For Sale By Owner in 2025: Stats and Tips

For Sale By Owner in 2025: Stats& Tips

According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR) in 2024, For Sale By Owners (FSBO) accounted for 6% of home sales. FSBO homes sold for $380,000 compared to $435,000 agent-assisted sales.

Do you know what FSBO home sellers are doing wrong and what they can do right to improve their chances of getting a better sales price?

I’ve been selling real estate for 16 years, and I’m here to share the latest stats plus my honest tips for anyone thinking about going the FSBO route in 2025. Whether you’re set on selling your home without an agent or just curious, stick around—I’ll break down the numbers and give you practical advice to maximize your sale. And if it doesn’t work out? Give me a call! Let’s get started.

FSBO Stats: What the Numbers Say in 2024-2025

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) dropped some fresh data from 2023-2024, and here’s the rundown for FSBO homes in 2024:

6% of Home Sales: FSBOs made up just 6% of total sales. It’s a small slice of the pie!
Median FSBO Sale Price: $380,000.
Median Agent-Assisted Sale Price: $435,000.

That’s a $55,000 gap right there. Now, the data doesn’t clarify if FSBO sellers paid one agent, two, or none. So, I crunched some numbers—assuming a 5% commission on that $435,000 agent-assisted sale (about $21,750), you’re still looking at a net of $413,250. That’s $33,250 more than the typical FSBO sale. Even with fees, agents seem to put more cash in sellers’ pockets. Want to make less money? FSBO might be your jam—I’m half-kidding, but also half-serious!

FSBO Marketing Methods: What Works, What Doesn’t

NAR also shared how FSBOs marketed their homes. Here’s my take, line by line:

Friends, Relatives, Neighbors (18%): Chatting up your circle might work if, say, your neighbor wants their parents next door. But 18% effort for a tiny chance? Total time-waster in my book.
Yard Signs (12%): Solid move! Signs grab eyes, especially with directional pointers on busy corners leading to your main “For Sale” sign.
Third-Party Aggregators (10%): Think Zillow or similar sites. Online presence is king, and 10% feels low—I’d push this higher.
Social Networking Sites (3%): Social media’s noisy. Unless you’re paying for ads, cutting through the clutter is tough.
FSBO Websites (3%): You pay a fee, they list your home. But buyers flock to Zillow, Redfin, or Realtor.com—not niche FSBO sites—unless they syndicate, which most don’t.
MLS Website (10%): The golden ticket! Pay a flat-fee broker a few hundred bucks to list on the Multiple Listing Service, and it syndicates to major sites. If you do one thing as an FSBO, do this.
Open Houses (6%): Good idea, but tricky. Buyers feel awkward touring with the owner hovering—it’s like intruding. Agents smooth that out, plus there’s safety risks (more on that later).
Online Classifieds (3%): Not sure what this even means—Craiglist? Redundant with aggregators.
Other Real Estate Sites (2%): Maybe Trulia? Usually MLS-fed anyway.
Video Hosting (1%): YouTube could work, but 1%? Crank that up—videos sell!

Pro Tip: MLS is non-negotiable. Skip it, and you’re missing 90% of buyers. Yard signs and online aggregators are your next best bets.

The Hardest Parts of FSBO: My Honest Take

NAR listed the toughest tasks for FSBO sellers—here’s where it gets real:

1. Getting the Price Right (17%)

Pricing is make-or-break. I’ve seen expired listings sit for 6-8 months because sellers aimed too high. Buyers see 30+ days on Zillow and think, “What’s wrong with it?” You’ve got to nail the price in month one, or you’re dropping it later to catch eyes. As an agent, I analyze school districts, unique features, and comps—sometimes half-mile radius, sometimes three miles. Use pending listings for current trends, sold comps for steady markets (50-70 days on market). Factor in size, finishes, lot, location, and layout. Tough without experience—I even struggle pricing my own home because greed creeps in!

2. Selling Within Planned Time (13%)

Overpricing drags this out. Buyers assume FSBOs have wiggle room, so they lowball. Pad your price too much, and you’re out of range—no one bites. Plus, closing timelines? Google gives national averages, but local know-how matters. Agents standardize this; FSBOs can stretch to 90 days with wonky inspections.

3. Paperwork Pitfalls (10%)

This is huge. Miss a material fact (anything impacting value) or fudge disclosures, and you’re lawsuit bait. Agents have errors and omissions insurance—we take classes to avoid slip-ups. FSBOs? You’re on your own, decoding state laws and contracts you rarely touch. Risky business.

4. Preparing the Home (8%)

Fixing up stumps everyone—agent or not. What’s worth fixing vs. remodeling? Agents know buyer buzzwords from open houses and can guide you: caulk, paint touch-ups, cleaning—low cost, high return. FSBOs might over- or under-do it.

5. Time Commitment (5%)

FSBOs get slammed with calls—80% are Realtor solicitations (“Hire me!”) or scammers (“Send your WhatsApp, I’ll pay cash from Nigeria!”). Vetting buyers takes time—demand pre-approval letters from local lenders and verify them. Juggling this with a job? Brutal.

6. Helping Buyers with Financing (3%)

Not your job! Unapproved buyers sniffing around? Scammers or flakes. Tell them to talk to a lender first. Buyers with agents are pre-vetted—safer bet.

7. Attracting Buyers (2%)

This shocked me—it should be 80%! Great agents use pro photos, videos, and networks to pull buyers. FSBOs miss out without MLS syndication or marketing savvy. You don’t know what you’re not reaching.

My Top FSBO Tips for 2025

After 16 years of selling, here’s my advice:

Price Smart: Study pending and sold comps—price per square foot, adjusted for your home’s quirks. Don’t let greed overprice you out.
MLS or Bust: Pay the flat fee. It’s your lifeline to buyers.
Signs + Online: Yard signs and Zillow are cheap, effective marketing.
Vet Buyers: Pre-approval letters only—call the lender to confirm.
Know the Law: Study your state’s disclosure rules. One slip could cost you big.
Time Check: If you’re busy or new to this, FSBO might not be worth it. Scammers and Realtor calls will drain you.

Final Thoughts: FSBO or Pro?

FSBOs save commission but lose money—$33K less on average. Safety, lawsuits, and time add risk. If you’re retired or a pro at this, go for it. Otherwise? Hire an agent. You can DIY, but there’s big money on the line.

Need help in Portland, Oregon? Call me 503-515-4499—I’m not that expensive, and the chat’s free! If I’m retired when you read this, find a good local agent.