggest reasons sellers are choosing agents is simple: net proceeds.
Recent NAR data shows that the median FSBO sale price is about 360,000 dollars, while the median price for homes sold with an agent is around 425,000 dollars. That’s roughly an 18% higher median sale price for agent listed properties.
Even after factoring in commission, that difference can translate into thousands of dollars more in a seller’s pocket. In other words, trying to “save the commission” can end up costing money if the home sells for less than it would with full scale marketing, expert pricing, and skilled negotiation.
Why FSBO is so challenging for many sellers
On the surface, selling your own home sounds straightforward: put up a sign, post online, and wait for buyers. In reality, many FSBO sellers find themselves overwhelmed by:
- Pricing strategy and understanding current market data: you’ve got to get it right in today’s market
- Professional quality photos, staging, and marketing: trust me, this makes a major difference. Do you want people to be intrigued by your listing or repelled?
- Screening buyers and managing showing schedules
- Navigating offers, inspections, and appraisal issues
- Handling contracts, disclosures, and deadlines correctly, there is a lot at stake. Get it wrong and you could have major problems.
It’s no surprise that a meaningful share of owners who start as FSBOs eventually decide to hire an agent partway through the process. By that point, they’ve already invested time and energy and may have missed their best “first impression” moment on the market.
What full service representation really provides
For most sellers, a successful sale is about more than just finding a buyer. It’s about maximizing value while minimizing risk and stress. A full‑service agent typically:
- Analyzes comparable sales and market data to price your home strategically
- Advises on improvements, staging, and timing – agents have a special perspective on this.
- Invests in professional marketing across multiple channels
- Manages showings, feedback, and buyer questions
- Negotiates on your behalf to protect your bottom line
- Coordinates the entire transaction through closing – you have no idea how huge this is.
In the NAR survey, a large majority of sellers said their agent handled most of the sale and offered a wide range of services. Most, an incredible 86% also said they would use the same agent again or recommend them to friends and family. That level of satisfaction helps explain why FSBO’s share of the market keeps shrinking.
What this means if you’re thinking of selling
If you’re considering selling your home, the national trend is clear: most homeowners are choosing professional representation, and those homes are selling for more. While every situation is unique, it’s worth having a conversation with a local agent before you decide to go it alone.
A short consultation can help you understand:
- What your home is likely worth in today’s market
- Which updates (if any) would help your bottom line
- How long homes like yours are taking to sell
- What your net proceeds might look like with and without professional representation
If you’d like a data‑driven look at your options, we’re happy to walk you through the numbers so you can make the best decision for your situation.
Written by Shannon Miller with the Weinland Team at RE/MAX Alliance
Phone: (970) 818-8895
Email: Shannon@TheWeinlandTeam.com
Written by fortcollinsexperience
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