Advice On Selling Your House in New York Without a Realtor

Are you considering selling your New York home without the help of a real estate agent? There are two primary ways you can sell a home without a realtor.

Listing your home as For Sale By Owner (or FSBO). Listing your home as For Sale By Owner (FSBO) can help you avoid paying a listing agent’s commission, but you may still need to negotiate a commission with a buyer’s agent if they request compensation.

The second way to sell your home without a realtor is through a real estate investor. Selling to an investor is very helpful in situations where you need to sell quickly and on your own terms. You won’t need to market the property, and your property is the right fit for them, they can close in just a few weeks.

This article will help you understand all the steps included when selling your house without a realtor – whether through FSBO or to a real estate investor.

Can You Sell a House Without a Realtor?

It is possible to complete a real estate transaction without the help of a seller’s real estate agent. However, you may still want to get the help of a real estate attorney to ensure all legal documents are completed properly and legally. 

When selling your house on your own (via FSBO), you may still need to work with a buyer’s agent and potentially cover the buyer’s agent’s commission fee. 

The sellers usually pay for all real estate commissions for any realtors involved in the home sale. However, you will still save money on the commission fees of a seller’s agent. Although, if you sell your place to cash home buyers in New York, you can avoid working with the buyer or seller realtors and won’t pay any real estate commission fees. 

Essentially, FSBO sellers can avoid paying a 6 percent commission fee to real estate agents, in most cases. For example, if you sell a house for $400,000, you can avoid paying commission fees as high as $24,000.

Image courtesy of RubyHome

If you want to get the highest profit from your home sale, you may need to complete a purchase agreement with a cash buyer without using a realtor. Yet, you’ll need to take more time and effort to sell an FSBO home. 

First-time sellers may benefit from working with a listing agent. Yet, the FSBO home selling process is easier for real estate veterans.

You will need to declutter the house, remove valuables or knick-knacks, and improve the curb appeal by completing the landscaping. For instance, you may need to plant new bushes or flowers in the front yard and install a new mailbox. You will also need to market the house by yourself, such as by posting the listing on Trulia, Craigslist, RedFin, Zillow, and social media.

Selling your house without a realtor in New York is a somewhat complex process, but it is possible.

This next section explains the process for selling your house without a realtor through For Sale By Owner.

How To Sell Your House Without a Realtor through FSBO

Steps to Selling a House FSBO (For Sale by Owner)

1. Prepare Your Home for Sale

In order to sell your home, you need to get it ready to be shown to potential buyers. This means making any significant and/or cosmetic improvements that will help increase the sale price. New paint, carpets and kitchen upgrades are great ways to increase the price. Also consider hiring staging furniture and regular cleanings to keep the property presentable.

Understanding what needs to be repaired – both urgently or cosmetic, is important to disclose but also to price and prepare a home. Most buyers will require an inspection and it’s best to get ahead of it.

2. Set the Right Price

Researching “comps” or comparable sales in your area will help you understand what your property could sell for. We suggest going to showings in your neighborhood to see what the interior looks and feels like. Also take into account market conditions, particularly time of year – can fluctuate the fair market price drastically.

Pick a realistic home sale price to attract buyers. There are two main pricing strategies: a) price low and engage a bidding war or b) price high, work with a few very interested buyers

3. Market Your Property

The main way you will want to market your property to buyers is through the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) which is a flat-fee service. Use online real estate platforms like Zillow, Realtor.com, and social media to get the word out to the right buyers. Consider hiring a photographer, which will help you attract more motivated buyers with deeper pockets.

4. Screen Potential Buyers

The last thing you want to do is get to the contract stage to realize that your potential buyer isn’t qualified for financing. Do a thorough background check to ensure your deal doesn’t fall through. Selling FSBO means you will need to schedule showings and be prepared to answer buyer questions.

5. Negotiate Offers

If you have multiple offers and counteroffers, you will want to review and compare the pros and cons of each. The highest offer is not always the best – be prepared to negotiate on price, contingencies, and closing timelines. More often than not, you will be negotiating directly with the buyer’s agent.

Step 5: Closing & legal paperwork. We advise you to not do this on your own if you don’t have experience. Seek legal advice!

• Create and sign the purchase agreement
• Open Escrow and the Buyer will Deposit Earnest Money
• Buyer will likely schedule an inspection & appraisal
• Your title Company will prepare the final closing paperwork
• Negotiate buyer financing, closing timeline and prepare for closing (mortgage, HOA docs, property disclosures and more)

6. Handle the Legal and Contractual Process

We advise you to not do this on your own if you don’t have experience. Seek legal advice!

Include all legal compliance documents and disclosures. During this step, you might encounter repairs that are found during the buyer’s inspection process. You can negotiate making the repairs at your own expense, or take the repair cost off the sale price.

• Create and sign the purchase agreement
• Open Escrow and the Buyer will Deposit Earnest Money
• Buyer will likely schedule an inspection & appraisal
• Your title Company will prepare the final closing paperwork
• Negotiate buyer financing, closing timeline and prepare for closing (mortgage, HOA docs, property disclosures and more)

7. Finalize Closing Details

Work with an attorney or title company to handle closing paperwork. Make sure the buyer secures financing and completes due diligence. Last step is to sign paperwork and complete the sale!

How To Sell a House Without a Realtor in New York – Through a Real Estate Investor

Steps to Selling a House to an Investor

1. Contact an Investor

Do a quick Google search and find a reputable real estate investor or investment company. We suggest interviewing 2-3 to get a feel of who you would like to work with.

2. Initial Assessment

The investor will ask questions about your home’s condition, location, and situation to determine if it’s a good fit – and this is usually done shortly after you reach out to a real estate investor. If your property matches their “buying box”, then they will schedule a property visit.

3. Property Visit & Offer

Your trusted real estate investor will visit your home, often on the same or the following next day. Your investor will typically make an immediate offer on the spot, adjusted based on their assessment of the property.

4. Accept or Decline the Offer

During your property visit, you will have no obligation to accept the offer. If and when you choose to accept, you’ll move to contract signing.

5. Contract Signing & Legal Process

You and the investor sign a simple contract outlining the terms of the sale. If needed, the investor can provide recommendations for attorneys to represent you and assist with legal paperwork.

6. Set Closing Date

When you sell to an investor, you get to choose the day when you close. This is a big advantage and allows you to comfortably move out of the home. Most investors are flexible and do not rely on traditional mortgage approvals.

7. Close the Sale

Your real estate investor will pay you in cash, and the transaction closes without the usual delays of financing. You’ll get to sell your house on your timeline with no repairs, staging, or additional costs.

Advantages of Selling a House Without a Realtor (Through an Investor)

Selling to a real estate investor offers a streamlined, hassle-free alternative to the traditional home-selling process. Unlike listing on the open market, selling to an investor means no need for repairs, staging, or lengthy negotiations—you get a cash offer quickly and can close on your timeline. This is ideal for sellers who need a fast, guaranteed sale without the uncertainty of buyer financing or drawn-out contingencies. While you may sell for slightly less than market value, the speed, convenience, and certainty often make it worthwhile.

• Fast Sale – No waiting for buyers, inspections, or mortgage approvals.
• No Repairs or Staging – Sell your home as-is without extra costs.
• Certainty & Convenience – Avoid deals falling through due to financing.
• Flexible Closing Date – Move out on your schedule.
• No Realtor Commissions – Keep more of your money by avoiding agent fees.

Advantages of Selling a House Without a Realtor (FSBO)

The primary advantage for selling a house without a realtor using FSBO is savings on commissions.

Before the 2024 NAR lawsuit, sellers were expected to pay both their listing agent and the buyer’s agent commission, while buyers typically paid nothing for their agent’s services.

After NAR, sellers are no longer required to offer a commission to buyer’s agents through the MLS, and buyers may now be responsible for paying their own agent fees.

This gives FSBO sellers the advantage of negotiating lower overall commissions paid because:

• They are no longer expected to pay the buyer’s agent commission upfront.
• Buyers may negotiate directly with their agents, potentially reducing commission expectations.
• FSBO sellers can attract direct buyers (without agents) to avoid commissions entirely.
• They can offer alternative incentives (e.g., closing cost assistance) instead of a fixed commission.
• Commissions are no longer standardized, creating more room for negotiation.

Additionally, there are two more advantages of selling a house without a realtor:

• Having more control of the new home sale instead of dealing with a middleman
• Benefiting from a more personal home selling experience
• Control over marketing or advertising your home and holding open houses.

When you sell your place by yourself, you won’t need to work with the middleman or realtor (buyer side) and have greater control to avoid extra complications. That way, you can avoid the hassle of debating a realtor’s viewpoints and choose your home purchase price based on market value. 

The 2022 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers from the National Association of Realtors found that 50 percent of FSBO home sellers knew the individual who bought their home. That shows how home sellers benefit from a more personal experience selling their property. 

Along with these benefits, working without a realtor does have specific disadvantages for home sellers.

Disadvantages of Selling a House Without a Realtor (FSBO

Is it hard to sell a house in NY? With real estate prices and mortgage interest rates growing, some home sellers have found fewer buyers in their local markets. Some sellers in New York would benefit from working with a realtor, as these professionals can help you find a buyer. 

The cons of selling a home without a real estate agent include:

• The home selling process becoming nearly a full-time job and taking too much time
• Lacking a comparative market analysis that a realtor can provide
• Feeling overwhelmed and exhausted from the amount of work required for the sale
• FSBOs often sell for less money without the help of realtors
• Managing the challenges of a real estate sale without getting help from a professional
• Finding it harder to find a home buyer

This can be a lot of work, especially if you don’t have realtor experience! Yet, a realtor can handle many of these steps for you – but the bottom line is that homes sold without a realtor’s help tend to sell for less than comparable homes. 

The caveat to this is that you’ll pay higher commissions, which brings your total profit and loss down further.

For example, FSBO houses got sold for a median of $380,000 in 2024, while the median price of agent-assisted home sales reached $435,000. That means you may face a loss of around $55,000 if you sell your house by yourself without the help of a realtor. 

Real estate investors or cash buyers can purchase your home quickly since they don’t need a lender, you’re less likely to get a high price on the home sale. Yet, you can likely sell your place in its as-is condition without needing renovations when getting a cash offer from an investor.

You may experience numerous obstacles from the home sale, such as requiring further repairs after the buyer requests a home inspection, problems with the title, or construction that isn’t up to the building code. Without the help of a professional realtor, you may have trouble resolving such challenges.

Most importantly, realtors can help you find numerous potential buyers and get multiple bids on your house. Without realtors, you may find it challenging to find buyers on your own. 

Comparing Traditional Sales vs FSBO vs Investor

At Leave the Key, we strive to be honest with our clients. If selling to an investor is not the right way, we’ll tell you. The chart above might help you decide which route to go though. If you’re looking for a quick cash sale, going with an investor is the right choice

If you have the experience and confidence to FSBO, then go for it! You might make some more money in the long run.

Need some advice on which route to go? Give us a call at 631-837-2898 and we’ll be happy to give our honest assessment.

So… What’s Next?

You may have come to the page here wondering, “How can you sell a house without a realtor?” After reading through the information above, you should now understand the process of selling your home as a For Sale By Owner listing. 

If you’re having trouble finding a home buyer by yourself, consider reaching out to a cash home-buying company. The cash offer process on a house in New York involves contacting a cash buyer and scheduling a day for them to come to see your place.

The cash buyer may give you an offer right away. You can sell a house fast in Long Island with the help of a cash buyer. Luckily, we buy houses NYC residents love, so call us as soon as possible.